Search ads remain one of the most mature paid channels. This chart shows whether marketers plan to increase, decrease, or maintain search ad spend. The results reflect confidence in performance and ROI stability.

Essential Statistics

• 52% of marketers plan to increase search ad spend.
• 36% plan to keep budgets the same.
• 12% plan to reduce search ad budgets.
• Search ads see more stability than social ads.
• Budget increases outpace decreases by a wide margin.

Key Takeaways

• Search ads remain a trusted performance channel.
• Most marketers are maintaining or increasing spend.
• Budget confidence is higher than in many other paid channels.
• Search ads continue to justify investment.
• Stability signals consistent ROI.

Actionable Insights

• Continue investing in search ads if performance is stable, as most marketers are increasing budgets.
• Focus optimization on efficiency gains rather than drastic budget shifts.
• Protect high-performing keyword groups during budget planning.
• Use search ads as a predictable revenue driver within the paid mix.
• Benchmark performance against industry stability trends.

Search ads are boring for a reason. They keep working, and marketers trust them to deliver. – Neil Patel