The Shark Tank

Ever since the first room-sized computers were constructed and put into use, artificial intelligence—the capacity of a computer to make data-based decisions without direct human intervention—has become an increasing factor in virtually every industry. The realm of pay-per-click advertising is no exception to this trend, to the degree that modern PPC campaigns basically cannot function without some amount of AI support.

The story of how artificial intelligence has changed PPC ads extends over several years and adds new chapters on a nearly weekly basis. When it comes to the effect that AI has on your PPC marketing strategies, there are a few things that you should be aware of and incorporate into your long-term plans.

Automatically Shifting Strategies on the Fly

Every form of artificial intelligence and machine-learning technology that has ever been developed has had one central purpose: simplifying and streamlining processes that used to take much longer for humans to manage. With that in mind, the most noticeable—and arguably the most essential—change that artificial intelligence has wrought on PPC advertising is the capacity of AI to analyze how effectively a campaign is working and quickly adjust how that campaign is pursued.

For example, AI can be directed to autonomously adjust bids on PPC ad placements based on information like how successful certain placements were in the past, where current trends seem to be heading, and what specific goals a company has for a specific campaign. Depending on the instructions given to it, AI can even automatically pause bids that are not producing the desired results. This can greatly reduce the risks of overbidding or a misunderstanding of data that may come with direct human management of PPC campaigns. It also frees up tons of time for PPC managers to focus on more important and creatively demanding tasks.

Predicting and Pursuing the Right Targets

Of course, AI can be used for far more than mechanical management of existing campaigns. Various AI-driven analytics tools are now available to PPC managers that can highlight how a particular campaign—or specific keywords within that campaign—is driving offline leads and conversions. This allows those managers to target new consumers while minimizing wasted budget and effort.

In addition, machine-learning algorithms have grown by leaps and bounds over the previous few years, to the point that savvy PPC managers can use them to predict the future. More specifically, historical data about consumers’ shopping habits, device preference, and even demographics can be fed through a machine-learning algorithm to identify trends and enable future campaigns to be more narrowly targeted.

The Impact of AI on PPC Managers

While AI has been a boon to PPC advertisers, and to the marketing industry as a whole, there are some concerns about whether AI and other forms of automation may soon make the role of PPC manager obsolete. However, AI are only as good as the data they are provided, and all the data analysis in the world cannot replicate the human creativity and ingenuity that plays a central role in an advertising campaign.

In light of that, the main way artificial intelligence has changed PPC ads is by increasing efficiency without sacrificing too much money to do so. When used appropriately and effectively, AI could help you make the most of your PPC campaigns and maximize your investments of both money and time.