Why Paid Search Needs an Audience-First Approach

The landscape of paid search advertising is shifting, and the future looks decidedly “keywordless”, with audience-first strategies driving performance. For years, keywords were the bedrock of successful campaigns, meticulously chosen to match user queries. However, Google’s evolving strategy, driven by advanced AI and a deeper understanding of user intent, means it’s time for advertisers to pivot their focus from keywords to the audiences they truly need to reach.

Here are three compelling reasons why thinking audience-first is paramount for paid search success:

1. Broad Match is the New Default

Google has been steadily pushing advertisers towards broader match types, and it’s now the default for a reason. Broad match, when paired with Smart Bidding, allows your ads to appear for a wide range of relevant search queries, while still optimizing for queries that drive business value.

This shift is increasingly critical with the rise of AI Overviews. These AI-generated summaries provide immediate answers to user queries, often reducing the need for users to click through traditional organic or paid listings. As AI Overviews become more prevalent, the available space for traditional ads on the SERP is shrinking.

As search queries become more complex and varied, broad match is essential for maintaining visibility. Instead of manually guessing every possible keyword variation, marketers can rely on Google to match ads based on context and intent, freeing them to focus on building the right user journey for each audience

2. Performance Max: Google’s Audience-Centric Powerhouse

Google’s continued investment in automation is epitomized by Performance Max campaigns. This goal-based campaign type is designed to maximize conversions across all of Google’s channels – Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, and Gmail– from a single campaign. What makes Performance Max a game-changer is its heavy reliance on audience targeting and first-party data signals, including audiences and landing pages to reach the right users. You can still use keywords, but they are broad match (see above) and have a defined limit to how many can be added to an asset group. Though I personally would not recommend this, it is now possible to run an entirely keywordless search campaign.

3. Tailoring Your Message to Audience Needs

Thinking audience-first empowers you to craft more compelling ad copy. Your target customers aren’t monolithic; they have diverse needs, pain points, and motivations. Consider, for example, health insurance. The needs of a student, a parent, and a freelance employee are vastly different, even though they might all search for “health insurance.”

By focusing on audience segments, you can use a broad head term (like “health insurance”) but then tailor your ad copy, and campaign targeting to speak directly to the specific needs of each audience.

• For students: Ads highlighting affordability, flexibility, and coverage for common student health concerns.
• For parents: Ads emphasizing family coverage, pediatric care, and emergency services.
• For freelance employees: Ads focusing on availability, cost, and potential tax deductions.

This audience-centric approach allows for hyper-personalization, increasing the likelihood that your ad resonates with the user and drives a conversion. It moves beyond simply matching words to truly understanding and addressing the intent behind the search.

How to Prepare for a Paid Search Audience-First Future

The shift is undeniable, and adapting your paid search strategy is crucial for continued success. Here’s how to prepare:

• Integrate First-Party Data: Leverage your own customer data (CRMs, website analytics) to build powerful audience lists. This first-party data is incredibly valuable for informing Google’s AI and achieving more precise targeting.
• Think branding first, then conversion. As first-party data gains significance, advertisers should consider using branding strategies with display ads, social media, and video to increase site visits. Afterward, they can create audience segments based on site data to provide additional signals to Google. Remember to include your privacy policy. 
• Embrace Broad Match with Smart Bidding: Don’t fear broad match. When combined with Smart Bidding strategies, it’s a powerful tool to expand your reach and discover new, valuable search queries. Monitor your search terms reports to identify and add negative keywords where necessary.
• Lean into Performance Max: Start experimenting with Performance Max campaigns. Provide robust audience signals using your first-party data, such as customer lists and site visitors. Craft every stage of the user flow for a specific persona and reflect that in images and the landing page experience.
• Deep Dive into Audience Research: Go beyond surface-level demographics. Understand the problems your audience is trying to solve, their motivations, and how they interact with your brand across different channels. Use this insight to inform your audience signals and craft highly relevant ad copy.

The future of paid search is less about guessing keywords and more about understanding people. By shifting your mindset to an audience-first approach, you’ll be well-positioned to thrive in Google’s evolving advertising ecosystem, connecting with your ideal customers in more meaningful and effective ways.