This week’s discussion was inspired by a Digiday article exploring the importance of shifting search habits for advertisers. Here’s a recap of the session, hosted by Julie F Bacchini.
Q1: What do you think the biggest factors are in the changing of search behavior?
AI has to be near the top of the list. I have a 12 year old and kids are using ChatGPT for EVERYTHING. @NeptuneMoon
Grab bag quality is pushing people to look to non-Google parhs. @navahhopkins
We are talking about a 1% if that decline in usage. @ferkungamaboobo
Younger people also don’t go search engine as first source for information – think TikTok as search engine. @NeptuneMoon
The Gen AI overviews change how people are viewing and engaging with SERPs. @revaminkoff
AI 1000 percent and I think voice search also I have gotten more into voice searching and expecting an AI overview. @runnerkik
So a percantage of my students for the 3 years that I’ve been teaching struggle with googling. @ferkungamaboobo
See, I assume the AI overview is probably at least partly wrong… @NeptuneMoon
Google has longevity. People expect to have THE answer immediately, and are likely to search on whatever platform they prefer most and assume the first answer is right, and told to you by another person, often in video form. @JuliaVyse
The lawsuit from Chegg is interesting – are brands entitled to traffic? personally I’d prefer the focus of that suit being the stolen content. @navahhopkins
I also assume the AI overview is probably wrong, but it’s still tempting to use as a first pass. And also, most people who aren’t in tech don’t realize it’s probably wrong…@revaminkoff
The consolidation of the internet over the 2010s really changed how people used the internet and they’re growing up in the wake of that rather than the spearhead of it. @ferkungamaboobo
In school (middle school) the kids are being taught to “not just trust the AI.” @NeptuneMoon
@revaminkoff you should see my face when my husband Google’s something. It’s fully a skill and not everyone has it. @JuliaVyse
At least in our district @NeptuneMoon
I dunno. I am always wary of that because multi-search sessions is a cornerstone of information architecture. Search as a broad concept, not just on Google. @ferkungamaboobo
Oh @JuliaVyse I hear you on that. My husband insisted that you could not get this particular Italian coffee here in the US. That he had to ask friends who were going to Italy to get it for him – it was the only way. I did a quick search and within 5 minutes reported back that said coffee would be arriving on Wednesday. Knowing how to search is a skill that we do forget most don’t possess like we do. @NeptuneMoon
Patience has become obsolete, we want info in seconds! @KadronBird
I think the role of search in the buyer journey is changing very quickly. I feel like the habit of multi-search string sessions and rabbit-holeing with “people also ask” is diminishing. @_GilHong
Search has become fragmented – between AI overviews and other channels like TikTok, people aren’t just using Google anymore. @beyondthepaid
Like that article reads like a PR piece for one of the AI companies. @ferkungamaboobo
Has anyone said AI yet? It might be AI….@jord_stark
“We took 0.5% of search traffic!” is not the win they think it is I feel. @ferkungamaboobo
It’s just not enough to be in one place anymore – even within search to get into that AI overview you need to be doing more than nailing one blog post. I think it’s inevitable that as GPT, Perplexity etc look to grow their search share they’ll add more recommendations akin to snippets too. @ChrisMurray
@beyondthepaid right my kids say they need to search TikTok. @runnerkik
The AI systems will be adding ads too. @NeptuneMoon
Search does not create demand. You need to generate demand with video/social/CTV, and build search from there. It happens throughout the journey. @JuliaVyse
I mean, talk about that “searching tiktok” like what kinds of things are they searching? @ferkungamaboobo
It still blows my mind that YouTube has been the #2 search engine for many years now. @_GilHong
@NeptuneMoon Perplexity are already trialling an ad network too. @ChrisMurray
@ferkungamaboobo I can promise you, whatever it is, they’re only getting a good answer 50% of the time. @JuliaVyse
@ferkungamaboobo makeup, recipes etc @runnerkik
@ferkungamaboobo Kids and young adults think TikTok is the source for everything and that it is all true if it is there. It’s wild. @NeptuneMoon
Gotcha so like, half-informational entertainment. Like, what we’d use youtube or Food Network for Or like, pick up a cosmo. IMO that’s not eating into like, “i need to find a lawyer” searches or “what is the airspeed of an unladen swallow” searches @ferkungamaboobo
How do you know so much about swallows? @beyondthepaid
Though it is cutting into the (awful, already seo/pr-spammed to death) “best drugstore eyeliner” searches or “easy dump crock pot” @ferkungamaboobo
I might be getting ahead of the agenda, but Google’s stance on killing keywords is a strong indicator in diminished search intent via keyword targeting. @_GilHong
I think Google wants to be the one to determine intent @_GilHong and be able to tout privacy something something while reducing keyword targeting. @NeptuneMoon
“privacy” lol @_GilHong
I think it’s disingenuous for Google to say 15% of queries are ones they’ve never seen before, while taking away keywords from our campaigns. @JeffreyHain
I agree with more people using outside platforms like TikTok & Youtube where there are people willing to put their face, name, & brand behind their opinions which in some cases makes it seem more authentic. I had to get a medical procedure a few years ago & found more detailed, first-hand experiences on TikTok & YouTube. @DiiPooler
I think Google built up a lot of trust during their years of “don’t do evil” and they made a lot of hay focusing on having the “best” answer for your search.As ads took up more space and SEO ranked poor pages and Google as a company started making very typical big-company/monopoly decisions I think they’ve been eroding that trust for years. It’s only a matter of time before credible alternatives take market share. @robert_brady
Q2: How concerned are you about the changing of search behavior?
I’m both concerned and excited. I don’t like that Google owns a whole behaviour pattern and feels like the whole internet to some people. But I also don’t like that conspiracy and misinfo behaviours are filling the void of search where Google is unsatisfying. So I guess I hate all of it equally? @JuliaVyse
I’m not concerned at all because I think as marketing experts we can’t fight change but seek to understand. I also think it helps to be self reflective in this case to understand our own situation and trained behavior. @runnerkik
I really hate the more ambiguous search criteria for match type and keyword data..@jord_stark
Honestly one of my biggest concerns is turning what should be a thoughtful process over to AI and then just blindly trusting what comes back. That feels problematic to me. @NeptuneMoon
I’m not that concerned – there are things I don’t like from a PPC standpoint and things that are more challenging from an organic standpoint, but just a new change, nothing alarming. @revaminkoff
@JuliaVyse ok that’s a great point @runnerkik
But to @runnerkik ’s point – we obviously have to adapt. @NeptuneMoon
From a marketing standpoint, the more the better. diversify that spend folks! @JuliaVyse
My bigger thing is always that there’s boom bust and hype cycles for any of these product and WEIRD! Not much has materially changed in the 15 years I’ve been in the field. @ferkungamaboobo
Another thing we will potentially have to deal with as advertisers is increasingly polarized social networks @NeptuneMoon
Agreed – a lot really is still the same as 15 years ago…@revaminkoff
Yes to that @NeptuneMoon, we get caught in the middle of the platforms trying to maintain their walled gardens. One of the biggest challenges for me is stakeholders/clients chasing the hype train, wanting to be everywhere, and overestimating the pace of buying behaviour change. @ChrisMurray
As I become a more seasoned digital marketer, I’m less concerned as we need to consider multiple channels and touch points along the buyer journey. @_GilHong
omgd, a BUNCH of my clients ask about AI tools and what we ‘should’ be using. Not if it’s right for them, or affordable for them, or of a quality that would help their business. just what’s new and cool. @JuliaVyse
It’s hard, because they’re hearing AI AI AI AI @ferkungamaboobo
Chasing shiny objects (15 years ago it was social media, now it’s AI, tomorrow it will be something else) is not a good marketing strategy. We need to adapt. I haven’t loved the changes to PPC over the last few years but we need to keep up or be left behind. @beyondthepaid
And it’s like, yeah, I’ve thought about its use in my practice – but I have the kind of business where I can say “nah no thanks” And like, so many business owners are afraid of “No” as an answer because it’s really difficult when you have colleagues who are just repeating talking points or having real success but with a different model. @ferkungamaboobo
Well, no one wants to feel like they are not showing up in the “hot spot” @NeptuneMoon
So like, it’s on us as marketers to do our job and steer everyone (and allow ourselves to test against our better judgement!) @ferkungamaboobo
On the topic of the “AI” craze, I spotted a sign for a local business named “Al and Sons Plumbing” or something and couldn’t help but think they also hopped onto the AI bandwagon @_GilHong
But like, at the end of the day, it depends on your role and relationship: if you’re an order-taker (and there’s nothing wrong with that!!) you have to know as much as possible and know the various uses. If you’re more of a partner/advisor – it’s about knowing as much as possible to be able to not knee-jerk @ferkungamaboobo
Being able to get into those overviews will also become a measure of success (is already for us) for SEO teams, so I’m not convinced you can just ignore it unless you have a very specific marketing engine. @ChrisMurray
Agree that getting into the AI overviews is going to be an indicator of success, especially for organic, but haven’t seen Google providing good ways to measure that yet either? @revaminkoff
It’s funny, I was talking to a potential client and they were really impressed that I showed in the AI overview – this was right when they were released. It’s not like I did anything to do so, it’s just SEO. @ferkungamaboobo
We’re on SE Ranking where there are dedicated reports for it but I don’t believe it’s in GSC yet. Agreed Reid, there’s just less real estate to fight for vs the entire SERP. @ChrisMurray
Probably not something Google wanty people to start gaming. @_GilHong
My issue with AI is the whole Garbage In, Garbage Out thing. I don’t think any of these tools is transparent about what they put into the model to help it learn, so I am very wary of the outputs.@robert_brady
@robert_brady I am teaching my middle schooler that you can’t trust the AI answer and to find an actual answer from a reputable source and then try to find another one. @NeptuneMoon
@NeptuneMoon I’m heartened to see more citations in AI results so you can validate the results, but most people are lazy and won’t do it. I feel that gives anyone who will do the research a clear advantage. @robert_brady
Her teachers are definitely telling the kids “don’t just copy and past the AI answer” @NeptuneMoon
There is going to be an entire industry built to detect AI in homework. From elementary to doctoral work. @robert_brady
AI and plagiarism detection is already a thing! @_GilHong
I’m kind of hating the whole if the post has x it must be written by AI — it’s definitely not always accurate/right/true. @revaminkoff
So there are already problems with kids who do not use AI being accused of using AI. It is a mess. My friend’s high schooler is going through hell on this front right now @NeptuneMoon
I mean, I can generally tell when someone’s using AI, but that’s because I don’t write questions that are easy to AI @ferkungamaboobo
That has to be a giant nightmare. @beyondthepaid
But for basic knowledge stuff? I mean, whatever, use AI if your teacher is trying to get you to regurgitate. @ferkungamaboobo
If you are a good writer you can get dinged. Which is insane. @NeptuneMoon
Which I feel is a more challenging stance at lower levels when fact spitting is the main goal vs. the college level where I want you to think critically. I did forget to add my AI policy to my syllabus this and last semester. I did forget to add my AI policy to my syllabus this and last semester. @ferkungamaboobo
Q3: Is changing of search behavior on client or stakeholders’ radar at all? If so, what are they saying or asking? If not, are you broaching the subject?
I’m in-house so on the stakeholder side of things here, AI is a constant in processes and chats. SEO team are very focused on how to get into those overviews, it’s a KPI now basically. @ChrisMurray
I don’t really think it’s as much on client radars or I think they read an article and come to us and ask about it, but I don’t necessarily think they actively think about it the way we do. @runnerkik
We’re also seeing conversions from AI search referrals (e.g. Perplexity) so eyes are opened to the potential to get some traction in new places. @ChrisMurray
I’d say AI is more generally – probably because it is in the news/being talked about a lot. @NeptuneMoon
Agreed re: the Perplexity referrals registering for clients that are getting them. @revaminkoff
Some are starting to ask if we should be doing different things. @NeptuneMoon
Also seeing multiple clients leaning into the growth of the role of influencers in the search process and in general in the purchase process. @revaminkoff
Yes, they are. but the conversations are all about info and how the landscape might change. Quite a few have asked about what AIs they might want to use. @JuliaVyse
AI is on their radar, but changing search behavior isn’t. They don’t notice that as much as they notice things like close variants, hidden search terms, etc. that make it harder to control what traffic they get from paid search. @beyondthepaid
Most are thinking about it, but I’m not sure it’s achieved enough traction to pull time/attention/resources from other efforts & channels yet (for my clients) @robert_brady
I also think it comes up more depending on the audience we are trying to reach. Clients who have a target audience of young people are often a bit more tuned in to where or how they might be reached. @NeptuneMoon
Most stakeholders don’t have a grasp of changing search behavior other than the pushes to broadify the match types and max. At the end of the day there are still a finite number of searches at the right cpc to drive value for the campaign. @_GilHong
I bring up diversifying their spend/approach in the beginning and often. Most haven’t thought of strategies outside of the usual search platforms & AI automation. @DiiPooler
Q4: Have the brands you work with been impacted in any tangible ways by shifting search behavior? If so, how?
I can’t say that I can point to a tangible way a client has been impacted in a significant way… but that doesn’t mean I’m not keeping an eye out for them. @NeptuneMoon
We haven’t seen any impact yet. Like I said earlier, our biggest challenge is trying to get the right ad to show for the right keyword. Closes variants are a nightmare. @beyondthepaid
Close variants are a nightmare that keeps growing. I have also found recently that placements for display campaigns can get the same treatment @NeptuneMoon
Not recently, but always? Gov search programs have always been susceptible to misinfo, disinfo, and policy issues. @JuliaVyse
Same here, no tangible differences. Just the typical stuff with Google hiding more and more of our data.@ChrisMurray
It would be hard to tell even if you had been impacted, because everything is so obfuscated. It will be hard to tell where you would have been if trends had remained the same. @jord_stark
I think the point about search capturing demand is important here too. So we might not see as much impact in search ad performance as we do in awareness, as that is where things are getting more and more fragmented. @NeptuneMoon
So I do think it’s important to note that analytics will continue to get murkier. @ferkungamaboobo
totally agree re awareness. That’s a whole different ballgame now. @beyondthepaid
As attribution data continues to evaporate all of this gets harder to determine too. Not that it was ever perfect but it existed. Now the platforms are moving toward modeling everything. And I have trust issues on that front! @NeptuneMoon
I’ve said it before, but I genuinely think it was pyrite before. @ferkungamaboobo
Seeing more budget going to influencers across the board. @revaminkoff
Yeah, the influencer thing is really neat – I’d love to hear more about that. @ferkungamaboobo
Our company worked with influencers, and some hit it out of the park, and some didn’t. There were times we paid up-front for content, and it didn’t perform, either on their channel, or on Tik Tok or Meta. We needed a content pipeline because we were never sure how the influencer’s video would perform. And getting them to make changes, or comply with legal — big issues. @JeffreyHain
We all geared up for an attribution mindset shift when cookies were still being deprecated, then that never happened and we stopped talking about it. Arrived in the reality of modeled data and *incrementality quietly rather than with the expected boom. @ChrisMurray
I do think the cookie debacle is a great example of the boom-bust PR cycle of marketing “news”. How much digital ink over how many years? All of which led to…. no one rethinking anything because the PR puff pieces all missed the point.@ferkungamaboobo
Q5: What, if anything, do you think we can do in our PPC strategy to try to mitigate impacts of changing of search behavior?
The biggest thing we can do is continue to be aware of how behaviors are shifting. And then look at where we are putting our digital resources. Are the results still satisfactory? If so, great!If not or if growth stalls, looking to other places where search and research/consideration behaviors may be happening will absolutely make sense. @NeptuneMoon
We have to be willing to test new things and pivot when the results aren’t there. @beyondthepaid
The big short-term thing is to keep up on if Perplexity and other ad-supported GPTs/LLMs are doing transactional queries rather than informational. Getting into those informational queries and modeling their use in the buying journey is probably important as well for ecommerce especially. @ferkungamaboobo
Keep on testing. Be responsible with budgets on channels that work, and carve out testing dollars to learn new platforms. @JuliaVyse
I think there’s untapped potential in aligning the landing page experience better to changes in search behavior. @_GilHong
Landing pages have coasted for way too long @_GilHong – I agree they need to be better and more focused on their purpose. @NeptuneMoon
PPCChat Participants
- Julie F Bacchini @NeptuneMoon
- Jeffrey Hain @JeffreyHain
- Reid Thomas @ferkungamaboobo
- Chris Murray @ChrisMurray
- Robert Brady @robert_brady
- Sarah Stemen @runnerkik
- Julia Vyse @JuliaVyse
- Reva Minkoff @revaminkoff
- Melissa L Mackey @beyondthepaid
- Jordan Stark @jord_stark
- Navah Hopkins @navahhopkins
- Kadron Bird @KadronBird
- Gil Hong @_GilHong
- Jeffrey Hain @JeffreyHain
- Dii Pooler @DiiPooler
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