{"id":25221,"date":"2024-11-20T14:58:09","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T09:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/?p=25221"},"modified":"2024-11-20T14:58:10","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T09:28:10","slug":"ppcchat-what-is-on-our-minds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.karooya.com\/blog\/ppcchat-what-is-on-our-minds\/","title":{"rendered":"PPCChat | What is on Our Minds | 19th November 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Here is the screencap of this week’s PPCChat discussion where host Julie F Bacchini<\/a> sought experts’ views on AI and the PPC industry in 2025, What will 2025 look like for the economy and business? and more<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Q1: What is on your mind in PPC this week?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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1) Forcing Google to sell Chrome sounds a bit impractical 2) 2025 is going to be a very important turning point globally (all industries) 3) Unsure whether I should promote white-label PPC services or move towards Growth & Consulting 4) AI Agents in Marketing – tinkering with that. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

@alimehdimukadam<\/a> Ooohh good stuff . Let me move things to their own threads. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

@alimehdimukadam<\/a> I would prepare to do both white label and consulting. We are about to come into a period where we will have to sell whatever someone is willing to buy. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you! That actually makes a lot of sense. I\u2019ve built enough systems to handle volume & have done white label in the past. Moving to CA early next year so thinking which way to go. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trying to make sense of what was said in this episode of this podcast: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=_IbYl0zdmMQ<\/a> @EronCohen<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Topic 1 – Will Google Be Forced to Sell Off Chrome<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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For those not aware, it has been recommended that Google sell off Chrome as a remedy to the anti-trust case. https:\/\/x.com\/jason_kint\/status\/1858642181080445423<\/a> @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t see how it helps though. Whoever buys Chrome becomes the next monopoly at least gets to be dominant player. Decoupling of defaults more important. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will be interesting to see if it actually happens too. There are a lot of steps between sell-off being recommended as a remedy and it actually being made to happen. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I believe we\u2019ll know more tomorrow. They did launch a standalone Gemini App though. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is interesting. But still owned by Google? @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes. I tried it, it\u2019s live voice call type – was surprised. It was good & direct. Almost felt like it had an undertone of assertion. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If a judge sides with the DOJ and forces the sale of Chrome, I can see Apple, Meta and Elon vying to buy it. And not sure any of those would be good options. @JeffreyHain<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short answer? Nah. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Topic 2 – What will 2025 look like for economy and business?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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There is a section of optimists. Personally, I am bearish for 2025. We are gonna see a lot more AI-driven layoffs. This holiday season could be the last in terms of buoyant sales – probably due to election hangover But tariffs: Russia, Geopolitics. No growth engines visible except AI. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are in for a rocky road. AI is a real threat to employment. And if even part of the talked about tariffs come to pass it will be an economic disaster. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The news hasn\u2019t been great – this is today. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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People are already tightening – the salon where I get my hair cut said they have never been less busy at this time of year than they are now. That is an indicator, at least to me, that people are pulling back on \u201cunnecessary\u201d spending already. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am also worried about all this AI rapidly accelerating already bad climate issues with its voracious energy and water needs. My degree is in international politics, so I am worried about world war starting too\u2026@NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Macro – Fine. Micro – lol buckle up. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Topic 3 – What do you want from PPC Chat in 2025?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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I do think that there needs to be a real industry group, that is doing all the work that industry groups should do. Education is top on my list but also making spaces to have the networking and connection that other professional groups do. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I dunno if that’s PPCChat, but the PSA has been…. less than inspiring in the space. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am open to ALL suggestions as to what the community wants and needs! I\u2019d love to do more educational content @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other big thing in that same education space is doing large-scale studies. Sure, I’ve done a 1-billion impression study before, but we all have billions of impressions in our MCCs. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies is interesting\u2026I love what Optmyzr has been doing on that front lately. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

See, and — I’m trying not to be negative because Optmyzr are the only ones doing it — that’s not replicable, nor is it particularly robust methodologies. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would need someone who wanted to tackle the study piece if I could solicit the data. And get data in a way that would not open PPC Chat LLC up to risk that my attorney would veto. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it’s hopefully not being a hater, but we need to be talking statistical significance, we need to be talking math that’s beyond high school….And like, I wish I could talk that, but I’m dum and faled collide @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agreed with all points. Count me in for any and all initiatives. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think there is a need for intro level PPC education resources too. Is the best format for that video? I am old so video does not appeal to me, but younger folks like it\u2026@NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video is the way to go today. That is one of the activities I have for December – the entry-level resource – making it freely available to anyone. And it has been on my mind to get inputs or maybe even record a few modules say for eg Lead Gen by you & whoever is specialized in industry\/etc. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best practice is multiple methods of learning. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’d like to see deep dives (entire session devoted to) sharing of what works\/doesn’t work in specific areas like PMax, Display, Retargeting, Video. Showing anonymized case studies would be awesome, followed by Q&A. @JeffreyHain<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yeah, this idea is a bit of a stretch – but if AI can mockup Google\u2019s interface & we can give access to that – populate with data etc. That should be goldenAnd it is doable. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will say that like, woof. I have learned SO much about pedagogy as an adjunct — point is that teaching is a skill. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The marketing operators podcast is good & I really like the content Taylor puts out for CTC. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think the challenge with training\/learning \/ best practice we have right now is lots of people saying this is how you should do it and people treat ppc like\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a tick box when it\u00a0isn\u2019t. Just because something works in one account\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0mean that should be rolled out without testing etc\u2026. Also, there are 10000\u2019s of ways to do something but understand what each of the settings means etc is the bit which is lacking & clear examples of multiple ways of doing things and not being this is the way.\u00a0@Meriem<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, to a degree. But I think a lot of that can be evened out with real experimentation. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And like, setting up your independent and dependent variables to look for co-dependencies. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think if I were to sum up what I want to provide to the community, it would be this\u2026Validation – you\u2019re doing ok! Examples – here are things you could do\/try Learning new things – so much change, so little time to digest. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, and this is exactly why I love PPC. You can share all tricks. Which we do anyway. Knowing it may not translate to your accountI feel bad for SEO community at times coz of that & feel good for PPC (weird, I know) @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like, idk, I haven’t read advice on copywriting in years, but I remember when every copywriting guide said “try questions!” and so I tested it and it was associated with a 1% drop in CTR (i.e. 4% to 3% CTR). And its’ like, that was standard advice (that lol I am SURE LLMs give) ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do think community growth is key — I miss the old #semrushchat sometimes for its community feel and think\u00a0#ppcchat<\/a>\u00a0is very on the way to filling that void. @revaminkoff<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Topic 4 – How disruptive is AI going to be for PPC in 2025 & beyond?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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I can see Google pushing its AI to further shove PPC practitioners out of the picture. There are A LOT of accounts that are not concerned about scale, scale scale and are perfectly happy with x sales or leads coming in for y dollars a month. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this all I’ll say is… Hold on… it’s going to be a bumpy ride LOL @Meriem<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I find a silver lining here – there\u2019s no way I or anyone is trusting AI with hard cash\/money \/ budget
Not yet, So there is an application layer. You can use AI for reporting & stuffBut true PRO\u2019s will be needed in PPC to rise above the AI platforms propagate like Google did & is doing with Smart Campaigns for small businesses when they sign up for a new account – that\u2019s kinda evil. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always have to ask if AI is being helpful to running a profitable business, or if it’s helpful to Google’s bottom line. @JeffreyHain<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ehhhhhh. too much digital ink is spilled over AI. it looks like junk, it makes you look cheap, it produces subpar work. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I like the “Kinda Evil”\u00a0 @ferkungamaboobo<\/a> – It still boggles my brain that, it is still a thing LOL. @Meriem<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AI hype is real though and companies want to look like they are riding that wave like an olympic surfer to please the markets. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The AI hype is real but the performance has yet to match the hype. And companies want and need data which AI isn’t prepared to give them yet. @revaminkoff<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any thoughts on whether the AI hype of today is similar to the tech boom\/bust of 20+ years ago? @JeffreyHain<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s more like the metaverse hype of a few years ago. or 25 years ago, take your pick. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Models won\u2019t make money. And they\u2019ve reached a plateau (at least for incremental leaps). Now it\u2019s gonna be fine-tuning & application like M1 – M2 -M3\u00a0Macs. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t disagree @ferkungamaboobo<\/a> but real people are losing real jobs and we have not crested that wave yet. Will it be what is best? Probably not, but that doesn\u2019t mean businesses won\u2019t venture down the path to find out. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh yeah, capitalism is cooked. But also I think a lot of us, myself VERY included, had bullshit jobs where 90% of the time was something that should have been a cron job. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the AI Agents & Real World Applications in some cases that I\u2019ve seen are very real & very applicable customer Support going to get hit the hardest and any repetitive task is going to get completely automated. I feel for the new college graduates. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And in my opinion – this is just getting started. We are still what I would say a niche audience & hence are more aware. But mass adoption is very much on it\u2019s way. If I can give you a software that will replace 10 telecallers , receptionists etc for 1\/10th of cost. Any business owner will implement it. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, depends on conversion rates. Roofer I worked at used to use robocallers – a real person was significantly higher lead-to-appointment rates. Had the data to prove it, too. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some customer service AI works well, and it will improve as it learns more. Many times I find it frustrating and then have to connect to a live person who can understand my question. @JeffreyHain<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, but that wasn\u2019t LLMs yet. Not with eleven labs tech. I think &\u00a0wouldn\u2019t\u00a0be recent. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customer service is definitely on the chopping block for humans doing the bulk of it. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the real thing is that businesses literally don’t care about doing a good job. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We already accept terrible customer service from ad platforms. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The product is pointless, just something to be rent-seeking over. Amazon is the way most businesses will go – the majority of the company is a smokescreen for what actually is profitable, so who cares. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

@NeptuneMoon<\/a> Google\u2019s support – terrible since COVID. FB, I have started to like a lot more – available & ends up resolving quicker with follow-ups from their end. @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the AI doesn\u2019t have to be great or even good to take jobs. It has to be \u201cgood enough\u201d and the cost savings significant enough for many businesses to jump on board the AI train. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Google calls me at least 4 times a day right now. @Meriem<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s what, idk, I’m very afraid of with LLMs in particular — that it accelerates this mindset that the business isn’t the business. We don’t need to do the business, we just need to pretend enough to get VC money and float us for 6 more months. @ferkungamaboobo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s crazy as it’s like if I need support due to an issue nothing but you’ll call me to opt into recommendations. @Meriem<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am being harassed by Google too @Meriem<\/a> \u00a0They must be concerned about revenue. @RaeBassett<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you are all thinking about AI-driven campaigns, I am concerned about fractured search channels if we have new AI-driven search taking market share from Google.\u00a0How will I manage more channels for clients? How can I make that practical and affordable? Perhaps it won\u2019t happen this year, but I see it has a real possibility in future.\u00a0I had some clients get their first b2b leads from Perplexity recently.\u00a0ChatGPT search coming this month but will not offer ads.\u00a0Trying to keep up! @RaeBassett<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Topic 5 – Do you all know what to do when the economy craters, business wise? And how to prepare now for what may be coming?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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The basic concept of flexibility will be your best course to follow during difficult economic times. Particularly sustained hard times. You have to be selling something people still value and want to pay money for. And that may not be what you are filling your working hours with today. For example, account management might fall way off. But audits are much more attractive. Pay-as-you-go for consulting time might be a much easier sell than monthly set fees for management. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I highly recommend starting to think now about what you might offer and how you might position it when businesses are feeling the squeeze. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For anyone who did Freelancing during the last challenging period… Hopefully should have learnt how to prepare for challenging times to come. BUT I’d say maybe having a check-in for all those freelancers every once and while would be good!\u00a0 @Meriem<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will add this too – pay attention closely to what is keeping clients or potential clients up at night. That is where you will find them willing to spend money when the economic conditions are terrible. @NeptuneMoon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a general understanding of the niche you focus or the clients you want to work with will be even more important so you can have better understanding of the market too! I find a lot of people don’t look at the bigger picture @Meriem<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Painkillers will sell a lot more than Vitamins. Find the painkillers. This is also a reason why I believe white labelling will increase as businesses & in this case agency owners look for ways to reduce costs. It works as an enabler to expand Or as a cost-saving option, dual benefit. And you don\u2019t really have good white labelling options coz of trust & expertise. Last thing you need is your white-label partner to auto-apply recommendations (which is what\u2019s happening today) @alimehdimukadam<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PPCChat Participants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n