By Alan Perkins
Managing Director
SilverDisc
THE 2017 Google Partner Summit took place in late September in New York city with SilverDisc in attendance carrying the flag for Northamptonshire.
As a Google Premier Partner, we’re delighted to be invited to prestigious events such as this, to review Google products that have been working well for us and to get insights into what’s coming soon. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Behavioural Science were on the agenda! Why are such things needed for running Google ads? The thinking goes like this…
Ten years ago, it was relatively easy for Google and advertisers. Searchers tended to use one device, for example their desktop computer at work or at home. Often the searcher would ‘complete their mission’ – achieve whatever they set out to do, for example make a purchase – in one session. From the first search to the final purchase in one go.
These days it’s still sometimes like that, but often it’s very different. Searchers use multiple devices, including phones, tablets and desktops. They’ll search across days and weeks on those multiple devices. They may share search results with friends and colleagues, and get their feedback.
Does that reflect the way your own searching habits have changed over ten years? It certainly does for me.
This change represents both a problem and an opportunity for advertisers and Google.
The problem for many advertisers is ‘active inertia’; they suffer from responding to such a change in online behaviour by accelerating activities that succeeded in the past. This means their advertising fails as a result, and they don’t understand why – saying ‘This always used to work’.
As for Google itself, it now owns seven properties that each have more than a billion users: Search, Chrome, Gmail, Maps, Android, Youtube and the Play Store. Google is, therefore, in touch with people throughout much of their online activity across all devices, and can build insights on those people using Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Behavioural Science. It use this knowledge to enhance the products and services offered to advertisers, both through providing enhanced features in its traditional AdWords ads and by offering Smart Display advertising campaigns that can be highly targeted to people who aren’t searching, but would be interested in or want, your products and services.
Does it work? Yes, and it’s improving all the time. We look forward to discovering the latest innovations in New York and bringing them home to pass on to our clients.
Find out more about SilverDisc by calling 01536 316100 or visit www.silverdisc.co.uk