With each passing year, pay-per-click advertising becomes a more and more essential tool in the digital marketing arsenal. It will be no different in 2017, as local businesses, e-commerce sites, and B2B companies alike look to drive growth and deliver improved ROI. We’ve seen major improvements within the last year of new tools and functionality offered by the major PPC players such as Google AdWords and Facebook, and we fully believe that there is a lot more to come. Check out our top 5 PPC predictions for 2017:
1. More ad space
We already saw an increase in ad space within the last year or so, however I believe that in 2017 we will see Google adding even more extensions, allowing for advertisers to monopolize the ad space making the market even more competitive. So long as you’re staying completely up-to-date with all AdWords news, best practices, new call extensions, and updating your ads quickly, these changes shouldn’t have a negative impact on your campaign, but a positive one.
Keep in mind that it also allows gives you the opportunity to capture your audience within your ad before the visit the website. Ultimately meaning that you’ll be more likely to have better click-through and conversion rates.
2. Changing the way you look at data
Data is always important, but in 2017, it will be even more important. Advertisers will start to look at their data in new ways, taking all of this information into consideration when coming up with new campaign ideas, and no longer looking at conversions as the “must have.” Sure, getting that lead or making that sale is important, but advertisers will start to look at it from a brand perspective, as users are no longer quick converters. They take their time making every decision an informed decision.
3. Facebook will be BIGGER
With endless targeting options and low CPC, it’s no wonder why Facebook dominates the PPC industry. In 2017 I predict that Facebook will come up with new ways to target users, and new ways to display their ads making their services even more appealing. So be sure to set aside some of your advertising budget for Facebook.
4. More mobile, less desktop
In 2015 mobile search surpassed desktop, and mobile users aren’t going anywhere – they’re still increasing at a fairly quick rate. Google and Facebook have already added new mobile functionality, and we expect there to be even more options in the new year. It’s important that advertisers start stressing this to client’s and explain that their landing pages need to be mobile friendly to capture those visitors. If you expect someone to visit your non-mobile friendly landing page and convert, you’ll be disappointed in those numbers. Start small, and start with a single landing page for your upcoming campaign. When targeting mobile users, we recommend starting with a 10%-15% bid adjustment, and increasing or decreasing from there, depending on performance. By starting with less than a 10% bid adjustment, you won’t really notice a large enough difference within your campaigns.
5. Wider targeting options
Facebook sets the targeting standards within the PPC industry, and all other players are working towards expanding their targeting options to compete. I won’t be surprised if we see targeting options within AdWords to feature behavior and other important demographic metrics. To go hand in hand with this, I recommend that when creating ads in the new year, to cater towards your audience, and don’t be afraid to make them more personal.
Keep these predictions in mind, and your PPC campaigns should pay dividends in 2017 and beyond.
