Adapting to Change

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If you work in marketing, you’ve probably noticed that search advertising feels different today than it did six months ago. We certainly have.

In July, nearly every Google Ads account we manage saw either higher cost per clicks, lower search volume, or both. More people are using AI to research before they ever visit Google. Google is changing the way search results are presented. And those changes are affecting nearly every advertiser.

Whenever an industry changes, there’s a temptation to swing to one of two extremes: 

  • Ignore the changes and keep doing exactly what they’ve always done.
  • Assume everything has changed and abandon strategies that have worked for years.

I don’t think either approach is right. The key isn’t to separate old from new, it’s to separate principles from tactics.

As clicks become more expensive and competition becomes more sophisticated, we’ve found ourselves relying even more on the principles that have guided us for years.

1. Know Exactly Who You’re Trying to Reach

While technology changes, human nature doesn’t. The better you understand your ideal customer, the easier it becomes to reach them regardless of how search evolves.

2. Identify What Makes You Different

As AI makes information easier to find, businesses that sound like everyone else will become even easier to ignore. Your messaging has to answer one simple question:

Why should my ideal prospect choose me instead of the alternatives?

3. Create Landing Pages That Match Intent

Getting someone to click has never been the goal. Helping the right prospect take the next step is. Your landing page’s primary goal continues to be to get the right type of prospect to convert.

4. Focus on Intent, Not Traffic

More visitors don’t necessarily create more customers. Focus on attracting people who are most likely to become clients rather than simply generating more clicks.

5. Match Message to Intent

Great ads do more than get clicks: they set up conversions. A well-crafted ad blends keyword relevance with business differentiators, which results in more aligned leads.

The Future Will Continue to Change

The tactics we use next year will almost certainly be different than the tactics we use today. Our foundation won’t change.

We’ll continue to identify the right customer, uncover meaningful differentiators, create conversion-focused landing pages, and optimize toward qualified leads instead of vanity metrics. Those principles have worked through every major change in Google Ads over the last two decades. I expect they’ll continue to work through whatever comes next.

The question isn’t whether marketing will change. The question is whether your strategy is built on tactics…or principles.