PPC Trends

1. AI-powered creative automation will transform how advertisers produce and scale ad assets

Instead of relying on manual design, platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising will generate automatically created ad creatives based on campaign objectives, audience signals, and brand guidelines. This evolution will enable advertisers to deliver personalised ads at scale, while significantly reducing production costs and timelines.

Advanced AI models such as Google Gemini, Imagen, and Veo will lead the charge. Gemini’s multimodal capabilities will allow marketers to create text, image, and video assets from a single prompt, ensuring consistent messaging across formats. Imagen will produce high-quality, bespoke visuals without the need for expensive photoshoots, while Veo will make professional-grade video ads accessible in minutes rather than weeks.

Beyond generation, AI will enhance creative performance in real time optimising tone, layout, and visuals based on engagement data and testing thousands of variations to identify the best performing combinations. This shift will compress production cycles from weeks to hours, and empower agencies to launch campaigns faster while focusing on strategy and innovation.

2. Owning your data will remain one of your biggest competitive advantages

Third party cookies might not be going away but that doesn’t diminish the growing importance of first-party data. Advertisers who invest in building and maintaining robust first party data foundations will have a significant advantage in 2026.

Integrating CRM systems with ad platforms, implementing server-side tracking, and ensuring data hygiene and consent compliance will all be critical. These practices not only futureproof campaigns against privacy changes but also enable more accurate audience targeting, better measurement, and stronger personalisation.

3. Predictive bidding powered by artificial intelligence will redefine PPC campaign optimisation

Automation will go beyond simple bid adjustments, ad platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising will leverage advanced algorithms to forecast user intent and conversion likelihood in real time. This evolution means campaigns can optimise for profitability and customer lifetime value, not just clicks or short-term conversions.

To stay competitive, advertisers must provide high quality data signals, including CRM integrations, offline conversions, and first-party data. Feeding these signals into AI-driven bidding systems will unlock smarter decision-making and superior performance. As predictive modelling becomes central to PPC success, expect a growing demand for data science expertise within marketing teams.

4. Microsoft Ads will continue to gain ground as a cost-effective and highly targeted alternative to Google Ads

While Google remains the dominant player, Microsoft Ads offers unique advantages that advertisers can no longer ignore, particularly for B2B campaigns and brands seeking lower CPCs without sacrificing quality.

Unlike Google Ads, Microsoft taps into a distinct audience profile through its ecosystem of Bing, MSN, Outlook, and LinkedIn, reaching professionals and decision makers in high-value environments. This makes Microsoft Ads ideal for advertisers looking to connect with business audiences and affluent consumers. One of its biggest differentiators is LinkedIn profile targeting, which allows advertisers to segment by job title, company, and industry, something Google Ads cannot match. Combined with in-market audiences, similar audiences (currently not available on Google), dynamic remarketing, and native placements across Microsoft’s Audience Network, these features create powerful targeting opportunities.

Microsoft’s search partner network, including Bing, Yahoo, AOL, and premium syndicated sites, extends reach beyond Google’s monopoly, often at a fraction of the cost. Lower CPCs, improved automation, and integrations with Microsoft’s ecosystem mean advertisers can achieve strong ROI while diversifying their PPC strategy. For agencies, adopting Microsoft Ads alongside Google Ads isn’t just smart, it’s essential for risk diversification, cost efficiency, and access to untapped audiences.