Everyone’s doing it. Every business owner I speak to tells me the same thing: “We’re following Google’s recommendations,” or “Meta’s AI suggested this audience.”
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: if everyone’s following the same playbook, you’re all fighting over the same scraps.
The AI Herd Effect
Picture this: Google’s AI recommends the same “high-intent” keywords to every business in your industry. Meta suggests identical audience targeting. The result? A bidding war where only the biggest budgets survive.
It’s like everyone showing up to the same fishing spot because the GPS said it was “optimal.” Meanwhile, the smart anglers are finding their own quiet corners of the lake.
The Real Cost of Following the Crowd
When I audit PPC accounts, I see the same patterns:
- Rising CPCs as everyone bids on identical keywords
- Declining ad relevance because every ad sounds the same
- Saturated audiences getting bombarded with similar messages
- Shrinking profit margins as competition intensifies
Your competitors aren’t your real enemy – it’s the algorithm everyone’s blindly following.
The Contrarian Advantage
Some of my most successful campaigns have come from deliberately ignoring AI recommendations:
1. Embrace the “Low Volume” Keywords
That keyword Google dismisses as having “low search volume”? It might be exactly what your ideal customer types at 2am when they’re ready to buy.
2. Target the Untargeted
While everyone chases the obvious demographics, look for the adjacent audiences. The business owner’s spouse who influences decisions. The employee who researches solutions before recommending them up the chain.
3. Geographic Goldmines
AI often overlooks local nuances. That nearby town everyone ignores might be full of your ideal customers with zero competition.
4. Seasonal Secrets
Your local knowledge trumps AI every time. You know when your town’s festival brings visitors, when the university term affects buying patterns, when local businesses have budget cycles.
How to Break Free from the Algorithm
Start with AI, then add human insight:
- Use AI recommendations as a baseline – not the final answer
- Interview your actual customers about how they really search
- Analyze competitor gaps – what aren’t they doing?
- Test unconventional approaches – different ad formats, unusual targeting combinations
- Trust your industry knowledge over generic best practices
The Small Business Superpower
Here’s your advantage over the big agencies: you actually know your clients’ businesses.
You understand their customers’ pain points, seasonal patterns, and local market dynamics. That insight is worth more than any AI recommendation.
Your Next Move
Before your next campaign launch, ask yourself:
- What would happen if I did the opposite of what everyone else is doing?
- What does my local/industry knowledge tell me that AI doesn’t know?
- Where are my competitors NOT looking?
The businesses winning in PPC aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets or the fanciest AI tools. They’re the ones brave enough to zig when everyone else zags.
Ready to break free from the algorithm herd? Let’s discuss how contrarian PPC strategies could transform your advertising results for a consultation.
