What would a post-Google PPC landscape look like?

For decades, Google has led the way in the monopoly of PPC advertising, becoming the undisputed leader in this field, and shaping how businesses connect with their customers globally. It has dominated the online world, largely due to its vast market share of search traffic, but also thanks to its comprehensive PPC management system that makes analysis and optimisation simple for PPC managers.

But times are changing. Flash forward to today and Google is in a post-trail haze. At the end of 2024 Google was found guilty of illegally monopolising web search in a historic antitrust trail. In a landmark case, this ruling has placed the world of Search under even more intense scrutiny, and leaves PPC managers wondering what their options are if the giant of Google is no longer a part of the future of PPC.

In this article, we’ll dive into Google’s prominence, explore just what made it such a popular option for PPC managers, and begin to uncover what the future of PPC looks like if Google is less dominant.

• The role of Google in PPC: dominance/dependency?
• Opportunities in a post-Google PPC landscape
• Challenges without Google: The new PPC landscape
• Strategic shifts for your Google-free PPC
• The human element: Evolving roles in a post-Google world

The role of Google in PPC:dominance/dependency?

To kick things off, let’s take a look at why Google is so dominant in online marketing.

Google's control of global Search traffic

• Google processes over 90% of global search queries, making it the go-to platform for PPC advertisers.
• The scale and reach of Google Ads offer businesses unparalleled opportunities to reach consumers.
• Its massive data infrastructure allows for precise targeting and attribution.

Basically, if you want to promote your products and services online, Google is almost impossible to ignore.

Integrated tools: Simplifying campaign management or fostering dependency?
Alongside this market share dominance is Google’s thorough approach to managing marketing campaigns across its platforms. Google's ecosystem seamlessly integrates analytics, search, display, video, and shopping ads into one platform.

While convenient, this integration fosters dependency for many marketers, making it harder for you to explore alternatives. Automated features like Smart Bidding and Performance Max campaigns simplify optimisation but further bind you to Google’s ecosystem.

This dependency puts you at risk, due to your campaign success being so closely linked to Google’s algorithm and overall performance. Many recent changes across Google Search such as AI overviews have divided opinions of many users due to their very mixed results.

Diversify your marketing to overcome dependency
One solution to these challenges is to diversify your marketing efforts to the numerous other platforms outside of Google that cater to PPC advertising.

Diversifying PPC efforts across platforms (e.g., Bing, Amazon Ads, and social media channels) is already a growing trend among marketers, many who are frustrated with recent updates across Google.

Opportunities in a post-Google PPC landscape

The idea of pushing your marketing strategy outside of the tried and tested landscape of Google may feel a little alien at first. But there’s a whole host of benefits at your fingertips.

Platform-specific advancements
Smaller platforms like Microsoft Ads and Amazon Ads could help you capitalise on a decentralised market by investing in niche features and industry-specific tools.

• Microsoft Ads: This platform is already a strong competitor with LinkedIn integration and professional targeting capabilities.

• Amazon Ads: Ideal for e-commerce brands due to its focus on purchase-driven traffic. It also has great social media connectivity within the UGC space.

• TikTok, Pinterest, and Snapchat: Here you can innovate in video and social ad formats, appealing to younger audiences and jumping on viral trends for an extra boost.

As more marketers push their strategies outside of Google exclusivity, the increased competition may lead to advancements in transparency, attribution, and advertiser support.

Levelling the playing field for advertisers
A less Google-centric market could create opportunities for smaller businesses to compete without being overshadowed by corporate ad spend. Currently, in many industries, it is impossible to get a strong ranking on Google without spending a small fortune. 

Platforms with niche audiences and lower CPCs may emerge, helping small and medium size businesses reach more specific customer segments, at a cost that is more affordable.

Challenges without Google: The new PPC landscape

With such a significant change in your marketing strategy without Google, there will be some areas that will require more focus and attention. Here’s how to combat some of those issues.

Fragmented data and attribution

• Without Google's centralised ecosystem, tracking user journeys across multiple platforms will become more complex.

• It may be challenging and time consuming to aggregate your data from separate sources, making data-collection more of an involved process.

• Our advice? To invest in third-party analytics tools to group the data for you. With more marketers diversifying, this will be necessary aid to bridge gaps in attribution.

Increased operational costs
Managing campaigns across multiple platforms will require additional resources, time, and expertise.
You’ll need to invest in new tools, training, and potentially larger teams to handle fragmented campaigns. Or consider a fresh approach that leads with a multi-platform attribution style, rather than simply converting your old Google campaign formats.

Strategic shifts for your Google-free PPC

Focus on cross-platform strategies

• Cross-platform campaigns will become the norm, requiring unified messaging and creative adaptation for different audiences.

• PPC marketers will have to invest in cross-channel attribution models to measure campaign performance holistically.

Exploring alternatives beyond Search ads

• With Google having such a dominance in global Search, it could be time to focus on alternatives.

• The online ad market is already diversifying, so prioritising non-search advertising options such as native ads, programmatic display, and video marketing could pay off.

• Creative strategies leveraging platforms like Spotify, and OTT (over-the-top) services could gain prominence. This includes platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime, who are already moving to a more ad-specific model.

The human element: Evolving roles in post-Google world

But what can you expect from your role as a PPC manager and digital marketer if the industry shifts away from a Google monopoly? Here’s our take on what the future holds.

New skill demands

• As a PPC specialist, you’ll need to upskill in managing diverse platforms and integrating data from fragmented sources.

• A deeper understanding of platform-specific algorithms and bidding strategies will be essential.

Emergence of niche specialists

• Specialists focusing on individual platforms (e.g., Microsoft Ads or TikTok Ads) may become highly sought after, especially if one emerges as the front-runner in the highly competitive world of PPC.

• Expertise in specific industries or campaign types (e.g., e-commerce, video ads) will provide a competitive edge.

Increased focus on creative and strategic roles

• With less reliance on Google's automated tools, advertisers will need to prioritise creative storytelling and innovative strategies.

• Strategic planning for cross-platform campaigns will become a central focus for marketing teams.

In conclusion

The fallout from Google’s antitrust trial is something that we will see evolve over the coming years, so change may be slower than anticipated. However, if Google’s dominance does decline in the next couple of years, it is vital that PPC managers are prepared for this seismic shift.

While it presents opportunities for smaller platforms to thrive and for advertisers to explore creative and diverse strategies, it also introduces challenges such as fragmented data, increased costs, and higher CPCs.

If you diversify your efforts, invest in cross-platform strategies and embrace emerging tools and platforms, you could foster a new era of innovative paid ads for your brand and clients. It’s time to adapt and benefit from this decentralised PPC landscape.