PPC trends to watch out for

There were some big changes and trends in PPC during last year. However, looking forward, we see the potential for the following trends to take centerstage this year:

The Google-Amazon rivalry

The multi-front way between Amazon and Google will intensify in 2018. Amazon is building an advertising portfolio so it can challenge both Facebook and Google with programmatic ads in the display and video markets this year. Amazon already competes with Google product search and will eventually pull ahead thanks to the increasing number of searches on the retail giant’s website. Google, on the other hand, has several products in the works that aim to hit Amazon at different segments.

Visual and voice search

Voice search will take a leap in 2018 with proper full sentences in both questions and responses. Google has the upper hand with the technology buy Amazon still has a larger presence in the household. Amazon has a sizeable lead in the home smart speaker market, both regarding units sold, and third-party support for Alexa.

The dark horse will be visual search, with products like Google Lens and Pinterest Lens potentially driving sales for both companies. Amazon and Apple don’t have a competing product yet, which puts Google especially, potentially several years ahead of its rivals.

AI

The way we work will change with the increasing use of artificial intelligence and machine learning. More and more tasks in paid search will use automation driven by machine learning. The shift toward intelligent automation will make paid search managers lives easier, opening up more time to focus on other efforts.