On this special Marketing O’Talk podcast, host Greg Finn was joined by an all-star cast to break down what happened with Google Ads in 2020 and how to proceed in 2021.
You can also watch the video version of this podcast on the Search Engine Journal YouTube channel.
What Were the Biggest Changes to Google Ads in 2020?
Google Ads saw no shortage of changes in 2020 and the team starts out analyzing the great “Significant” Search Query issue of 2020.
Adegbola reported on the overall sentiment of the #PPCChat community saying:
“People were really relying on spending that money on the most efficient clicks that were driving the most conversions and while conversions are coming through that search term data is now missed.”
Additionally, she followed up on the uproar with:
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“The general consensus was a lot of grumbling initially that held on weeks and months later.”
Marvin followed up on the privacy angle and why thinking likely won’t be the same for advertisers in the future saying:
“We should all prepare for less and less data, and it’s not going to be just Google.”
Other Google Ads Enhancements & Tweaks in 2020
When looking back at other enhancements in 2020, the team covered some of the major improvements and “enhancements” including:
- In-Market Audiences for Shopping Ads.
- Combination of Custom Affinity & Intent Audiences.
- Lead Forms.
- Google Ads Auto-Applied Recommendations.
- Location Reports.
- Performance Max Campaigns.
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Lastly from 2020, the team dissected the Google Partners changes that were announced in 2020 and what Optimization Score means for everyone.
Looking Ahead to Google Ads in 2021
Better data, more automation, more collaboration?
The panel gave some predictions on 2021 that focused on automation, machine learning, and more trusting of the process. Each panelist gave some words of encouragement and how to stay on top in 2021.
Listen to the full episode for more actionable Google Ads conversation to help you thrive in 2021!
Marketing O’Clock releases new digital marketing news podcasts every Friday morning along with “Marketing O’Talk” deep dive discussions each week.
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Featured Image Credit: Samantha Hanson
