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How AI-Powered Chatbots Will Affect the Future of PPC Marketing

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AI-Powered Chatbots represent the future of machine learning and the consumer experience. They’re a source of entertainment for many, and now, they’ve managed to incite an AI race between the world’s two largest search enginesGoogle and Bing. As a result, AI-powered chatbots are top of mind for many. While rapidly evolving technology presents exciting innovation across industries, including marketing, it raises one big question for marketers like us here at Online Optimism, who utilize pay-per-click (PPC) advertising: How will AI-powered chatbots affect the future of PPC marketing?

How AI-Powered Chatbots Change the User Experience

Before examining what AI-powered chatbots could mean for the future of performance marketing, it’s crucial to understand how AI-powered chatbots alter the user experience. Let’s break it down. 

Currently, search engines all follow one basic model: 

  • First, a user develops some want, need, or question. 
  • Said user turns to a search engine to find an answer. 
  • They enter a search query, and billions of search results instantly populate. 
  • Among these organic results are ads, and each time a user clicks on an ad, that advertiser pays Google for the click – hence the term “pay-per-click.” 
  • Now add up the billions of people who use search engines every day, and it’s no wonder Google’s parent company, Alphabet, generated 81%, or $208 billion, of its overall revenue from Google Ads in 2021.

Now insert AI-powered chatbots. They possess refreshingly human-like conversational skills and eliminate (at least in theory) the amount of work users need to do to obtain the information they’re searching for. Instead of combing through the search engine results page (SERP) for the answer to that burning question, AI-powered chatbots neatly serve users the answer to their query in one concise message output. 

Though AI chatbots have ways to go to reach full functionality, in a world where users’ attention spans and patience levels seem to be constantly dwindling, they could prove revolutionary to the search process. 

How AI-Powered Chatbots Can be Leveraged for PPC Marketing

In addition to altering the experience of those surfing the internet, AI-powered chatbots can serve as a valuable tool for search engine marketing. While the most popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, was trained on a dataset from 2021, and its output often requires editing and building upon, the chatbot has proven to be a helpful aid in completing tedious and time-consuming tasks that contribute to overall performance.

Some use cases include:

  • Generating ad copy: Brainstorming headlines and descriptions can be a struggle. Marketers can feed AI-powered chatbot requests and receive fresh content as a jumping-off point.  
  • Google Ads scripts: A lot of automation can be implemented in Google Ads campaigns that make everyday tasks easier — AI chatbots can instantly churn out basic scripts. 
  • Keyword suggestions: Though not as granular as Google Keyword Planner, AI-powered chatbots can suggest great starting points or synonyms when keyword research has plateaued. 
  • Spreadsheet streamlining: Avoid wasting time searching for ways to compose unruly spreadsheets. Simply describe the desired effect, and the chatbot will produce a formula or function that should do the trick.

Why AI-Powered Chatbots Won’t Replace PPC Marketers Anytime Soon

While the most popular AI-powered chatbots are sophisticated in design and have the potential to change the search landscape, it’s no secret that they’re far from flawless. As a result, AI-powered chatbots often fall short in accuracy and relevance, but their most glaring shortcoming is their inability to imitate the nuances of real humans. 

While this ability to truly understand and communicate like a human may not be imperative when writing code or formulas, it’s pivotal in someone’s decision-making process — it’s what makes good marketing so effective. 

Targeting demographics and psychographics will get ads in front of relevant audiences, but the reasons people make decisions are highly complex. In many cases, relatability, emotion, and a human aspect sell the product or the service. 

At the moment, AI-powered chatbots can’t accomplish this. Instead, they are a powerful aid to human marketers, bringing more data and perspective than anyone could comprehend. But human marketers can create and communicate truly original, emotionally-charged, resonant ideas that AI chatbots could not, and therein lies our value proposition. 

KEEP YOUR PPC MARKETING HUMAN WITH ONLINE OPTIMISM   

At Online Optimism, Keeping it Human is a core value that guides every aspect of our work, from digital ads and design to social media and our company culture. While our Optimists work on the leading edge of technology, we can truly listen to and connect with our clients, which allows us to grow their businesses.

Are you ready to step up your PPC marketing and more? Contact us today to learn how our experts can amplify your brand and connect you to customers.