Written By Stuti Pandey
Search ads have always been a vital part of digital advertising strategies for e-commerce businesses. However, Google is now changing its algorithm, which means that the way content is ranked on search engine results pages (SERPs) is also changing. Google is tilting towards a shopping-first experience, due to which traditional search ads are losing visibility and impact. Digital marketers need to change their strategies now to maintain a strong presence online.
A Shift in Google’s Priorities
Over the past two decades, Google’s e-commerce offerings have considerably evolved. From the initial days of Froogle in 2002, to Product Listing Ads (PLAs) in 2012 and then the reintroduction of free product listings in 2020. With the introduction of AI-powered tools such as Performance Max, this shift has become even more prominent.
While traditional search ads depend on keywords, Performance Max uses product feeds and automation to strategically place ads so they perform well. Recently, Google has added more AI-driven features like AI Max and shopping comparisons in AI overviews, which indicates that it’s trying to create a shopping-centric model, reducing the role of search ads.
The Decline of Traditional Search Ads
Search ads enabled advertisers to target high-intent keywords and manage their campaigns effectively with detailed data and valuable insights. They could analyze campaign performance, manage bids and make necessary changes to get better results.
In comparison with them, shopping ads are based on product feeds and not keywords. They show important details like product prices, images and other key information directly in the search results. This format appears more visually appealing to users.
Oftentimes, traditional search ads don’t even appear in front of users unless they scroll down a lot. Thus, it becomes much harder for them to get attention and shopping campaigns outperform them when it comes to return on investment.
AI and Automation Are Taking Over
Performance Max and other AI tools aim to remove the manual work from campaign management. As new features like vision match and intent-based matching get tested, it shows that Google is trying to make progress in the field of automation and predictive targeting. Nowadays, keyword-less targeting is becoming quite common and it’s transforming the way advertisers are planning campaigns.
Why Traditional Search Is Still Important
Despite all these new changes being made, traditional search campaigns continue to offer various advantages. They help capture long-tail and complex queries, protect your business from competitors bidding on your name and allow you to do A/B testing for creative elements like ad copy.
Thus, to reap the maximum benefits, advertisers must try to create a balanced strategy that uses the strengths of both search ads and shopping ads. They must also make clear account structures to prevent overlap and ensure campaigns support one another.
Reach out to TechnoRadiant today to build an advanced ad strategy. Our team of experts will begin by understanding your business goals and then create strategies based on them to facilitate your growth.
