Last week, at their Ads & Analytics Innovations Keynote, Google announced upcoming changes to their AdWords platform to better suit our current “mobile-first world”. These updates will not be implemented until later this year, and whether you’re an affiliate or an operator, it is important that you get on board now to prepare for these changes.

Make the Most of Micro-Moments

As consumer-centric businesses, understanding user behavior can help you to better serve your customers’ needs. Given the increasing use of mobile devices, focusing on the “micro-moments” that customers experience while on-the-go are a good place to start. These include:The know moments – When information is gathered prior to a visit (in person or online). This is where careful selection of keywords to display on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) are important in order to ensure customers move on to the next micro-moment.The go moments – When a potential client visits your website, mobile app, or land-based location. It is critical at this point that your product matches what the user is looking for [the information collected in the know moment].The do moments – When a user takes an action on your site, such as completes a contact form, watches a video or subscribes to a newsletter.The buy moments – And finally, when a potential client becomes an official customer after making a purchase on your site.

When consumers have access to information seamlessly and consistently throughout these micro-moments in search engines, on websites, in-apps, or at a land-based location, customer loyalty can be built and strengthened.

There are two key areas (creative and bidding) that you can focus on to make the most out of these changes to AdWords.

1.      Creative

Expanded Text AdsEnhancement Feature: Google has added greater flexibility and new text features that will to improve the user experience and better meet customers’ search needs.Enhancement Benefit: This enhancement means that you will be able to provide more details within Google results on the SERPs to ensure that consumers know before they go to your site. Below are the specifics of the changes: 

Responsive Ads for DisplayEnhancement Feature: Google will generate responsive ads depending on the viewer’s device. Ad campaigns will be defined by the headline, description, image and URL, which will unify the context in which the ad is displayed.Enhancement Benefit: The responsive ads enhance the user experience, therefore increasing the likelihood of a do moment.

Cross Exchange for Display Remarketing Campaigns

Enhancement Feature: To further improve the user experience, Google is now offering advertisers access to cross-exchange inventory, including more websites and apps around the world.

Enhancement Benefit The feature widens the reach for remarketing campaigns to more effectively capture customers during their buy moments.

2.      Bidding

Google has also recognized that user values can differ based on device type. With this in mind, the AdWords offering now allows advertisers to uniquely bid on tablet inventory separate from desktop inventory. This gives advertisers more control and flexibility with their Google AdWords spend.

These exciting changes to paid search advertising offerings will help develop more robust, intent-driven campaigns that create greater context for potential customers and help guide them along their micro-moment journey.

To learn more about these updates and to ensure your media buying campaign is running optimally, reach out to our team.