Introduction
The digital advertising boom has become undeniable, with global revenue reaching a projected trillion dollars by 2027! This makes PPC advertising an essential part of your marketing strategy in the years to follow.
However, amidst this expansion, the narrative surrounding PPC marketing is becoming ambiguous. While advancements such as generative AI create hyper-personalized ads, there is growing concern regarding the lack of human creativity in advertising. It’s clear the PPC landscape is evolving, and so should your PPC marketing strategy.
In this blog, we’ll explore the top eCommerce PPC trends in 2024 to help you stay ahead of the curve.
Top eCommerce PPC trends to watch in 2024
To continue benefiting from digital advertising, watch out for these key PPC trends that will dominate the market in 2024.
Trend #1: People will start using TikTok Search Ads as a preferred marketing channel
The introduction of the Search Ads Toggle by TikTok in Q3 2023 has emerged as a noteworthy development within PPC marketing. This feature allows advertisers to extend the reach of their existing in-feed video ads by showing them within relevant user search queries displayed alongside TikTok’s organic search results.
As per TikTok’s claims, “70% of ad groups with the Search Ads Toggle ‘on’ see more efficient performance when compared to not.”
The platform has more than 1.2 billion monthly active users, providing a pool of potential young customers who search and shop on the platform. This trend is particularly prominent within beauty/skincare, fitness, and home improvement/DIY categories. Therefore, capitalizing on TikTok in-feed search ads can present a strategic advantage before market saturation sets in.
Trend #2: More advertisers will start optimizing their ads for voice search
Convenience is king, and that’s precisely what voice search delivers. Voice search is all about speed and ease, and it tends to be more natural, like a conversation. Additionally, these queries are typically longer than text ones.
While voice searching has become an integral part of everyday life (due to smart devices such as Google Home and Amazon Echo), the trend is yet to garner traction in PPC marketing. However, advancements in search technology are making paid voice search a near certainty. This is why you will witness more aggressive voice-search optimization in PPC marketing.
Trend #3: More people will start keeping tabs on click fraud
Nowadays, increasing competition within PPC marketing is leading to many unethical practices, including click fraud. Herein, competitors (or bots acting on their behalf) indulge in malicious activities to generate scammy clicks on your PPC ads.
The impact? Wasted clicks that consume your marketing budget. Additionally, irrelevant clicks distort your campaign data by negatively impacting your click-through rates. This limits your ability to reach genuine customers.
As it is a punishable offense, Google has implemented certain measures to prevent click fraud; however, they are not 100% reliable. This is why keeping tabs on click fraud is on our list of the top PPC strategies in 2024.
Trend #4: Advertisers will get more creative with AR-powered ads
Another development in PPC marketing is the increasing preference for computer-generated, hyper-realistic video ads. This trend is particularly seen within the beauty and fashion industries. These ads create a surreal experience, allowing people to see the product in its most real form. Exploring AR-powered computer-generated imagery(CGI) ads in 2024 can give your brand a significant edge. As these technologies are still evolving, you can expect even more creative and immersive applications in PPC marketing in the future.
Trend #5: People will start embracing 1st-party cookies in response to declining 3rd-party cookies
The PPC marketing landscape is witnessing another shift: from 3rd-party to 1st-party cookies for data collection. With an increasing focus on user privacy, regulations like GDPR and browsers like Safari and Firefox are preventing 3rd-party cookies from collecting user data. Further adding to this trend, Google began testing the restriction of third-party cookie tracking for some of its users (1%) starting in January 2024.
What does this mean for advertisers?
- Customer data gained via 3rd party cookies becomes less accurate.
- Targeted advertising becomes a cohort-oriented practice (no more user-based).
Consequently, many online businesses are now shifting to first-party data by implementing server-side tracking. It involves directly collecting customer data through website interactions, loyalty programs, and other user-consented methods. This data is then transmitted to campaign management platforms like Google Ads or Microsoft Ads.
Note: Tracking consumer data using cookies requires technical expertise and experience. It is often better to seek help from an eCommerce PPC management company to ensure accuracy and compliance with all data privacy regulations.
Trend #6: There will be an increasing recognition of CPC inflation
Another significant trend within PPC marketing is the sustained rise in costs, particularly cost-per-click (CPC). This phenomenon, known as CPC inflation, has become a prominent topic of discussion in 2024. Factors contributing to this price rise include
- The minimum bid requirements established by Google. These values represent the minimum amount an advertiser must pay to display their ad on search engine results pages (SERPs).
- Another reason is the increasing popularity of digital advertising, accounting for nearly 70% of total ad investments. As a result, many businesses are competing for the limited ad space, leading to higher bid prices.
Instead of focusing on rising CPC costs, focus on maximizing the value you get from each click and optimize your campaigns to improve conversions.
Trend #7: Micro-Moments targeting will become a common practice
Looking at a recipe, phone in hand, and realizing you’re missing a key ingredient? You take out your phone and search “[ingredient name] near me.” That’s a classic example of an “I want to buy” micro-moment. Generally, micro-movements are categorized into four main segments:
- I-want-to-know,
- I-want-to-go,
- I-want-to-do,
- I-want-to-buy.
In this “I want it now” world, micro-moment targeting allows you to put your PPC ad in front of people at the very moment they’re ready to buy. You’ve got the answer right when they need it. So hop onto this PPC trend and reach out to the most qualified leads.
Trend #8: Human-supervised smart bidding will gain more popularity
Bid management is an essential part of PPC strategies, and it’s not going anywhere. However, in 2024, the developments point toward AI-powered “smart bidding” that utilizes machine learning (ML) algorithms to analyze real-time ad data and adjust bids based on specific goals, like conversions or return on ad spend (ROAS).
That said, automating bid adjustments alone will not help you achieve the desired results. While AI excels at identifying patterns in data, it may not understand the rationale behind those fluctuations. The right approach, in this case, will be to combine data-driven eCommerce PPC management with human insights for optimal results.
What lies ahead?
As we look towards the future, new PPC trends are bound to emerge each year. With AI-fueled innovations like AR ads and CGI campaigns, the focus of PPC advertising in 2024 remains on exploring more within these areas. However, this emphasis on technological advancement is accompanied by a growing recognition of the importance of the human perspective. The key to success lies in achieving a strategic balance that ensures your PPC marketing strategy remains relevant and effectively addresses the trends explored above. So stay updated with new PPC strategies and see how others are navigating the landscape to strike this balance. You can also opt for professional eCommerce PPC services to maximize the potential of your PPC efforts.
