ACTIVATION
SGE, ‘AI Overviews’ & Incorporating Ads
The AI Overviews (formerly SGE ‘Search Generative Experience’) has brought a huge amount of excitement. Using AI to deliver an immersive searching experience is one of the biggest developments we have ever seen and could genuinely change the way that people use Search Engines. However, amongst all of this eager anticipation is the lingering uncertainty over exactly where ads will fit in and a nagging fear that Google Ads accounts across the world could have their results turned upside down.
Fortunately, our belief is that this won’t be the case. Primarily because it isn’t in Google’s interest to harm their biggest income source(!), but also because Ads can, should and will be at the heart of this new and improved search experience.
The setup may have to be different in order to accommodate the entirely new way of searching, but the reality is that if your ad is relevant then it will be front and centre. The aim is always to try and help people to take action faster and easier and with the extra context provided then customers will be qualified more effectively and the path to purchase ultimately reduced.
Visual Search Entering The Game
‘Immersive’ is a key concept of everything coming out of Google at the moment. Inspiration can come from anywhere and the belief is that the more seamless the integration of your phone to the engine the more seamless your purchase journey will be. Enter visual search.
Utilising AI from image searches is not brand new (as anyone who uses Pinterest regularly will know), however joining the dots between something you see in the real world and want to buy has always been a little clunky.
The introduction of Google Lens (and others) has made the visual searching process both easier and more tailored to the individual and the incorporation of shopping ads into visual search is set to change the ad game as a result. See it, photograph it, buy it. This can only be a good thing for online retailers.
Interactive AI Ad Experiences
Say goodbye to the days of hundreds of ads being built out just to highlight sales.
“What performs better X% off or save £Y?” – Real answer: It depends.
Static experiences are fine tuned to the mass average, but tailored to no individual and this means that (through no fault of your own) you are leaving sales on the table.
AI powered recommendations will give new depth to ads and provide a personal experience that is tailored to the individual rather than the masses. Yes, some people will still only be interested in offers and there will be no loss there, but for everyone else wondering how the product works, what its features are, where it can be used or why it is the right choice will now have their answers.
These tailored recommendations will connect with customers throughout their purchase journey and deliver increases in volume by tailoring the search experience to the unique needs of each and every one of your target audience.
A Customer Centric PMax
In the spirit of treating each potential customer as an individual rather than a collective average we are set to see some big changes in Performance Max.
Firstly, for your existing customers. If you have been working hard on your first-party data (which you really should have been by now…) then the Merchant Center will now allow you to incorporate this into the offers that are available. The focus here is on driving loyalty through existing customer promotions that ensure your newest customers become lifelong fans of the brand as soon as possible.
Secondly, for your new customers. Again, for those that have been doing their due diligence when it comes to 1PD, there is going to be an option in Merchant Center to tailor promotions for those that have never bought from you before. This means that you can make calculated decisions about the value of a new customer and offer a proposition that works with your financial goals.
These two changes are set to have a massive impact on PMax and should revolutionise how advertisers are able to target new and existing customers in order to maximise their bottom line.
CREATIVE
More Immersive Formats For Shopping
AI continues to have an ever increasing involvement in the world of creative and Shopping Ads are set to reap the benefits.
With four new formats on the horizon (some you may even have been lucky enough to run into already): Automated product highlights, Video highlights, 3D spin and Virtual try-on, then the Shopping experience is set to become exactly that: an experience.
Each of these is designed to enrich the individual’s buying journey. More information at a glance? Product highlights. Videos instead of statics in results? Video highlights. See your product from every angle? 3D spin. See the clothes on models that look like you? Virtual try-on.
All of these look to chip away at any barriers that purchasing from the comfort of your own home create and we fully expect to see a big lift in results once they are all in place.
AI Generated Images & Videos
The potential is spectacular. The reality has been disappointing. Until now…
Google’s Product Studio is set to be supercharged with a whole host of (free) new features that will allow you to create and edit images and videos like never before.
The scale of possibilities here is frightening and exciting in equal measure. The expectation is that these tools will be able to generate scenes, improve image quality, edit backgrounds, transform static images into videos and even match your brand’s style from just a single seed image.
The potential benefits of this are clear. One of the biggest challenges faced by 90%+ of advertisers is the resource (time and money) required to produce high quality creative. If Google do good on their promise then this will transform the kind of ads that advertisers will have at their disposal and the impact should be stratospheric.
Bringing Your Brand To Your Ads
Finally, a small (but satisfying) one for all of the PMax purists out there. Google are set to allow you to incorporate your brand guidelines into all of the PMax ads that you create.
What this translates to is that your fonts and brand colours will now be in any ad that is dynamically generated. Simple, effective and although it’s not the most exciting update in the list, it is perfect for anyone who has ever winced at the sight of an ad that has been produced and the knock on benefit of brand recognition from this change will no doubt be clear for all to see.
Although this isn’t an exhaustive list (or even half of it!), there’s definitely enough there to be very, very excited about. Good luck to everyone for the rest of the year and if you have any questions on the above then don’t hesitate to get in touch!
