The Biggest Changes To Google AdWords In 2017 So Far

In 2016, it was the mobile that drove search and spending and for the first time surpassed desktop. Mobile is a given, you don’t have to wonder any longer if it is a new thing this year. So let’s move onto the Google AdWords trends of 2017 so far.

Machine learning

The perfect example is the smart display campaign announcement by Google earlier in the year. Machine learning is used by these campaigns to automate every facet of a Google AdWords campaign. This development was introduced in mid-March. Then in May, the Ad Rank threshold update began rolling in. It was based on what queries mean, whether it is related to a consumer product versus recent news.

Conversion tracking

Google Attribution was introduced in the second half of 2017. There has been a certain level of access for search marketers on attribution data in both AdWords and analytics. Attribution offers multi-channel conversion data to enhance AdWords bidding strategies. The other big news on conversion tracking that took place this year is in-store sales measurement program. Now, retailers can upload email lists of customers into AdWords which means in-store sales conversion will show up automatically.

Ads

The Ads Added was launched in January where 2,000 accounts were given the opportunity to participate in this launch, however, you could opt out if you wanted to. Dynamic search ads were introduced in March where the headline is dynamically generated. In addition, the advertiser receives more characters in the description. The automated call extension was offered to more advertisers. The phone numbers are automatically pulled up from advertiser websites onto ads, in the instance call extensions have not been setup.

Your audience

The major theme in 2017 has been audience targeting. Similar audiences and in-market audiences were rolled out by Google in the beginning of 2017.