Search advertising trends and opportunities

Google analyses its search engine data in order to provide advertisers with actionable insights. By knowing consumer search patterns, such as which keywords people are typing and where they want to buy items, advertisers can more effectively create and target ads to reach people, whether they’re exploring the options or they’re ready to buy.

Using search for local advertising

Most consumers search for things that they want to find locally, like a nearby restaurant or a neighborhood retailer that has a particular product in stock. As a result, 4 in 5 consumers say that they want ads customised to where they are: their city, postcode or immediate surroundings (source).

According to one study, half of the people who conduct a local search on their smartphone – and 34% of those who search on a computer or tablet – visit a shop within a day (source). Then, product information in hand, they often head to bricks-and-mortar shops.

This means it’s a good idea to use location assets in your search ads. You can also use location bid adjustments to fine-tune bids for specific areas, like cities or zip codes. And don’t forget to include easy-to-find directions, inventory and pricing when people land on your site or app.

Consumers also say they do searches throughout the product-buying process, from inspiration to research to purchase to post-purchase (source). This means advertisers have a variety of contact points where they could potentially influence potential customers. Look at each touchpoint to see if you can tailor the experience to your local market.

Mobile ads and search

Smartphones are an ever-more-essential tool in people’s busy lives, not just for communication but for finding and buying products and services.

This makes mobile ads a great bet for advertisers, and studies confirm that consumers are receptive to seeing them. Fifty-nine per cent of people say they find mobile ads useful (source), and 56% of smartphone users have done a mobile search after seeing an ad (source). Seventy-three per cent of mobile searches trigger additional action and conversions (source).

So whether you’re focused on performance in a campaign or on building a brand, mobile advertising is a powerful way to reach your audience.

Using search for brand marketing

When people do a search for a product or service, they expect brands to deliver just the right solution in their moment of need.

Whether you're a small business or a global brand, you have to be comprehensively and consistently there for consumers, providing relevant information and a seamless buying experience that delights your customers. You can make this happen by thinking about how people might look for your brand or shop.

You can use free tools like Google Trends to figure out a plan of action, confirm your hunches and dig deeper. If you can focus on what consumers want in their moments of need, ensure that you’re there when someone searches for you, and provide a great buying experience, you’ll start to build a following and a preference for your brand.

Next we’ll discuss how search can fulfil advertisers’ objectives.

Was this helpful?

How can we improve it?
true
Achieve your advertising goals today!

Attend our Performance Max Masterclass, a livestream workshop session bringing together industry and Google ads PMax experts.

Register now

Search
Clear search
Close search
Google apps
Main menu
14739996376952222155
true
Search Help Centre
true
true
true
true
true
73067
false
false
false