As AI becomes more engrained in our daily lives, consumer behaviors are evolving rapidly. The Paid Search landscape shows this impact dramatically, as consumers are using different methods, platforms, and tools to research and make purchase decisions. Let’s review what’s changed and how it could be affecting your campaigns.

AI Usage is Expanding - 72% of consumers planning to use gen AI search for shopping in the future¹. Platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are becoming widely used tools for purchase-decision research.

Social Media is Becoming More Dominant – Gen Z and Millennials are showing a preference for social platforms over search engines, using them as tools to find products and recommendations.

Mobile Search Approach – 54% of consumers primarily use their phones for searches². This means mobile landing page experience is becoming more important, with factors like site speed and mobile responsiveness having the potential to drive more conversions.

So what does this mean for Paid Search? Despite the rise of AI, traditional search engines like Google are still popular, but campaigns have seen a reduction of search volume across many industries that is driving an increased cost per click. Industry cost per click is up 20-30%³. While this may have campaign impact that can't be controlled, it can be managed by making sure each click counts. Ensure your creatives are relevant to drive the highest quality clicks and improve your landing page experience with relevant content to increase conversions.

While Paid Search campaigns can be a driving force in reaching engaged consumers looking to purchase, these trends emphasize the importance of a multi-channel approach. By building a presence for your brand on awareness channels like Banner ads and Streaming TV, along with engagement channels like Meta, you can ensure you’re driving new interest. The more awareness you build, the more potential customers you’ll drive to your lower funnel channels, including Paid Search.

If you’d like to optimize your Paid Search strategy or add other upper channels to improve its impact, please reach out! We’d be happy to help tailor your strategy for Paid Search campaigns in this new landscape.

1. Chart Local: New Data Reveals Changing Consumer Search Trends
2. Consumer Fusion: How Consumer Search Behavior Is Changing
3. Eight Oh Two: Consumers Are Abandoning Traditional Search