Generative AI is the newest tool in machine learning, and it will significantly change the way we use the internet in ways that we have never experienced before. It can allow people to generate not only conversations with chatbots, as we will discuss in this article, but it can also create images and art, code, and video.
In this white paper, we will examine how generative AI can shape the future of advertising, and specifically on Google Ads. What does that mean for Recruitment Marketers? What does that mean for you? We will address all that and more.
AI: How we got here.
Open AI’s ChatGPT launched on November 20, 2022 and by December 4, it quickly grew to over 1M users. ChatGPT is an AI chatbot that provides intelligent answers to questions by typing in natural language. Not only can you have conversations, and ask questions with defined answers, you can also ask follow up questions that refine answers in order to get better, more precise results. It is currently in a “learning phase” and is open to the public, as it is gathering research and feedback in order to garner more accurate information for inquiries and conversations that might be asked in the future. This in turn helps it get “smarter” over time (with the help and feedback of the public), however, it does sometimes make mistakes that need to be corrected.
By March 2023 , Microsoft’s Bing launched Open AI’s GPT-4 in their search engine (Microsoft Edge), making it the first AI-powered search into a web browser. They also quickly integrated this capability across 11 Windows apps, like Word, Excel, Outlook, and more.
Of course, this led to quick competition in the form of Google’s Bard — their response to Open AI’s ChatGPT — with the intent to release it (eventually) on their own search engine and browser.
Bard is a Large Language Model (LLM), and its information is completely sourced from the open web. Not only does it have the conversational tone that is found in Chat GPT, but it also integrates links underneath its answers to the sources of the information it supplies. This allows the user to research more about the topics they’re inquiring about.
Google’s Bard can help people understand and research topics faster, as well as complete tasks more easily. For jobseekers, it can help them write resumes, potentially research certifications, look up courses, schools near them, or career paths. Users typically start with broad questions and then narrow down into smaller, more precise ones. This is a great way to let generative AI do the “heavy lifting” and have conversations with Google, in order to find the answer to questions quickly.
According to Search Engine Land, Google has a five-point approach to generative AI in search:
- Information needs: How can Google reduce the number of steps it takes for the searcher to accomplish a task or complete a goal and how can Google make the experience more fluid and seamless?
- Information quality: The information Google responds with needs to be quality, and the way the AI responds needs to be high level
- Safety constraints: Should Google provide first-person responses? Should Google provide fluid answers that users would trust to be 100% accurate, when Google might not be able to verify the accuracy of all the answers?
- Ecosystem: Google wants to provide traffic and credits to the source of the content. Google wants to design an experience that encourages the users and searcher to dig deeper into those sources
- Relevancy: Ads can be relevant and provide additional information to the user and how is it best to show the ads to the user in this experience
Google delayed the launch of Bard because they wanted to be “Bold and Responsible” with the release of their product, as opposed to going to market more quickly, like ChapGPT or Microsoft Bing. Without extensive testing, they preferred to be conservative and responsible with their generative AI, wanting to move fast but knowing they have a deeper responsibility of not giving false or inaccurate information. Bard does try to avoid sensitive or offensive topics, or give opinions on things like medical, legal or financial services. This is reminiscent of Google’s motto “Do no harm,” or in the past “Don’t be evil,” as their founders wanted to ensure that they did good things for the world. Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, noted that they have built in safety features to help combat the threat of malevolent content.
Moving on to Google’s new search experience through its web browser, Chrome, it is important to know that it is not Bard itself, however it integrates Large Language Modeling (LLM) from Bard.
This Search Generative Experience (SGE) isn’t quite accessible to the public yet, like Microsoft Bing’s chat experience is. You must opt into the waitlist for SGE on Google, which can be done at labs.google.com.
Once accepted into SGE, a user will type a question or keywords into the search box on Google.com, and information will appear in a colorfully shaded new area on Google search. This will essentially remove the ’10 blue links’, or the “organic” links we are commonly used to, further down the page, and will now be replaced with the generative AI experience. These links will no longer be the primary destination for and will be replaced with the option for generative AI.
GOOGLE ADS: Innovation at work.
Google Ads is now 23 years old. The company continuously works to engineer great advancements in technology with its products and platforms. AI is no exception, and Google has been using it for a while in products like Google Lens and Google Voice. The company has been prepared for the advancement of AI and has worked diligently to incorporate it into their advertising platform. During Google’s most recent Google Marketing Live conference, they proclaimed that 80% of marketers currently use AI search products.
Google’s goal with the search engine results page has always been simple — connect users with the most relevant information to answer their questions. Consumers are researching and asking more detailed questions than ever before. Google strives to be their preferred source and AI will play a big part in that moving forward.
- Google wants search to be more natural and intuitive, to help users find information no matter what they are searching for or how they search for it
- With advancements in generative AI, search is becoming smarter and simpler to use, especially when someone is using their own text and natural language to look for answers to their questions
- They look to serve the most relevant ads that meet peoples’ needs at any given moment
- Searches will become more conversational, allowing for follow up questions to your original search query
Automatically created assets using generative AI
By Q3 2023, Google will be integrating the use of generative AI into their product suite. This will help customize ads that target specific audiences through AI generated content (such as recommended ad copy, assets, unique images to your brand, videos, and more). These AI suggestions (Automatically Creative Assets — or ACA) will be presented to advertisers for review so they can be changed or updated before launch, with merely a conversation and suggestions back to the AI. The best part: there are no limits to the number of responses you can receive using the conversational experience to create your new ads. In short, Google AI is not only helping the searcher get better information, but it is also helping the advertisers create higher quality ads that are more likely to be served.
This leading edge technology will again put Google at the forefront of digital advertising and help place ads in front of job seekers in a native AI format, right when they are actively seeking or researching a job.
An example of the new Google Ads UI, using generative AI:
As in previous iterations of Search ads, advertisements will still be showcased with a “Sponsored” label, continuing to appear in dedicated positions and slots on the search results page. So even though new tech is happening, there will still be some familiarity on how these ads appear to the end user, or job seeker.
One of the key highlights of this year’s Google Marketing Live (GML) conference, and its heavy hitter for Automatically Created Assets, is Performance Max. This is a goal-based campaign that uses machine learning and smart bidding to showcase ads across all Google Ads inventory, including Search, YouTube, Display, Discover, Gmail, Shopping, and Maps. During GML, Google reported that advertisers can see an average of over 18% more conversions at a similar cost-per-action, (or cost-per-apply), using Performance Max campaigns; up from 13% YoY in 2022. In an effort to prepare advertisers for the launch of AI within the Google Ads platform, they put together an AI Essentials Checklist to help “supercharge” your efforts on the platform.
RECRUITMENT MARKETING: What matters most.
Recruitment, like all industries, will be incorporating AI, but there are limits. AI can be used to automate certain recruiting tasks like email responses, tracking candidate progress, or scheduling interviews. However, AI will not be able to fully control the recruiting process, simply because it does not have enough data to accurately predict an ideal candidate for a specific job description. Not all candidates have fully completed LinkedIn profiles or online resumes, and not all companies have complete job descriptions. Several other factors like job performance, whether a candidate is actively looking for a job, and whether or not the company culture appeals to the job seeker are all factors that AI cannot accurately predict. Yet. Human recruiters are still necessary touchpoints and will still be needed to interview candidates to ensure they are qualified for the job and a good culture fit for the company.
We also need to keep in mind the job seeker. What are they getting out of the generative AI experience? Assistance with resumé writing and creation, seeking out certifications, courses, and schools, and of course, finding a new job. But how will that look in the future? Can generative AI really know a person well enough to recommend a job to them? It doesn’t know how to answer personally-phrased questions… “best,” “for me,” “my,” etc. So how will AI match jobs to job seekers? Will it get to know them better based on their resumé, job history, or personal preferences learned over time? These are all questions at the top of our minds as generative AI continues to be a hot and widely discussed topic.
From an advertising perspective, jobs will still need to be marketed accurately. Google will still serve ads based on keywords searched, but the search engine results page will look different. Now that Google’s generative AI is becoming more conversational, keywords, responsive ad assets, and job descriptions will be more important than ever within Recruitment Marketing. The biggest focus for our industry will be honing in on the intention of the job seeker and making sure what the company offers matches what the job seeker is looking for. Detailed job descriptions and easy to navigate landing pages will be key in successfully advertising jobs and getting high quality applications.
Automatically Created Assets will be a big part of the Google Ads conversation as well, and should be integrated into a Recruitment Marketing strategy. Google is also working on the release of a Google Jobs product (currently in Beta) within Performance Max, which will make job offerings as easy to browse as the current Google Shopping ads. Job titles, requirements, and benefits could play a factor in how competitive a job will be in the marketplace.
BAYARD: How we can help.
Bayard’s SEM Team stays on top of AI news and monitors changes and updates daily. Through our Google Premier Partnership, we aim for a Q3 launch of the Google Jobs product, to see if it will be a viable option for our clients. It is possible that we will be able to use job feeds to market individual job requisitions through this campaign type, which has not been a viable option in the past.
What can clients do now to prepare?
- Allow responsive and automatically created assets in any existing paid search or display campaigns you may be running. Responsive ads will ultimately serve better with the growth of AI by matching a job seeker’s search intentions and behaviors with your ads more efficiently
- Integrate a Performance Max campaign into your media mix, as Google is initially implementing most of their AI strategies with this campaign type starting in Q3’ 2023
- As always, remain patient and diligent in your testing for any new product. Even though Google is coming out with innovations to support generative AI, these features are still new. Even with machine learning and optimizations, results may still take some time to emerge. Be prepared to give campaigns a decent window of time in order to enhance performance and deliver peak ROI
Generative AI is a landscape that changes almost daily, as new releases and news hits the market fast and furiously. Bayard’s SEM Team can help clients navigate through these changes as they become available. As 2023 Google Premier Partners, we’re ranked in the Top 3% of Agencies nationally, and offer a strategic, thoughtful, and consultative approach with all of our clients, for all industries and verticals. Reach out today to meet with a member of our team!
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