The Future of Paid Search in 2025

AI and Automation: The Driving Force

AI will continue its dominance in PPC strategies, revolutionizing ad creation, keyword selection, campaign management, and customer support.

Melissa Mackey, head of paid search at Compound Growth Marketing, emphasizes the increasing role of AI in crafting campaigns and even providing support.

Keyword Targeting: On the Decline

Keywords, once the backbone of PPC, are losing ground. Jyll Saskin Gales predicts a shift towards audience targeting and signals-based optimizations.

Nate Louis, founder of Water Bear Marketing, warns that marketers will need to find creative ways to approach keyword selection to account for broader search terms.

Creative Ads: Taking Center Stage

Visual and interactive ads will become crucial for capturing audience attention. Video ads, particularly, offer higher click-through rates and create immersive experiences.

Kathryn Pearson, head of PPC at The SEO Works, highlights the rise of visual search ads and the benefits of integrating these into marketing strategies.

Audience Targeting: Refining the Approach

PPC professionals will increasingly focus on audience-first strategies, leveraging first-party data and behavioral insights to refine target audiences.

Pauline Jakober, founder of Group Twenty Seven, emphasizes the advantages of incorporating audience targeting into campaign planning.

Privacy and Data Use: A Balancing Act

Increased emphasis on privacy and data protection will impact the way advertisers use data for targeting and measurement.

Sarah Stemen, founder of Sarah Stemen LLC, stresses the need for advertisers to carefully manage data usage in compliance with regulations.

Branding: More Than Just Performance

Companies will allocate more budget to branding campaigns, recognizing the importance of establishing strong brand presence alongside performance-driven initiatives.

Lars Maat, founder of Maatwerk Online, believes SearchGPT and the challenges in performance measurement will drive this trend.

Google vs. DOJ: Unresolved Fallout

The ongoing conflict between Google and the DOJ over Chrome's dominance raises concerns about the potential impact on campaign performance and advertising costs.

Ameet Khabra, founder of Hop Skip Media, expresses concern about Chrome's embedded targeting signals and the possibility of keywords being diminished.

A Growing Market for PPC Experts

Despite the rise of AI, the demand for experienced PPC professionals will remain strong as they continue to guide advertisers through evolving complexities.

Robert Brady, founder of Righteous Marketing, predicts increased demand for specialists who can leverage AI and ensure accurate data analysis.

Platform Evolution: Embracing Complexity

Google Ads and other platforms will become more complex, requiring deep understanding of their components and the ability to optimize within and between them.

Pauline Jakober emphasizes the importance of grasping the underlying mechanisms of automated features like broad match keywords and Performance Max campaigns.

Diversifying Beyond Search Engines

Businesses will explore alternative advertising mediums, such as social media, local print publications, and AR glasses, to expand their reach and engage audiences.

Julia Vyse, digital director at Dentsu International, highlights the importance of local connections and the rise of community-supportive media channels.