PPC trends in 2024: new campaigns, AI automation and what’s to come

2024 has been a year of massive change and innovation in the Pay-Per-Click (PPC) world…

From the increasing use of AI-powered tools to significant platform updates, the industry has experienced a whirlwind of developments that have reshaped the way we approach campaign management and optimisation of our clients’ paid campaigns. 

In this article, our PPC Managers, Georgie and Jacob, dive into some of the key PPC trends in 2024 and how they can supercharge your business.

AI and Automation ‒ our new best friend…or is it? 

The integration of AI has significantly enhanced the capabilities of PPC platforms. AI-powered tools are now capable of assisting in tasks such as asset generation, bid management and audience targeting. For instance, platforms such as Google Ads and Meta Ads have introduced tools that can automatically create ad copy, images and videos based on campaign data and audience preferences. 

Bidding

• Refined smart bidding strategies, providing advertisers with more accurate and effective bidding options. 
• New performance insights tools that help marketers better understand their campaign performance and identify areas for improvement. 

Audience Segmentation

• New lookalike segments in demand-gen campaigns allow advertisers to remarket and recapture lost website traffic and convert an engaged audience. 

Audience Targeting

• More control when it comes to assisting Performance Max campaigns via the use of new audience targeting solutions and the new search themes feature (a personal favourite!). 
• Expanded audience targeting capabilities in Meta allow advertisers to reach more specific customer segments based on demographics, interests and behaviours.
• Advantage+ audiences leverages AI to identify lookalike audiences based on existing customer data, allowing advertisers to reach new potential customers with similar characteristics. 

Is AI all good news? 

Whilst AI has changed the speed at which ads can be created and provides more possibilities in regard to copy creation, it does lead to inconsistencies in brand tone of voice if it’s not properly reviewed and tweaked. But don’t worry, our PPC Managers don’t miss a beat when it comes to campaign reviewing before they’re given the green light to go live!  

Future trends we’re excited for… 

As the PPC industry continues to rapidly evolve, we can expect to see even more innovative and exciting tools and features. Some potential future developments that we’re looking forward to include:

• Meta recently unveiled a suite of new advertising tools and formats. Perfectly timed for the upcoming festive season, these new features can help to drive both online and in-store sales: 
  • Promo features can spotlight promotions, first-time purchase offers and personalised discounts across Facebook and Instagram Reels. 
  • Reminder ads allow advertisers to gently nudge shoppers about sales, events and in-app purchases, increasing engagement and driving sales.
  • Site links ‒ much like our beloved Google ad site link extensions, this feature on Meta makes it easier for customers to find relevant products, streamlining the shopping experience and increasing the likelihood of conversions.
• The rise of Performance Max ‒ we’ve seen huge success for our clients when we’ve used the Performance Max campaign type, but Google’s upping its game in the coming months with deeper insights and more efficient tools for optimising creative assets. It’s been unveiled that updates will include: 
  • Creative reporting updates that allow advertisers to track conversion metrics for each asset. 
  • Streamlined performance insights will allow us to report everything from multiple asset groups in one place ‒ handy, huh? 
  • Negative keywords will allow us to refine our ad targeting by excluding specific search queries at campaign level, which is currently only available on search campaigns ‒ will this be the death of the search campaign as we know it?
• Will AI-Powered imagery take the world by storm? Further advancements in AI-powered tools could lead to the automatic creation of even more sophisticated ad creative. We’re excited to see what comes of this, especially after seeing the first wave of AI creative imagery (let’s not be reminded about the blurred, slightly creepy faces we’ve all seen across our socials!). 

Fancy jumping on these PPC trends? 

In conclusion, 2024 has been a year of significant innovation and progress in the PPC industry. By staying informed about the latest trends and technologies, we’re ensuring we’re ahead of the curve at all times by utilising the latest exciting tools and features to achieve optimal account management. We’re anticipating another whirlwind in the coming months as we move into 2025, and we look forward to digesting and implementing the latest cutting edge strategies into our PPC strategies to deliver optimal account management for our clients.

If your business, large or small, is looking for a PPC agency to take your website traffic and conversions to the next level, then get in touch to speak to us about how we can help. We have a dedicated team of PPC experts in-house that specialise in bringing you the best ROAS (Return On Ad Spend), CPC (Cost Per Click) and CPA (Cost Per Acquisition). We deal with a range of budgets, from smaller accounts spending £500 per month, to accounts spending hundreds of thousands. 

Give us a call on 01425 461226 or let’s catch up over coffee!