Why Marketers Should Be Thinking About Modern Search

There’s no shying away from all of the talk on generative AI, the rise of voice and what this means for the future of search. But for digital and media marketers, AI and Machine Learning has been integrated into their work for many years now, with all modern ad platforms factoring machine learning into their algorithms.

In search specifically, the expectations of the modern consumer are speed, convenience, greater choice and accessibility. These consumer behaviour changes and expectations are accelerating the next phase of search marketing, where queries have become more conversational yet answers are expected faster than ever before.

Combined with the added challenges that digital and media marketers face at the moment, including the depreciation of the cookie and lower budgets being available due to the economic environment, it’s more important than ever to utilise AI and Machine Learning to augment, not replace, your activity and maximise performance with lower budgets available.?

And Modern Search is Key. ?

Search engines have responded to the changing needs and behaviour of consumers through machine learning. Search engines can match user queries with the most appropriate results and consequently advertisements, whether voice ready or location based. The modern consumer expects up-to-date and immediate results, and modern search enables marketers to meet these expectations.

What Is Modern Search?

In its simplest terms, modern search is the practice of simplifying campaign structures in order to maximise the benefits of machine learning and enable scalable growth.

While account setup becomes simpler, work involving tracking and 1st party data becomes more important. The role of a modern digital or PPC marketer, therefore requires a stronger understanding of Ad Ops than in more traditional manual PPC strategies, and may require additional training and expansion of their skill set.?

In practical terms modern search can be defined as a search programme that is based upon consolidated account structures, where a greater application of machine learning and automation is used to make data-driven decisions. Modern search is founded on the principle that pattern recognition techniques through machine learning can work most effectively when given the widest selection of data signals to assess.

Essentials To Consider In Modern Search.

1. Modern search demands greater consolidation of key account structures often shifting to broad match keywords and a focus on fewer, more meaningful campaigns.?
2. The balance of human vs automated intervention has shifted to a greater emphasis on automation. This change requires a greater degree of best practice formats and targeting approaches applied, such as dynamic search ads, performance max, and remarketing list for search ads.?
3. Wider adoption of smarter bidding options, that also spans across the shopping ecosystem and bidding to profit is a powerful concept.
4. Use of more 1st party data to inform decisioning.? As we move the balance from human to automated, our human insights and interventions evolve, with humans providing greater structure and insight to machine learning. For instance, in value-based bidding work streams, customers with a greater lifetime value warrant enhanced bids and adjusted marketing techniques.
5. Take advantage of the advanced insights that modern search enables. With an increase in 1st party and automation informing decision making, modern search can provide reliable forecasting and upscaling opportunities. Market signals from search data can also be shared across teams to influence social, programmatic, and DOOH activity.?

Modern search is transforming how we as consumers navigate the vast digital landscape, making information more accessible, relevant, and user-friendly. As it becomes increasingly prevalent, the skill set and requirements of digital and PPC marketers is changing. But the democratisation of AI in search and performance marketing more widely should be embraced and it’s here to augment the work of marketers and drive performance further.

Having successfully adopted modern search strategies across our global client base, Tug will soon be releasing further guides and tips on the adoption and implementation of modern search.

In the meantime, if you would like more information on how Tug can help your business with this transition, please reach out and let’s talk.

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