Did you know searches that include the term, “best” have increased by 80% over the last two years alone? Google Marketing Live revealed new consumer insights like these plus the latest digital marketing products from Google. Silverlight Digital was there, and we’ve put together this synopsis to keep you informed of the latest big pharmaceutical marketing changes coming to Google.
1) Audience Expansion Tool
This tool will enable Silverlight to build look-a-like lists and expand the number of qualified consumers who see your offers, while ensuring that those offers are relevant and useful to all prospects.
2) YouTube bumper ad machine
Google collected data last year that showed a series of three bumper ads (six seconds each) leaves a more memorable impression on a consumer then a single 30-second ad. Therefore, they have created the “bumper machine” which will turn any video shorter than 90 seconds into a collection of YouTube-ready bumper ads, which can be put through PRC/LMR for approval.
3) Custom Audiences
New targeting will combine custom affinity and custom intent to be able to target prospects based on their interest and behaviors, as identified through Google search data.
4) Audio ad inventory added
Soon SLD will be able to buy audio ad inventory on Google Play Music, Spotify and more for our clients. This will allow us to advertise in between music and in podcasts without having to broker exclusive deals and expensive contracts.
5) Display & Video 360 Ads
Coming to smart TVs, national TV channels and audio. 74% of US households now have at least one connected TV, so Google’s timing is perfect for advertisers to buy ad inventory on national and local channels. A few channels are in beta testing, but the program will officially go live this year.
6) Smart bidding improvements
» Campaign-level conversion goal: We will now be able to manage and optimize bids for a campaign dedicated to a single conversion goal (only copay/savings card downloads, for example)
» Conversion action sets: We can now create conversion actions to optimize across several campaigns
» During upcoming “national days,” conferences, or seasonal changes Google ads will automatically optimize bids for that time period and then return them to normal
7) Google Trip App (Travel)
Google is consolidating all travel services into one place, which will feature on desktops with flights, hotels, sights, and package trips. This could significantly impact the volume of Search Ads for travel-related keywords, in particular.
8) Gallery Ads
Images are coming to the Search Network! Advertisers will be able to use Gallery ads in the carousel format that will sit at the top of the page. It will include 4-8 images, 70-character taglines per image, and up to 3 headlines.
9) Google Discovery Ads
This is a new type of ad buy that will feature a swipe-able image carousel ad that will be eligible to run across multiple platforms like the YouTube home feed, Gmail promotions tab, and Google Discover Feed. 85% of online consumers take a product-related action within 24 hours, and discovery ads will take advantage of that by allowing advertisers to show ads in the moment when the consumer is most open to finding something new. This will be rolling out by end of this year.
10) Local campaigns available for everyone
As we all know, consumers often do research on their smartphones before going to the physical store. This creates an opportunity to deliver relevant ad experiences. Local campaigns will be semi-automated and will promote your store across Search, Display, Maps, and YouTube. You provide store locations, some ad copy, a couple of images, a budget, and a bid and then Google Ads optimizes ad delivery across its properties to maximize foot traffic.
11) Google Shopping
Customers can now make direct purchases within the shopping interface. Shoppers can still click through to the website, but this feature of buying directly creates less friction with its easy service.
12) Shopping showcase ads in new places
In the coming months, Google will grow showcase shopping ads to the image search results, the discover search results, and YouTube. The reason this expansion is so exciting is that it enables you to deliver those discovery-based shopping experiences at a broader range of high-funnel touchpoints.
