If you run PPC campaigns and you haven’t heard all about the iOS 14 update, where have you been?
It’s arguably one of the biggest shake-ups of PPC ads in recent years. Change is nothing new in the world of PPC ads. There are constant updates, changes in reporting, and what works well one week doesn’t bring the results the next.
So, should you panic? Fire your agency? Get a new agency? Nope.
SEO agencies are used to working with the ever-shifting sands of online advertising. Whether it’s a new Facebook algorithm, avoiding a platform’s automated monitoring flagging a perfectly legitimate ad as something against the rules, or nailing the ad copy, agencies know how to learn fast and pivot to keep your business getting results.
That inevitably involves a little trial and error, learning fast and paying attention to what’s working on a micro level while being aware of all the influencing factors on a bigger scale.
What’s changed for PPC ads in iOS 14?
Apple has updated it’s devices to prompt users to explicitly give permission to track their activity. If users don’t give permission, Apple won’t share the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) information. Which means you won’t be able to rely on tracking conversions with tools like pixels.
It’s important to note that this doesn’t stop users clicking your Facebook ads and purchasing. It just stops you attributing that purchase to a click from a Facebook ad. Which means it’s harder to know what’s working well, and where tweaks ned to be made on your PPC campaigns.
The second area where it impacts is targeting and retargeting. Using tools like the pixel, you can track users that have clicked your ad and not purchased previously, and direct specific ads to those people designed to move them towards making a purchase with you. No tracking = no ability to retarget.
Platforms like Facebook also use people’s general activity to present ads that they think will be of interest to them. If you’ve ever searched for a product on the internet and then found yourself presented with dozens of ads for similar products the next time you check your Facebook, then that’s the ad targeting at work. Without the ability to use the IDFA, that targeting won’t be possible.
How big an issue is the iOS 14 update really?
iPhone users make up 47% of smartphone users in the USA, so these updates don’t affect the other 53% of smartphone users. Depending on your target demographic, you may have more or fewer iPhone users – the demographics for iPhones do skew slightly older than Android, but a big chunk of all ages use iOS devices.
In short, a change impacting 47% of smartphone users is going to affect pretty much every business advertising online.
So, what can I do?
As more and more of our lives move online, measures designed to protect privacy are inevitable. The key is to work with these changes and not against them. There’s no point complaining about how much they’ll affect you – the trick is to lean in to them and figure out what does work now. and that’s where agencies are worth their weight in gold.
At Leadspruce, we have over 20 years’ experience providing PPC campaign services for businesses in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and beyond. If you’re looking to leverage PPC ads for your business, why not get in touch for a free consultation?