Being a Google-first media buyer in today’s market means you develop a natural curiosity for how far you can push the limits.
Because things are constantly changing, many of us operate in a state of near-constant experimentation (and occasionally, exasperation).
To some, this flux feels like an adventure; to others, it is a lack of stability.
But one thing is certain: working with Google Ads is anything but boring.
As 2024 draws to a close – a year defined by rapid product evolution and new technologies – it’s the perfect time to pause, reflect on what’s changed, and look ahead to what the next 12 months might bring.
This article will cover:
- Three hallmarks of the current state of Google Ads.
- Three key themes for 2024 that played out as expected.
- Three predictions for 2025 that I believe will come true.
3 defining hallmarks of Google Ads in 2024
Between the adoption of new campaigns like Demand Gen and fresh capabilities for Performance Max, 2024 was a busy year for Google Ads specialists.
But keeping up with all the changes can be tough, especially because we’re also building careers and agencies while we do so.
It’s difficult to narrow it down, but here are three standout progress indicators.
The relationship between media buyers and Google has improved
In recent years, Google Ads advertisers and agencies have strained relationships with Google.
The inconsistent nature of ad reps and the way some features were rolled out in recent years have left some PPC specialists questioning whether Google wants them around.
While there are challenges, it’s important to recognize that the situation has improved in some areas.
Google’s communication of new features is particularly good because of the level of detail and transparency.
Google’s Ads Product Liaison Ginny Marvin deserves the most credit for improving relations with the PPC community.
Performance Max no longer feels forced on us
Between retaining “legacy” campaign types and introducing greater advertiser controls, it feels like Google has walked back its position on making Performance Max the go-to method of serving ads to people.
New data visibility and negative keywords are just two examples of Google giving us what we’re asking for.
Another advancement is retaining Search and Shopping while removing the tendency for Performance Max to cannibalize the latter and allowing both campaigns to enter the same auctions for the same products.
These steps offer us more flexibility to build accounts and campaigns how we see fit.
The basics of paid media haven’t changed (and won’t)
Despite the introduction of machine learning and algorithmic campaigns, the fundamentals of achieving solid Google Ads results remain the same.
That is unlikely to change, no matter how much AI and automation are introduced into the process.
I think for the foreseeable future, Google Ads specialists will still need to be good at:
- Conversion tracking setups (online and offline).
- Targeting and excluding the right keywords.
- Crafting great ad copy and creative assets built on solid brand positioning.
- Maintaining audiences, lists, feeds and other first-party data.
- Building compelling, responsive landing pages with high trust signals.
- Making the right decisions about where to funnel budget.
- Understanding the economic factors that influence account performance.
Dig deeper: AI and Google advertising: What’s next?
3 trends that played out as expected in 2024
No one can predict the future. But part of being a good media buyer and marketer is learning to spot patterns and make smart bets on investing your time and budget.
The most clever PPC specialists saw three trends coming a mile away.
The rising influence of generative AI
Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT – conversational and generative AI have delivered on their promise to streamline the tedious parts of managing ad accounts.
Less savvy advertisers benefitted greatly from in-platform capabilities such as Google’s campaign creation wizard, allowing them to get closer to parity with more seasoned experts.
And even if the technology is limited and still developing (setbacks and all), it’s better than nothing for more entry-level professionals.
Greater diversity in digital marketing strategy
If we had walled gardens in digital marketing prior to 2024, this was the year they splintered further apart.
Today, each ad platform has its own algorithm-driven campaign that requires extensive setup.
More traditional campaign types also require high-quality data inputs to get bidding and targeting right.
None of this carries over from one channel to the next.
While validating one ad platform first is still a smart approach, channel diversity has become essential for brands with product-market fit.
Advertisers and agencies realized that dependence on a single ad platform comes with volatility and unpredictability that’s too risky in today’s market.
Optimizing outside of the ad account
A decade ago, you could make changes to ad accounts that would significantly uplift performance.
Now, it’s more important than ever to find optimization levers outside of the account – and develop the skills needed to take advantage of them.
Today’s PPC landscape has become more aligned with traditional marketing, with most of the impact on ad accounts coming from things like:
- Positioning.
- Pricing.
- Branding and website quality.
- Customer research.
- Competitive research.
Outside-the-account optimizations received their due importance.
More PPC specialists started to understand that, in functioning accounts, a landing page overhaul could often return many times more uplift than even the most significant account edits.
3 of my top predictions for Google Ads in 2025
What happens in the PPC world next year is uncertain.
But if the last few years are any indication, we’re in for a stronger push on AI and a greater focus on holistic marketing skills.
Here are three things I believe will happen – and for the better.
Demand Gen will take off, especially with Meta-first advertisers
When Performance Max exited the beta stage and became widely available to the public, it was difficult to find someone enthusiastic about it.
Today, however, hundreds of us believe it can outperform other campaigns in the right situations.
I think Demand Gen (which will shortly absorb Video Action Campaigns) will also find its feet in 2025 and become the upper-funnel counterpart to Performance Max.
A large part of that will be fueled by advertisers who are either Meta-first or have significant Meta spend.
This is because the approach needed for Demand Gen – at this time and to the best of my belief – is similar to what’s needed with paid social channels: attractive, scroll-stopping creative assets that lead to excellent landing pages.
Marketers will change how they get buy-in from clients
Last year brought a momentum shift in terms of more advertisers understanding that they can have a great impact on performance outside the ad account.
Next year, I think we’ll see a similar move forward in how the industry approaches its stakeholders.
Strong relationships with clients, business owners, and CMOs are necessary for successfully pursuing data that is quickly becoming table stakes (such as offline conversions for lead-gen or product feeds for ecommerce).
Learn how to pitch these and other requests as necessary components of achieving shared KPIs while prioritizing profit, growth, or other stakeholder priorities.
Google will withstand any legal challenges
Google often seems to be in the news over legal issues.
While there’s talk of it being forced to sell off parts of its business to comply with anti-monopoly regulations, it’s impossible to know exactly how this will end.
For now, Google is still a prolific search engine and a highly profitable advertising channel that makes up the majority of Alphabet’s revenue. It’s unlikely that will change significantly, and I think we’ll revisit this topic in a year or so with Google Ads not terribly affected by any legal issues.
Dig deeper: How a Google breakup could change the PPC industry
2025 can be a year of fulfilled potential or painful resistance
I’ve said it many times before, and I’ll keep saying it well into 2025:
While the fundamentals are the same as ever, you cannot succeed in Google Ads today if you don’t embrace its new direction.
- Try the new tools.
- Test the new campaign types.
- Ask for help figuring it out.
Most clients and bosses want you to succeed and want to help however they can.
But you must show up and set the tone, and it needs to be optimistic.
Good luck and great results in the new year!
source https://searchengineland.com/paid-search-predictions-google-ads-2025-449384
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