Wondering if AI will fundamentally reshape the digital advertising landscape? Interested in voice search? Worried about cookie deprecation? All these topics – and many more – are predicted to make an impact in 2024 as significant Google trends that advertisers will have to adapt to.
The president and co-founder of GrowMojo, Kendall Fargo, shares his predictions for 2024 Google trends and the impact they will have on digital advertising across various platforms, so buckle up!
Integration of AI Tools into Search Platforms
In May 2023, Google announced plans to integrate conversational AI into the search engine. As motivation, they cited competition from popular chatbots like ChatGPT, as well as a wish to improve search user experience.
While Google’s chatbot Bard is still in beta as of this moment, and not yet fully integrated into search, it definitely showcases Google’s AI chat capabilities as a foundation for future full search integration.
These endeavors build upon early experimentations with limited chat features in specific domains, like Google Discover’s “Ask about your interests” feature, etc.
While this trend appears to be relevant mostly to “regular” users and their search experience, it also potentially opens significant avenues for advertisers, who will be able to target the AI chat results with Google search ads.
AI has already been present in the digital advertising industry for years, and in 2023 we saw some major leaps that are likely going to continue in 2024. We will see AI-powered copywriting and automated design and editing features, as well as dynamic personalization. On the campaign management level, we will see better real-time optimization with suggestions on better bidding and targeting for optimal results. Finally, there are already some breakthroughs in the detection and prevention of fraudulent clicks and impressions, which will protect ad budgets.
First-Party Data and Cookie Deprecation
By the end of 2024, Google will be completely phasing out cookies as a method of tracking user behavior across websites. The reasons for this major shift are growing privacy concerns and implications of the regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
As a response, brands are turning to first-party data, which means information collected from customers’ and visitors’ interactions for the purposes of targeting and personalization.
This is where solutions like TikTok Events API and Meta CAPI will be of major significance, as they will help optimize ad performance through server-side tracking.
In addition, Google will also be pushing for “zero-party” data, which is the data that customers share voluntarily and consciously, through surveys and sign-up forms.
More Videos In Search Results
In 2024, we’ll likely see more video clips in search results. Google will index TikTok videos, Reels and YouTube Shorts and display these in search results. This decision may significantly alter the way we reach information online.
Specifically, it will mean improved search relevance. Information is often conveyed more effectively via video than verbally, especially visually-oriented matters. Including them may lead to more relevant and engaging results, and this is particularly likely for content like tutorials, news and entertainment.
Another important aspect to consider here is that by indexing content from various platforms Google will be democratizing information and improving accessibility, as the content will no longer be reserved for platform users alone.
Finally, video clips in search results will mean increased user engagement.
Some concerns to keep in mind here concern the quality and credibility of video clip results, as well as attention span issues and bias. Not to mention that this innovation will likely be resource-heavy for Google, as it will require significant computing power and advanced algorithms.
Context-Based Audience Targeting
As advertisers move beyond cookies in Google’s full cookie phase-out in 2024, we will see contextual targeting reshaping the way we tailor campaigns. With cookies phased out, advertisers will no longer target potential customers based on identity signals. Instead, mostly thanks to AI advancements, Google will analyze more thoroughly the content itself to gather as many consumption signals as possible. Instead of past behavior of individual users, the advertisers will in 2024 target audiences based on the page, app, video and audio consumption and the consumption context.
In addition to increased privacy, this will also possibly mean improved targeting efficiency and will allow advertisers to reach new audiences (especially those previously hard to track through traditional cookies).
Voice Search Gets a Bigger Share
Voice search is predicted to become more prominent than ever in 2024, which means marketers will need to target phrases differently, adapting to this new trend.
Voice search involves longer queries, as these are spoken, not written. Consequently, both paid ad copy and content marketing will need to start using long-tail keywords (although these have already been a golden standard in keyword targeting) and use natural language in copy. For instance, instead of optimizing for “nail salon” we will need to target queries like “What is the best nail salon in my area?”
Voice search will also impact local optimization. This type of search is mostly used on mobile devices and smart speakers, which means local relevance is particularly important.
Responsive Search Ads Continue to Replace Text Ads
Responsive Search Ads (RSA) is an ad format designed to adapt to different queries, showing more relevant results to visitors. In RSA, advertisers create different headlines and ad copy that automatically adapt to different queries. Consequently, these ads are more relevant, with better targeting, which in turn improves CTR and conversions.
RSAs are particularly important in the context of what we mentioned above – cookie deprecation and increased voice search. RSAs use contextual targeting with broader search signals, which means a better adaptation to a cookieless environment. As for the voice search, RSAs can better align with conversational queries and thus display more relevant results.
Keyword Exclusion Becomes Even More Important
Our experts agree that, with cookie targeting being phased out and the increase in voice search ads, it will become crucial to implement highly detailed keyword exclusions, so advertisers don’t waste ad spend on terms that have no value.
In addition to cost savings, proper keyword exclusion can improve campaign performance as excusing irrelevant terms will lead to a more targeted audience. This audience, which is genuinely interested in your ad, has a significantly higher chance of conversions and leads to better click-through rates.
Furthermore, keyword exclusion or negative keywords are also important from the aspect of brand control. With detailed keyword exclusion lists, you can prevent your ads from appearing in searches you don’t want them to appear – in a negative context or associated with competition, protecting your brand image.
Continued Investments in Google Shopping and Local Inventory Ads
As global eCommerce sales continue to proliferate, it’s no wonder the search engine giant is making significant investments into shopping capabilities, a trend that’s certain to continue in 2024. Specifically, it will continue to expand the Local Inventory Ads feature to new regions and retailers, making it easier for shoppers to find products that are readily available for pickup and delivery.
For those not familiar with this feature, Local Search Ads allow brands to display products and show information to nearby shoppers. When they click on an ad showing the product, they are taken to the local storefront, hosted by Google (provided your website meets the requirements). This storefront displays actual, in-store inventory, as well as important information like opening hours, directions, etc.
This trend is a clear reflection of the evolution of online and offline (omnichannel) shopping. Seamless channel integration means enhanced customer experience, leading to better customer retention and improved ROI.
More Focus on UGC and Whitelisting
Finally, our experts believe that in 2024 brands will invest even more effort in leveraging user-generated content (UGC), actively engaging consumers to create content together, and growing brand loyalty and authenticity. Micro-influencer partnerships have already gained traction in 2023, and will continue in 2024, but we’ll also be seeing them in unexpected places, beyond social media, for instance in eCommerce reviews and UGC product demos integrated in product pages and ads.
While so far whitelisting was mostly based on platform-specific metrics, in 2024 it will likely turn to broader contextual factors (intended audience, sentiment, topic…), leading to more nuanced targeting and relevance of the ads.
Here too AI might prove beneficial by analyzing great amounts of content to automatically identify high-quality user-generated content to whitelist, which will reduce the workload for advertisers and increase ad efficiency.
Let’s Wrap It Up!
Overall, 2024 promises to be a thrilling time in which brands will balance between cutting-edge tech innovations and shifting user behavior. AI will do its magic, personalizing experiences and refining context-based targeting, helping us into a cookieless future that once so scared the advertisers. One thing remains constant – the imperative to understand and adapt. In this shifting landscape, our GrowMojo marketing agency Google experts are here to guide you and help create the best digital strategy for your endeavor. Contact us today, tell us about your goals, and let’s make 2024 your best year yet!
