What are the different types of Google Ads?
Have you ever wondered what the difference between Google Ads and Google Display Ads was? The number of different types of Google ads that exist today can be confusing, and make it hard to tell what you’re looking at when you see an ad on the results page of Google.
In order to get started, you need to understand what type of ads Google offers so you can choose which ones will work best for your business’s goals. This post covers all your Google advertising options, from text ads and display ads, to search ads and video ads.
Let’s break down what each of these different types of ads are and how they work, so you know exactly what you’re looking at every time you encounter one.
What is Google Ads?
Google is a great place to market your business. Most small businesses don’t realize how powerful a Google Ads campaign can be for their bottom line until they try them out. With the help of a trained ads agency, It really is incredible how much information can track results and audiences targeted. In order to get started, you need to understand what type of ads Google offers so you can choose which ones will work best for your business’s goals. This post covers all your Google ads platform options, from text ads and display ads, to search ads and video ads.
Search Ads
It may be obvious, but search ads — also known as pay-per-click (PPC) — are based on people’s search terms. Search ads might appear at the top and/or side of a page that matches the chosen keywords that you are targeting in your campaign. If your bid is higher than that of other advertisers, then you’ll get a bigger slice of search traffic than if you’re bidding on more competitive keywords or ad placement locations.
And with search ads, it doesn’t matter what content is on your landing page — all that matters is what words are in your ad. That said, though, search ads can help drive some quality traffic to a site because searchers tend to have high intent when they click through these kinds of advertisements. This makes sense: They were searching for something specific! So while search advertising isn’t necessarily great for branding purposes, it can certainly help generate leads.
These days, most businesses should probably have a PPC component to their online marketing strategy. After all, why wouldn’t you want potential customers who are actively looking for your product or service to find you easily? You could even create separate campaigns specifically designed around each individual product or service line offered by your business so that when someone searches using one of those keywords, they land directly on a relevant landing page.
Display Ads
While search ads are much more popular, display ads do have their advantages. They can be used to reach people across platforms and they tend to be less expensive than some of their other ads options. Essentially, a display ad is any form of advertisement that’s visible on your device’s screen; for example, banner ads (think about how often you see those in your Facebook or Gmail inbox) and sponsored results on a Google search page.
This includes both brand advertising and re-marketing, which keeps track of users who’ve visited your site through browser cookies. The former tends to be placed on external sites, while re-marketing ads appear on Google’s own products like Search and YouTube.
Video Ads
One of your most powerful advertising options is video ads, because these ads appear in YouTube videos and can be customized to support calls-to-action. It’s also possible to include specific links in video ads so they link directly to your website or a specific product. If you’re looking for direct conversions, video ads may be one of your best options. However, remember that users typically have limited attention spans when it comes to watching videos online, so make sure yours have a clear purpose and message.
App Ads
A Google app ad is a new format that allows you to promote your Android app in several ways across your mobile search ads. With an app ad, you can increase clicks, create better user engagement and drive re-engagement from existing users. There are three key components to an app ad: Search keywords: You choose specific terms for people to use when searching for your app in order to deliver a relevant experience and increase clickthrough rates (CTRs). Your audience: Specify which audiences will see your ads based on location, language or device. App features: To ensure that users see relevant ads, add a keyword filter similar to how you would target keywords for search engine optimization (SEO) purposes. That way only those who have downloaded and installed your application will see it.
Shopping Ads
If you are a retailer, you can use Shopping ads to promote your inventory. You can choose to have your ads appear on Google Shopping, or you can use them on other platforms. These contextual ads allow you to target products and services based on customer intent, search history, demographics, behavior, and location. You can also adjust your bids according to who sees them — whether they’re regular consumers or potential buyers — as well as control how much they cost over time. If someone searches for a specific product from your store, he might see a shopping ad directly from you on his search results page or app.
How To Start Running Google Ads?
If you’re just starting out with your first website, it can be overwhelming to know what advertising options are available to you. When considering various advertising platforms, you’ll want to think about: (1) what your goals for running ads on your site are; and (2) how much time and money you want to invest in advertising campaigns. It’s also important that you have a firm grasp on how each platform works before jumping in.
For example, if you don’t understand how AdWords work, or don’t feel comfortable setting up an account and managing it yourself, consider hiring an agency or consultant who specializes in digital marketing. The good news is there are plenty of affordable options available—it all depends on your specific needs and preferences.
