During this week’s PPCChat session, host Julie F. Bacchini sought PPCers’ views on the most impactful SERP changes related to PPC. Moreover, she asked about the types of queries they are seeing in AI Overviews, whether they are adjusting their PPC strategies to align with the new SERP formats, and more.
Q1: Which SERP changes do you think will be most impactful relative to PPC – AI Overviews, Hide Ads option, Zero Click Searches, something else?
It’s not quite a SERP change although that’s where you’ll see it, but I think the LSAification of more and more service searches is going to make a huge impact. @Pete_Bowen
Only Google SERP changes? @navahhopkins
The hide ads thing is interesting and could be very impactful. @NeptuneMoon
For my clients it’s AI Overviews. Search is, was, a consistent traffic driver for educational and safety campaigns I run, and that is going to be impacted greatly. My QSR and retail clients are going to be less impacted because the metric is a store visit after “engagement” so a shift in pmax spend will help. @JuliaVyse
@navahhopkins These apply outside Google but please add more.. @NeptuneMoon
I think AI and Voice searches are going to get more important as we progress. Who knows how many years we have left of traditional browsers as we know them today. @Ichasse
@navahhopkins this could be a boon for Microsoft, if we can just get the damn display network excluded! The MS ads placement in the Bing serp will still consistently drive traffic like it does now, but watching for GPT integrations as the race continues. @JuliaVyse
There are more Copilot placements on Bing SERPs and we’re introducing more location data spots. @navahhopkins
I think it’s also how people search. I think people look at me like I’m crazy, but I’m finding that I’ve been searching so much longer tail practically paragraphs now the AI is in the picture. @runnerkik
I think AI Overviews will be very interesting – how the engines can remain competitive by maximizing user experience while also maximizing their monetization. I feel there are new innovations to come from such constraints. @Liorkrolewicz
@Ichasse even phones may become obsolete. When was the last time you met someone who LIKED carrying theirs around? @JuliaVyse
I also think there are big generational elements to all this that should be part of the conversation. @NeptuneMoon
Oh my God, I was gonna say generational because I have another thing that I’ve been doing and I think it’s as I’ve been getting older. I’ve been using voice to text more, which makes everything longer, but it’s because of the whole progressive lenses conversation you and I have had. So I think there’s a generation that grew up on the Internet that can’t type as well as they used to with their fingers. @runnerkik
@JuliaVyse, you can always chat into support to get those placements excluded. However, with impression-based remarketing, you might be able to get assisting value. @navahhopkins
I don’t use AI for search because (a) what it does to the planet and (b) I don’t need an extra step of making sure what it says is right or it sends me where I want to go. @NeptuneMoon
Nothing like my anecdotal life experience in chat. @runnerkik
Being a grandfather I can agree with the generational thing, lol. I still carry my flip phone, because I hate being so connected with the smart/dumb phones. @Ichasse
@NeptuneMoon but not using AI aren’t the overviews kind of forcing you to use it. @runnerkik
AI search with citations is useful. @navahhopkins
@navahhopkins we do, but it’s a consistent chore. And while I appreciate that an advertiser could certainly benefit from some of these mobile game, tiny x, only click my mistake placements, we have display partners and do not need these. They should be much easier to remove than they are now. We bill per hour after all. @JuliaVyse
@runnerkik I hate that it is forced into search experiences. @NeptuneMoon
I’d say it CAN be useful, @navahhopkins I’m not all the way on IS. @JuliaVyse
That’s fair feedback! @navahhopkins
I should amend to say I don’t choose to use any AI for searching. @NeptuneMoon
(Not sure if relevant to this question) I wonder if these changes will increase the opportunity to better use Display ads. As Search changes and users provide more info to the MACHINE, we’d understand them better for targeting. @Liorkrolewicz
@NeptuneMoon I feel like I’ve been boiled as an advertiser and as a searcher. @runnerkik
Everyone will have their own Jarvis type device plugged in. And Marketing Offline, within communities, & other such places like Amex, Uber etc will gain momentum similar to retail. @alimehdimukadam
@NeptuneMoon I am a bit of a tree hugger, so when I saw the numbers on AI and resource usage it was absolutely an eye opener. I know some folks have stopped saying thank you when asking questions, just because that uses more resources again because the AI has to think of a response to your thank you.@Ichasse
@runnerkik I wonder if we’re actually that boiled. It’s a big change to manage, but I’m having more conversations and offering my opinion to my clients more these days as they ask how we should navigate through this. It’s kind of bringing us together. @JuliaVyse
The new changes is akin to banner blindness where Sponsored for Google is only at the top. More clicks on Ads. @alimehdimukadam
I have a question coming up about what clients/stakeholders are thinking and asking about this! @NeptuneMoon
Q2: Have you seen ads in any AI Overviews in either Google or Microsoft? If so, for what type of queries?
None yet in Google AI Mode, except for screenshots. Saw a couple Microsoft ads for local & shopping. @alimehdimukadam
I have not. @NeptuneMoon
Not yet below and to the side only. @runnerkik
Not yet, but it likely just hasn’t rolled out to Canada yet. Early to Thanksgiving, late to global rollouts. @JuliaVyse
Not yet for me. @Ichasse
Maybe all the Google reps haven’t finished calling people and having them get into broad match and ai max enough yet to justify. @runnerkik
@runnerkik Nobody is taking their calls anymore, lol. @Ichasse
Don’t think so. @Pete_Bowen
No not yet… If we search “buy toy car”, results are just ads as always. “how to buy toy car” gives the AI overview – the links and images here seem all organic, but wonder if they’ll always be. @Liorkrolewicz
I keep seeing announcements like it is rolling out more globally and think to myself but it isn’t really even in the US consistently or at all in a lot of cases??? @NeptuneMoon
@runnerkik I got recently LinkedIn message from a rep saying they’re trying to reach me via call. @Liorkrolewicz
One more trial is pending for Google. Maybe post that. @alimehdimukadam
Yeah, and clients all want to know how to appear and when they will appear. @JuliaVyse
Ok going to post the client question now…@NeptuneMoon
I meant the judge/jury case trial for possible breaking up of display, search, publisher side etc @alimehdimukadam
For the record – Microsoft is really careful about how often we serve ads in AI spaces as those are intended to be trustworthy spaces for you to access meaningful info (with links out to organic sources) That said, we’ve had ads serving in AI spaces for well over a year at this point @navahhopkins
@navahhopkins I do feel like ads in the AI experience should come under a heading of “see content from our relevant advertisers” or something like that. @NeptuneMoon
Here’s an example of a no ad copilot convo: @navahhopkins
Here’s an example of an ad serving after several interactions on finding a dress for a wedding @navahhopkins
Q3: Are clients/stakeholders asking any questions about the search landscape? What do they want to know about the most?
“How do we get into the AI Overview…” @NeptuneMoon
I think people wanna know how to get in there, not should I be there or is it important for me to be there? @runnerkik
I feel there was a wave of clients asking about this and what are we doing to be ahead of competition, but not so much more recent months (PPC only) @Liorkrolewicz
@JuliaVyse mentioned it on the other question. They want to understand when/how they can show up in the responses. They expect us to know how to get them there, so it is a little rough on us for now. There are no rules beyond Google telling you to go broad, use AI Search Max, etc…@Ichasse
Well and for the organic piece, the answer is stuff you should have been doing years ago to have the authority to be chosen to be included in an overview…@NeptuneMoon
I also suspect people will want to be in there based on the organic citations and what comes out from conversion rates on those little blue links. Because that’s the closest reference point since none of us have seen an ad for what maybe potentially conversions might look like. @runnerkik
I have so many questions about ad performance and cost because with every change to the SERPs it feels like our ads get more and more chances to be on a screen but not be in the prime position but there is no differentiation in the system for this. An impression is an impression, etc.@NeptuneMoon
Fred in ppc townhall talked about how an ad in AI overview is gonna be a one-to-one relationship versus one to many so it’s gonna be a lot different and WAY more expensive (his theories) @runnerkik
A lot of my clients are asking oracle questions. Look into your crystal ball and tell me What happens to our traffic? Will searchers adopt these products? Will GPT embed into Microsoft products everywhere? Basically, what’s about to happen? @JuliaVyse
It is probably a bit too “inside baseball” for a lot of clients, but the hide ads option, when they start to see in their own searching I suspect will bring up lots of questions! @NeptuneMoon
I do have our last question as to what we think will happen…Clients are also interested in potential ads on AI platforms themselves. I think both because AI is a hot topic and also they so want alternatives to the current big players. @NeptuneMoon
I think the priority for the engines would be first to win the AI market share, then once positions are stable, worry about monetizing… same like Google’s original focus to win market share for search @Liorkrolewicz
Yup, Perplexity scaled back ads. Btw those interested, there have been some great articles based on Google’s Algorithm leak specific to SEO, if anyone’s interested coz good SEO will be good AIO/GEO whatever O is trending @alimehdimukadam
Google is having a hard time staying ahead of ChatGPT – that’s their burning platform – making their AI experience, the user’s choice. @Liorkrolewicz
https://www.hobo-web.co.uk/on-page-seo @alimehdimukadam
So we’re all going into AI ads thinking they’re gonna be super relevant and personalized what if Google just used the fact that people are engaged with using AI for a long time and to someone’s point did more of a display type approach. @runnerkik
I think it is more inventory and more opportunities to have ads have impressions when they are less likely to get clicks and therefore CPCs increase (also known as – those cushions aren’t going to shake themselves!) @NeptuneMoon
Yeah @runnerkik that’s what I think… knowing the user so well is Meta’s strength and they only do display. So as we know more about the user, I can see the pendulum swing to Display. perhaps kinda like evolved predictive search… we’d know what they want, so not only complete their query, but show them what they want. @Liorkrolewicz
I already see this pattern – Google Docs – see an ad on the Google App – Discovery which is on point and same topic as per my latest Google Doc @alimehdimukadam
Q4: Are you adjusting any of your PPC strategies to take into account some of the newer SERP formats? If so, what are you modifying? And if not, why not?
As of right now, no major changes in how I’m doing things. That being said, I am paying close attention to all the changes and taking them into account as part of my thinking as it all evolves. @NeptuneMoon
Not yet, but it’s mostly due to constraints rather than decisions. My current adjustment is in dealing with less traffic and discussing zero click. @JuliaVyse
No major changes but I make it a point to have platform diversification in the roadmap even for smaller brands. @alimehdimukadam
I’m not doing anything at the moment. Just watching. @Pete_Bowen
Nope…@runnerkik
No, I don’t see any consistent change to optimize against… keeping structure and strategies the same and adjusting to maximize results within budget. @Liorkrolewicz
Not yet, but we are planning for it the best we can. The harsh reality is we are expected to know how to deal with the new tools whether it is AI, voice search, etc… Whatever that is coming we are expected by our clients to have them front and center to take advantage of the changes. Clients are not very forgiving if we say we don’t know yet and they never will be. We are changing some of the budget to focus on areas I currently believe will best take advantage of the changes coming, but at this point it is still just an educated guess. @Ichasse
Q5: Where do you think this all ends up – the role of ads in search and the changing nature of search and SERPs?
Stuff changes, but slower than the hype suggests. I’m thinking years not months. @Pete_Bowen
This question intrigues me so much. I feel like there is such a weird tension between the traditional model of search and search ads and the new make it all use AI model. The AI model seems less advertising friendly on its face. And we all know the platforms need ad money to survive. So, how they end up managing both pieces will be very interesting to continue to watch unfold. @NeptuneMoon
Tools, Tech & Channels will keep changing. Fundamentals will remain the same. @alimehdimukadam
Yeah, so some people get shiny object, but to everyone’s point fundamentals are the same @runnerkik
Repeating couple things from previous: Engines will fine tune and optimize their experience to win AI-related market share then, once stable, increase monetization Kinda like evolved predictive search… we’d know what they want, so not only complete their query, but show them what they want. Display will play a bigger role in getting the right offer to right person at right time proactively, maybe fiercer competition with Meta here. @Liorkrolewicz
I do hope other players peel off market share from Google. Especially because Google keeps getting more expensive and business want real alternatives that can replace what they currently get on Google. @NeptuneMoon
Increase monetization – ie. why wouldn’t the organic links in the AI overview be sponsored? @Liorkrolewicz
Google wants Amazon budget and Facebook always. @runnerkik
I am not sure we will ever end up somewhere, lol. You started with me Julie way back when and the landscape has changed so much over the past 20 years+. Technology is going to change the game. Pretty soon we will have chips in our heads and having to listen to ads being played during the day in our heads, who knows. All we can count on is next year when we are having our chat, things will be different than they are currently and the next year, etc… We have to be ready to pivot as needed to the changes as they come. @Ichasse
It is just wild though to see search engines ceding their biggest advantages. @NeptuneMoon
I think a few things at once (what else is new?) I think short term it’s going to be wait and see, more hype than results. And I do think there is an AI bubble, particularly in terms of funding. Consolidation is likely, and the big innovative win is likely going to be in operational excellence more than front-end ad changes. I think we should expect more sound and vision than text-only. And I have a big question on paid subscriptions. Will paying users have fewer ads than free users? And what will that do to an auction environment? Pay for checkout from GPT makes sense to me, and that could actually reduce cpc costs, but not every search is a commercial intent search. @JuliaVyse
Meta knows users likes and engagements, We use AI so much more intimately and reveal much more to it – as with all our data, this too will be monetized. @Liorkrolewicz
Like is the “hide ads” option a way to try to stave off harsh remedies on their ongoing trials? A way of saying “look – people don’t have to engage with our ad tech if they don’t want to” @NeptuneMoon
There will be ads for sure – more than anything else – marketing is a driver for the capitalist economy even if it’s viewed as an expense. We’ll start seeing ads in a lot more places (like Uber, Amex, Netflix, Substack, LinkedIn, maybe even your banking apps one day) And agree with Sarah – visuals will dominate. In near term, I would pay close attention to newsletters, voice search, micro influencers, and community monetization – I find they are underrated and will become more mainstream. Partnerships/Referral as a channel will grow a lot more. Offline events & sponsorships – anything to do with IRL events will grow as well. @alimehdimukadam
I think “hide ads” is a BS show for the savvy,… I doubt most would use it. Some people still think search ads dont get clicked. Most will roll with whatever dog food is offered. @Liorkrolewicz
I also think a lot of brands are getting hit in the face with the reality of relying on search only as a bad business model. You have to be doing awareness and so many just don’t or want to spend next to nothing on it and have demand magically stay static or more likely increase regularly. @NeptuneMoon
We already have a lot more options today then we had a year ago. I agree we will start to see ads in places we did not see them before. Just like Amazon started doing ads in their Prime memberships. Ads could start showing up in video games too in the coming years. I am actually a little surprised they have not taken off by now (missed opportunity by video game companies potentially). Our job is going to be finding the best places to reach the demos who need the products/services that brands are offering. @Ichasse
You simply cannot plan to spend the same amount on Google YoY and expect the same results. You will have to spend more to maintain, much less grow. @NeptuneMoon
I agree, big brands are back to “throw A LOT of money at the wall” and give up control to automation. On average, they make more money, but I think that wont prevail in the long-term, especially as Google’s monopoly keeps getting shook up.. legally and competitive field. @Liorkrolewicz
You have to increase budget by a minimum or 2-4% a year just to maintain currently with CPC increases. @Ichasse
If we zoom out, we are only talking about the past 20-30 years, where search became a thing. Generational change, technology change, a lot of factors will be the drivers of the next change in user behavior. And who knows, it could be something which we aren’t even thinking about that will come and dominate the next 20-30 years. The direction ChatGPT is heading towards like creating a super app similar to WeChat. Who knows..@alimehdimukadam
Agreed @Ichasse and that figure is only if nothing else changes in your market. That is simply CPC YoY inflation. @NeptuneMoon
@Ichasse they do! We did a bunch and the big challenge was production and reach. Expensive ads in-game reach way fewer people than CTV, although they are very engaged. I think VG ads will take off, but it will be more game streaming than in-game. @JuliaVyse
Yes, @alimehdimukadam, but like you said, some fundamentals don’t change. Still getting right offer at right time to right person… how and where will evolve. @Liorkrolewicz
Well things can also change so quickly too. TikTok is now one gigantic question mark here in the US where it was a seemingly unstoppable juggernaut that was a must do to reach certain demographics. The only constant in this biz is it will change, a lot. @NeptuneMoon
@JuliaVyse I could see in survival games, someone like Dominos Pizza having a food you can make in game or something. Then of course, there is the HUGE apparel purchases folks like Nike and others could sell their apparel for in game characters. I mean you can expand so much in that area. @Ichasse
It’s on my watch list for later today, was intrigued by the title…https://youtu.be/ggzlE8QRh5Y?si=H_CVMuFwr-mmu_SV @alimehdimukadam
Google Ads used to offer $100, then $500 coupon for new accounts. Last week I opened new one w/ $5,000 coupon. They are fighting harder to gain their customers. @Liorkrolewicz
It’s a big opportunity, but it really is a big upfront expense. @JuliaVyse
PPCChat Participants
- Julia Vyse @JuliaVyse
- Julie F Bacchini @NeptuneMoon
- Peter Bowen @Pete_Bowen
- Navah Hopkins @navahhopkins
- Sarah Stemen @runnerkik
- Lawrence Chasse @Ichasse
- Lior Krolewicz @Liorkrolewicz
- Ali Mehdi Mukadam @alimehdimukadam
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