Google Ads Trends & Features For 2021

Google Ads are a huge part of digital advertising. Did you know that ads on the Google Display Network alone are seen by 90% of internet users? With these numbers, businesses can't afford to not use Google Ads in order to get their company's name into the universe! Whether you're completely new to Google Ads, or you're just looking for possible improvements to your campaign, reading up on the latest with Google Ads is a great step to make your ads successful!

If you're using Google Ads to build awareness of your brand, sell a product, or gain clients, it's important to stay on top of the latest features and updates in order to create the best ads for your company. What's the point of creating an ad if you aren't optimizing it to the fullest? Keep reading to learn more about some of the best trends and new features for Google Ads in 2021. You're going to want to keep an eye out for these updates!

Trends

There are many trends we can expect to see over the next year, including an increase in spending due to the bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, more use of Responsive Search Ads, and an increase in Smart Bidding. Are you planning to try out some of these trends? Check out the top three trends we're looking forward to in the coming year.

Smart Bidding:

Rather than consistently adjusting your budget to get the best performance out of your ads, you can use a smart bidding system! Google Ads uses artificial intelligence to get the most out of your ads using the budget you set. Google is also able to identify audience behavior, device type, and browser language to best match a person's unique situation. This way, you can get your ads in front of the most relevant audience, using the best bang for your buck!

Responsive Search Ads:

Responsive Search Ads are already used in normal campaigns, however, Google will now start moving toward making these the default ads. Responsive Search Ads are the perfect way to plug in your ad copy and let Google handle the rest! With Responsive Search Ads, Google is able to test different variations of your ads to find out what works best for your campaign. This is the perfect answer for businesses that don't have time to test out different ad variations by themselves - Let Google take care of the tedious tasks so that you can focus on the big picture: Making your ad campaign successful and growing your business!

Digital Ad Spend Increase:

Due to the pandemic, ad spend decreased heavily in 2020 due to businesses taking a hit on their profits. Though the pandemic is continuing on to 2021, the slow repair of our economy is giving businesses the opportunity to start putting more money into their ad budgets, which means more ad spend for Google Ads. What does this mean for Google Ads? Ads will become more competitive when it comes to keywords and audiences targeted. With many big businesses putting more money into their ads, it will be important to stay on top of short-tail and long-tail keywords so that your businesses can find effective keywords that aren't targeted by many big businesses.

If you're trying to stay on top of the latest trends for the new year, these three trends are a great place to get started! It's also important to keep in mind that not every trend works for every ad campaign, so monitoring and adjusting your ads as needed is an important step in ensuring your ad is running as smoothly as possible!

Features

A new year means new features for Google Ads! Google Ads is constantly updating and changing in order for you to get the most out of your ads. Though there will surely be more features to look out for, let's dive into just a few of the newest features you'll be able to utilize in Google Ads:

Optimization Scores:

Though Google Ads already uses optimization scores to show you how much you can improve your ads, they will now be more tailored towards your campaign goals. This means that the optimization score will be a more accurate reflection of how much your ad campaigns can improve. Think of it this way, if your goal is to drive more sales, there are certain extensions you won't necessarily need on your ad. Google will now be able to recognize what changes are relevant and make the most sense for your ad campaign. (And remember, you can change your goals any time you need by adjusting your settings!)

Explanations:

Before we dive into this feature, it's important to keep in mind that this feature can only be used on search campaigns using manual cost per click of enhanced cost per click bidding. If your campaign matches that bidding strategy, then this is a feature you will definitely want to use! Ever wondered why an ad was doing great, then suddenly plateaued when it comes to link clicks of conversions? This could be due to many different reasons, and it can feel difficult to pinpoint exactly what you need to do in order to make your ad thrive. Don't worry, Google Ads is here to help! Google Ads is introducing a new feature called "Explanations" that will help you understand why your ads aren't doing as well as they should. There are many categories that will be included in this feature, including bid changes, budget exhaustion rate, targeting changes, and so much more. With this feature, you will be able to diagnose why your ad is struggling and what you can change to make it successful!

Lead Form Extensions:

If you've run ads on Facebook, this new feature might seem pretty familiar to you. Generating leads can be difficult when you're directing traffic toward your website with the goal of getting form fills. The potential conversion could lose interest at any point and click out of your website before ever filling out a form! Google Ads is introducing Lead Form Extensions that will hopefully eliminate this issue. On you search, YouTube and discovery campaigns, you can now create a lead form to fill out directly on the ad. This will lead to you getting more leads before the person changes their mind. The lead forms will also automatically be sent to your CRM system. Talk about convenience!

These were only quick overviews of some trends and features to look out for this year, and there will be many other updates and trends you'll notice as the year continues on. However, getting ahead and jumping on the trends and features now is a great way to stay ahead of your competition. Do you think you'll be implementing any of these trends and features into your ads? If so, it's time to get started!

Creating, managing and monitoring your Google Ads can seem like a lot to stay on top of, and keeping up with the trends can be an added stress that you don't need on your plate. If you don't have time to stay on top of your Google Ads, head over to tryhyperchat.com for a free consultation to learn how we can handle your ad campaigns and help you Turn Social Into Sales!