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Over on Reddit yesterday, I read: “For me, it feels like I can’t find any real enjoyment in PPC (pay-per-click advertising like Google Ads)…”
…when I know that factors like seasonality, supply shortages, or an algorithm suddenly going haywire can impact an account’s performance… do others experience this too?
One of the answers to this:
“Yes. PPC is one of the worst symptoms of late-stage capitalism… and AI is taking over anyway. By the very nature of the system, humans simply won’t be able to keep up. Just find something else in the tech sector. Your fear is your soul—and this job sucks the soul right out of you.”
That can also be viewed differently.
So yes, it is true—PPC in general, and Google Ads in particular, are currently undergoing change. An increasing number of tasks and a growing amount of control are being taken over by "black-box" machines, while search demand is partly shifting to new search platforms.
But first of all: people are still searching online—more than ever, according to recent studies*—and wherever searches take place, there will be opportunities to purchase ad placements that generate revenue. Moreover, the current uncertainty is likely to subside eventually. This will happen once the AI hype cycle has run its course—once the situation has rebalanced and things have settled down (though this could take some time).
And secondly: The more machines do, the more critical to success becomes what machines do not do—because they cannot yet do it, and perhaps never will.
I’m talking about clarity of thought and offer positioning—about precise, empathetic phrasing that avoids empty jargon, both in the words themselves and between the lines; about the “human touch” or “HIL” (Human in the Loop). Others call it the “chef’s kiss.”
One can—or perhaps must—view the dawning of the age of artificial smart alecks as an opportunity. An opportunity to reinvent oneself, to sharpen one’s profile, and thus to throw oneself into the coming performance battles with renewed strength.
So perhaps it would be better to say: “Pay-per-click advertising is one of the most fascinating symptoms of late capitalism”? We shall see.
* See, for instance, here: “Total usage across search engines and AI assistants has grown 26% globally since 2023.”