Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated that Google has more than 20 years of experience serving ads relevant to users’ commercial queries, and SGE enhances our ability to do this even better.
GEMINI & ADS
Since the release of Chat GPT by the Microsoft-backed Open AI, Google has been concentrating on developing its own AI – Gemini AI that will allow it to regain market dominance.
Gemini is a multimodal large language model that understands text, images, videos, and audio. This multimodal characteristic is unique because it is native to Gemini, whereas other AI models, such as GPT-4, rely on plugins and integrations to be truly multimodal.
As a multimodal model, Gemini is described as capable of completing complex tasks in math, physics, and other areas, as well as understanding and generating high-quality code in various programming languages. Gemini AI integrates and builds on Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE).
Google is hopeful that with the power and versatility of its AI, it will regain lost ground in the rapidly developing field of AI.
Google SGE and Gemini
Google SGE (Search Generative Experience) was announced at the Google I/O Conference in May 2023. SGE uses generative AI to provide users with a quick, clear overview of search topics and a more natural and intuitive approach to searching.
In this new world of searching, ads will continue to play an important role. Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated that Google has more than 20 years of experience serving ads relevant to users’ commercial queries, and SGE enhances our ability to do this even better.
There are two main reasons why it makes sense for Google to enhance the experience it provides to people searching through its platform and to expand the search ad capacity.
1. Financial Reason
Google search ads drive Google’s revenue. In the third quarter of 2023, Google’s revenue totalled $76.7 billion, of which $44 billion (57.4%) was from search ads. YouTube ads made up 10.3% of revenue, and Google Network ads made up 10%. Hence, the total ad revenue for Google comprises 77.8% of the company’s overall revenue.
2. Customer Demand
A survey of American consumers in February 2023 found that half were interested in artificial intelligence (AI) powered online search products. It also found that 40% of millennials were willing to switch to an experience like Google SGE.
Hence, financially, and to provide consumers with what they are looking for, Google’s investment in developing and rolling out SGE makes good sense.
Benefits of SGE
Search Generative Experience (SGE) provides users with several benefits.
● Efficiency: SGE provides concise summaries of search topics, saving users time by quickly delivering relevant information.
● Clarity: The AI-generated overviews are clear and easy to understand, helping users grasp critical points without sifting through lengthy content.
● Interactivity: SGE enhances the search experience by allowing users to interact with AI-generated insights, making it engaging and informative.
● Augmented Search: By integrating generative AI alongside traditional search results, SGE augments existing search capabilities.
Integration of SGE and Gemini into the Google Ads platform
With the recent release of Gemini AI in December 2023, Google aims to build on and revolutionise advertising performance by empowering advertisers with enhanced campaign creation, optimisation, and performance evaluation, making developing more effective advertising campaigns easier.
Gemini introduces a workflow based on a conversational model to assist advertisers in designing better search campaigns. Gemini also assists by analysing current trends, enabling advertisers to brainstorm more creative ideas that will grow audiences.
The key benefits for Advertisers using Gemini
With the integration of Gemini AI into Google’s Ads platform, there are several benefits for advertisers.
● Streamlined Campaign Creation: With Gemini, advertisers can create ad campaigns more efficiently. For example. by inputting their website’s URL, Google’s AI analyses the site and suggests relevant images, headlines, descriptions and keywords for search ads.
● Improved Ad Relevance: As consumer search behaviour evolves, Gemini helps ads better match what people seek online, ensuring ads remain relevant.
● Conversational Experience: Gemini powers a chat-based workflow in Google Ads. Advertisers collaborate with Google AI to create optimised search campaigns. The conversational experience generates relevant ad content, including creatives and keywords. Advertisers have created higher-quality search campaigns with less effort using the conversational approach.
● Visual Enhancement: As search becomes more visual, the conversational experience suggests images tailored to campaigns using generative AI and images from landing pages.
In summary, Gemini AI streamlines ad creation, improves ad quality and adapts to changing search behaviour, ultimately benefiting advertisers and users alike.
Gemini AI streamlines ad creation, improves ad quality and adapts to changing search behaviour, ultimately benefiting advertisers and users alike.
User Experience
While Gemini AI may make the advertiser’s experience easier, what of the user’s experience?
There are both positive and negative impacts for the person.
Positives for the user from Gemini AI
● Because Gemini AI enhances ad relevance by ensuring the content is tailored to the user, people are more likely to see ads that align with their interests. This improves their overall experience by reducing the number of repetitive advertisements or advertisements that are not appropriate for the consumer.
● By improving relevance and ad quality, the result is greater user engagement.
● Gemini AI can adapt to changing search behaviour. For example, as visual search gains prominence, users will benefit from more relevant visual ads.
Negatives for the User from Gemini AI
However, there are some potential negatives that must be kept in mind by advertisers.
● While Gemini AI may increase the relevance of ads seen by consumers, over-personalization can feel intrusive. Many consumers use the search function because it provides a level of anonymity and allows them to compare products and read reviews in the privacy of their own space.
When AI begins to track and target products consumers are searching for and providing the customer with ads, many find it intrusive and annoying. Advertisers need to exercise care to maintain a balance between respecting privacy and providing advertisements that are relevant to the individual.
● Repetition of ads leading to ad-blocking behaviour. When consumers become overwhelmed by the volume and the precision of targeting, they may either block ads or not see them – ad blindness because they have disengaged. Ad blocking and ad blindness can be damaging to brands.
Again, it is about balance. Consumers need to see the ads enough to have brand recognition without being over-saturated, leading to negative perceptions.
● Evolution of technology. Technology, particularly the field of AI, is rapidly evolving and leading to change at multiple levels for both advertisers and consumers. Consumers can feel overwhelmed by the rate of change. When this occurs, consumers will often revert to patterns of behaviour that have worked for them in the past rather than trying to learn and adapt to the changes.
The speed and volume of change act as a disincentive for the consumer.
● Quality control. Because of the speed of evolution and change, there can be issues with quality control.
One of the issues that can arise with AI is the risk of it generating low-quality or irrelevant ad content. Advertisers must review and approve the suggestions carefully to maintain ad quality. The other issue that has occurred for some organisations is when their AI, such as a chatbot, malfunctions. The parcel delivery firm DPD experience is a case where a failure with their chatbot led to it swearing at customers.
The saying, “too much of a good thing,” applies equally to technology like AI. The benefits and positives of Gemini AI could potentially harm consumers if care and consideration are not taken in how this technology is used.
THE FUTURE OF GEMINI AI
Like other technologies, Gemini AI will continue to evolve and develop. Some of the potential directions in which it may develop include:
● Multilingual Capabilities: Expanding Gemini AI’s language capabilities will enable advertisers to effortlessly create ads in multiple languages. This will be crucial for global campaigns and reaching diverse audiences.
● Visual Search Integration: Gemini AI could incorporate image recognition and generate ads based on visual content as visual search gains prominence.
● Predictive Insights: Gemini AI might offer predictive analytics, helping advertisers anticipate trends, optimise bidding strategies, and allocate budgets effectively. It could provide real-time recommendations based on market dynamics.
● Voice Search Optimization: With the rise of voice assistants, Gemini AI could optimise ads for voice search queries. Crafting concise, conversational ad content will be essential.
● Ethical AI Practices: Ensuring fairness, transparency, and unbiased ad generation will be critical. Gemini AI should actively address biases and adhere to ethical guidelines.
● Integration with Other Platforms: Beyond Google Ads, Gemini AI could expand to other platforms (e.g., social media, e-commerce) for seamless cross-channel advertising.
In discussing the pros and cons of Gemini AI, the final word is perhaps best left to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who said:
“Gemini gives us a great foundation. It’s already demonstrating state-of-the-art capabilities, and it will only get better. Gemini Ultra is coming soon. The team is already working on the next versions and bringing it to our products.”
