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Whether people are researching products online, finding services locally, or making purchases, Google Search is a hugely important channel where decisions are formed and made. Here, we explore three significant shifts in consumer behaviour and how retailers, with the help of Google Ads’ tools and features, can adapt their strategies for growth on Search and beyond.
1. Shoppers’ searches are getting more nuanced and complex
Searches have become much more nuanced and complex in recent years. This presents a challenge and opportunity as people increasingly go online to discover, compare, and purchase products and services — often starting without a specific brand in mind.
What’s more, of the billions of searches made every day, approximately 15% of those queries are completely new.1
The solution: Capture complex demand with broad match with Smart Bidding
Broad match is a keyword match type in Google Ads that allows your ads to appear in searches containing any of your keywords, in any order, and with additional relevant terms. Powered by AI, it can help you reach a wider audience who might be using diverse and new search queries to find products or services like yours — and even to spot intent before it’s fully formed.
For example, say, you sell sports shoes. With a broad match keyword such as “running shoes”, your ad could potentially show up for searches of “best shoes for marathons”, “comfy trainers for exercise”, or even “reviews of athletic footwear”.
Paired with Smart Bidding, it ensures only the most relevant queries trigger your ads, optimising for conversions even with complex searches and helping capture demand.
Billions of searches are made every day, and approximately 15% of those queries are completely new.
Smart Bidding
2. People are increasingly looking for products and services locally
From buying appliances to finding places to eat, searches including “near me” are incredibly popular worldwide.
People often want to look for what they need in their specific area, which could be directions to a store, opening times, or product availability, and their first port of call is typically a Google search.
The solution: Expand local reach with location targeting and location assets
Location targeting in Google Ads allows you to reach people within a defined geographic radius around your business or in specific locations you select on Search and most other campaign types. For example, you can select entire countries, regions or cities, or even set a custom radius around a specific address.
You can also use location assets (previously known as location extensions) to automatically display your address, contact details, and directions directly within your ads. This feature makes it easy for nearby customers to find the information they need to connect with your business.
In certain territories, you also have the option of Local Services Ads. This ad type simplifies the process: just add a few lines of text, set your budget, and choose simple assets, and Google optimises everything else to help achieve local business goals, such as increasing store visits and phone calls.
3. Consumer journeys are taking place over more channels
As digital landscapes evolve, so do consumer journeys. Many paths to purchase start and end on Search, but they can include numerous touchpoints across various platforms in between.
What does this mean for advertisers? Potentially more campaigns to manage as they seek to provide relevant ads and deliver frictionless customer experience across an ever-growing number of channels.
The solution: Drive results across Google with Performance Max
Performance Max is a campaign type designed to help you reach more converting customers across Google’s advertising channels and inventory from a single campaign.
Google’s AI seamlessly optimises your ads on Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, and Maps, ensuring your messaging reaches the right people at the right moments within their complex shopping journeys.
For example, they might search for product reviews on Google Search, view watch-related videos on YouTube, and then receive a promotional email before finally making a purchase. Performance Max allows you to reach these consumers at every step of their complex journey in one easy-to-manage campaign.
Understanding these significant shifts in consumer behaviour, and keeping pace with others, is essential for any retailer aiming to maximise their paid search success. By embracing broader search queries, recognising changing paths to purchase, and focusing on value-driven outcomes, you can use Google Ads tools to reach the right customers, deliver relevant experiences, and drive meaningful results for your business.
Source: 1. Google internal data, April 2017
