Give Your PPC Campaigns Fresh Pow With These Trends in 2025
The year is off to a fast start. There’s a lot to tackle and little time to relax but hey, have you considered taking a break for some time on the slopes?
If you’re in, I’ve got lift tickets ready, and the powder is fresh. Grab your snowboard—let’s go shred.
Much like snowboarding, navigating the world of paid search for franchises requires balance. You don’t want to be trailing behind trying to catch up to competitors. Instead, you need to start with a clear strategy and stay focused, confident, and—most importantly—adaptable. As we look ahead, let’s explore the top PPC trends to watch in 2025 and how you can stay ahead of the curve.
Lean into AI
AI is everywhere.
What began as anxious murmurings has graduated to a part of our everyday lives, with AI overviews as typically the first item you see when performing a Google search. AI is nothing to be afraid of. It was created by humans after all and as long as we say please and thank you, our future enslavement shouldn’t be too unpleasant.
Joking aside, when harnessed properly, AI has the potential to enhance our campaigns exorbitantly. Across the industry, more and more entities are going to begin to leverage AI to create ads, keywords, and entire campaigns.
Strategy Tip: AI is best viewed as a helpful tool, but it needs a human to hold its virtual hand. You don’t want your ski lift to be entirely machine-operated. You want a seasoned liftie who knows what they are doing to oversee the operation. Likewise, the presence of AI requires expert guidance to make sure that campaigns are effective, and data is accurate. That said, whether we like it or not, by working with AI instead of against it, we’ll have a much smoother ride down the slope.
Refine Targeting Strategies
Old-school keyword targeting strategies will not cut it. In fact, we will see a shift away from phrase match keyword targeting with PPC campaigns favoring broad or exact match.
AI advancements driving visual search and voice search in 2025 mean that marketers have to get creative with how we approach keyword selection and management. It’s looking like an audience-first approach will be the way to go, which makes sense.
With AI and machine learning tools, it’s possible to analyze immense datasets to identify precise audience segments. From there, we can begin to determine a pattern in customer behavior, enabling the creation of personalized ads.
Strategy Tip: Sure, you can cruise down the hill, but an easy ride is a great time to test your skills. Use AI to experiment with ad personalization. AI tools like Google Ads Performance Max and Meta Advantage+ are game-changers for automation and granular targeting.
Understand the Focus on Privacy and Data Protection
Third-party cookies are no longer welcome to the party. We learned a few years ago that Google planned to phase them out by the end of 2024. Well, here we are. We will continue to see privacy regulations tighten meaning PPC platforms must prioritize privacy-friendly advertising. In order to be effective, and compliant, first-party data and audience segmentation based on consent are necessary.
Strategy Tip: Focus on collecting first-party data through newsletters, CRM integrations, and loyalty programs. Transparent communication about data usage builds trust while helping create compliant, effective PPC strategies.
Creativity and Adaptability Are Major
One could argue this has always been the case; however, the continued rise of AI makes this more relevant than ever.
The presence of voice and visual search is poised to grow significantly. Devices like Alexa, Google Home, and Siri are becoming fixtures in more households, pushing brands to optimize their ad content for conversational queries and image-based searches.
At the same time, short-form video ads reign supreme as the most captivating ad format across platforms. AI plays a pivotal role here, from automating video creation to tailoring content for specific audience segments. Brands that focus on producing engaging short-form content, regardless of the platform, will reap the most rewards. And on that note, do not ignore social media for PPC strategies. Platforms like Meta and LinkedIn are evolving their ad offerings. Creating creative ads tailored to each specific platform is an effective way to amplify visibility and drive meaningful conversions.
Staying ahead of these trends matters, but so is understanding what truly resonates with your audience and what’s feasible for your business. While not every company has the budget to invest heavily in AI-driven strategies, creativity can bridge the gap. Know your audience, understand their search behavior, and speak their language—these are the keys to making a lasting impact.
Strategy Tip: To stand out, don’t rely solely on AI. If everyone uses the same tools with the same prompts, the results will lack originality. Approach PPC like fresh terrain on a ski slope—push boundaries with unique creative ideas to avoid stale, repetitive content.
Navigate the Slopes of PPC Like a Pro and Achieve Long-Term Success
In paid search, you can’t guarantee success simply by going from point A to point B. Much like navigating a tricky trail, achieving your goals in PPC requires flexibility, precision, and a clear strategy. With the right tools and a well-thought-out plan, you’ll be equipped to handle unexpected twists and turns, in order to optimize your campaigns for the best possible outcome. Whether it’s analyzing performance data, refining keywords, or adjusting bids, staying aware allows you to overcome the challenges and obstacles that arise along the way.