AI is everywhere—predictive bidding, dynamic creative, campaign forecasting—but is it really replacing human strategy, or just enhancing it?

In this episode of Performance Delivered: Insider Secrets for Digital Marketing Success, host Steffen Horst is joined by two industry leaders: Navah Hopkins, a seasoned strategist now at Microsoft, and Shawn Walker, Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer at Symphonic Digital.

Together, they unpack how AI is reshaping paid search campaigns—from landing page relevance and creative asset structure to the evolving role of intent and the limits of automation.

This is Part 1 of a two-part conversation, packed with tactical advice, strategic frameworks, and a few strong opinions on where AI helps—and where it absolutely does not.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why AI-first strategies demand high-quality creative and landing pages
• How Google and Microsoft interpret site content through AI
• The growing importance of behavioral signals over keywords
• Where manual intervention still outperforms automation
• The real risks of relying too heavily on AI for campaign success
• Why collaboration between SEO and PPC teams matters more than ever

Guests:

• Navah Hopkins – Microsoft Ads; AI educator, strategist, and digital marketing speaker
• Shawn Walker – Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Symphonic Digital

Links & Resources:

🔗 Learn more: https://www.symphonicdigital.com

🐦 Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/symphonichq