For the most part, organic search results still get the majority of clicks. But for high-commercial intent searches, such as searches including the word “buy,” paid ads actually get twice as many clicks (65%) as organic results do. Show
Search ads are an absolute “must-test” for almost any business. You're more likely to use a Search campaign than any other campaign in this list. What are Search ads best for?Search ads are meant to target terms and phrases people type into Google search. This is called intent-based targeting. You’re marketing to people who show intent and interest in your product (by searching for something related to it). With this in mind, Search ads work best for:
Having paid Search ads increases your presence as they do these searches, increasing the likelihood of getting their sale instead of your competitors. Display and YouTube ads mostly lead to conversions from people seeing the ad and later googling the product — and not direct clicks on the ad. Anatomy of a Search adAll Search ads are text-based. Here's an example of a Search ad targeting the keywords "growth marketing course": As you can see, the ad is all text. The ad:
For a Search ad, you can configure the following variables:
That's the basic anatomy of a text ad—the bread and butter of every Search campaign you'll run. Here are a few variations: Types of Search adsResponsive Search adsWith Responsive Search Ads, you'll insert multiple copy variations of all the variables we listed above (e.g., different headlines, descriptions, etc.). Google will dynamically test different combinations of those assets to find out which one performs best. Tip: If you're going to use Responsive Search ads, make sure your assets are complementary and can be shown in any order. Branded Search adsBidding on branded terms is valuable to increase brand recognition and exposure, especially for new businesses that haven't yet established an organic presence online. And even if you do rank organically for branded searches, branded Search ads are ideal, because they give the searcher twice as many opportunities to go to your site. For example, mParticle is a leading customer data platform (CDP), yet they still bid on branded keywords. As you can see, mParticle takes up the top two positions in the SERP. Running a branded Search campaign can also give you valuable insights into how your audience searches for your brand. For example, the search term "mParticle vs. segment" is a potential marketing opportunity mParticle can run as a piece of content explaining how they're different from their competitors. Call-Only adsThis ad type makes sense if you generate leads or sales for your business over phone calls. Brick and mortar stores and professional service businesses commonly use call-only ads to get a quote, schedule appointments, consultations, or job requests. Call-only ads typically work best for older demographics. If a company's audience is older, there's a good chance they'll prefer calling to get a quote versus having to figure out filling out a form on their phone. When a user clicks a call ad on mobile, the ad places a call directly to you from the SERP. From there, it's up to you to convert those calls. Insight: Set your keywords for call-only ads to target high-intent searchers who are looking for quick answers and have no time to research. If you include your searchers' location in the copy, conversion rates go up. For example, if you're a San Francisco-based towing company, include that in your copy. Searchers are more likely to click your ad if their car breaks down in San Francisco. Text ads with extensionsAd extensions are optional add-ons that Google can display along with your Search ads. Almost always use them. How and when Google chooses to show them, however, is a complete mystery 🤔 Ad extensions are helpful for a few reasons:
Add as many ad extensions to your ads as possible. They’ve almost always improved the performance of Search campaigns for our clients. You can choose from the following ad extensions:
Note: Search ad extensions aren't always guaranteed to show, so if you want searchers to take a specific action, you might consider a dedicated campaign to drive that desired action (e.g., a Call-Only ad campaign, Local campaign, or a Shopping campaign). Dynamic Search adsDynamic Search ads are similar to Responsive Search ads, only instead of using assets you provide (e.g., headlines, copy, etc.) Google pulls content directly from your website. When someone performs a search that's relevant to your product or service, Google Ads will dynamically generate an ad with a clear headline for the most relevant page on your site. The downside:
Search ads limit how creative you can be and force you to be very succinct with your copy. Layer in the fact that you need to tailor your ad copy to the relevant keyword and include your business name, and you’re left with stating what the product is, and maybe one or two of its benefits. That’s about it. With this in mind, the goal of your ad is to entice searchers enough to click by ensuring them that your product will solve their problem. Your landing page is in charge of selling it to them. 2. Display campaigns: drive brand awarenessDisplay ads are banners, images, and video ads that appear across websites, videos, and apps in the Google Display Network (GDN). As you can see, Display ads are much more visual than Search ads. They also appear more widely across different types of content. Display adsSearch adsFormatStatic images, animations, interactive contentTextAppear onWebsites, videos, and apps in the Google Display NetworkSearch engine results The truth is, most people tend to ignore Display ads or view them as annoying clickbait. Display ads are intrusive by design. So it's no surprise that the click-through rate across all industries is abysmal—less than 1%. However, CTR doesn’t fully represent the impact of display ads. While most people don’t click on them, some who see your ad will Google your product and visit your site later. They might even purchase without ever clicking your ad, known as a view-through conversion. What are they best for?Display ads generally work best for:
Unlike Search ads, which appear when someone is searching for something specific, Display ads appear while someone is browsing content online or in an app. For this reason, Display ad audiences have lower intent—they don't necessarily want to buy something right away. But done well, display ads can leave a lasting impression on users, planting the seed for action later on. Should my company use Google Display ads?Display ads aren't a significant driver of growth for most companies. If you're wondering how they might fit into your ads mix, think of them instead as a growth accelerant that can complement other channels, especially Search ads. Exception: Google Display ads make a lot of sense for highly competitive industries with an expensive cost per click (CPC), like insurance and online education. For businesses in these niches, Display ads can significantly lower cost per lead (CPL) and cost per acquisition (CPA). To decide whether Display ads make sense for your business, consider:
As we’ve mentioned, Display ads can be cost-effective at improving other channels’ performance, like Search ads. For starters, we recommend pairing them with search ads in an 80/20 or 90/10 split and tweaking this over time to lower CPA. Types of Display adsDisplay ads come in a variety of sizes. You can find more details from Google here, but the most common dimensions are:
Beyond sizing, there are also a few different types of Display ads: Responsive, Static, and Dynamic. Responsive adsStatic adsDynamic adsFormatGoogle mixes copy and images for optimal performanceNo accompanying ad text, but you can use HTMLMix of Responsive and Static adsBest forCompanies without design resourcesCompanies with design resources that want more controlCompanies selling a wide range of products We'll dive into each of the ad types below. In most cases, however, we (and Google) recommend responsive ads, but if you have the resources to create static ads, they’re worth testing—especially if you want more control over your display ads. Responsive Display adsWith Responsive ads, you set multiple images, videos, headlines, and descriptions. Then Google mixes and matches them to find the best performing combinations (just like Responsive Search ads). Here's an example: Because of their flexibility, we advise creating at least one Responsive Display ad for each of your ad groups. Take advantage of Google’s optimization by inputting the maximum number of headlines and descriptions to see what combinations are most effective. The downside is that Responsive ads will appear in formats that don't look good. See the extremely narrow but tall ad with the tiny image above. If your brand cares a lot about design, it might be best to use Static ads instead. Static Display adsStatic ads are fixed images that you upload to Google. They’re not accompanied by any ad text and they don’t change sizes, shapes, or content—so these ads are only shown in placements that are their exact size. But they can use HTML5, meaning rich media features like video, audio, and being able to expand or float. Here are some examples made by Allbirds: Source: MoatStatic ads offer more control over how your ads look and behave. You can optimize them directly rather than leaving them in the hands of Google’s algorithms. The downside:
Because no ad text goes along with static ads, you must directly insert text into your ad image. Keep it to a minimum to ensure legibility and prevent clutter, especially for smaller banner sizes. Dynamic Display adsDynamic ads allow you to use both static and responsive ads, and are best for companies selling a wide range of products. Without dynamic ads, you’d have to manually create ads for each product. How dynamic ads work:
Setting up the data feed depends on your type of business and the platform you’re using. Learn more about how to set up a data feed here. Here’s an example of how these ads might look from the ecommerce shop Tea Drops. With Dynamic ads, you can add short text snippets to highlight specific items and grab people’s attention. Tea Drops does this to remarket to old visitors, pointing out trending items and items that have dropped in price. Dynamic ads tend to work better if your products have some image variety. In the example above, Tea Drops’ products feel unique and distinct. Compare that to this ad from Victory Hangers—the images seem to blur together because they’re so similar. 3. Video ad campaigns: target audiences on YouTubeYouTube is an attention magnet. After Google, it’s the second most visited website globally, with 2.3 billion people worldwide using it daily. YouTube ad campaigns can be very lucrative, but only if you can create compelling video ads. Take a look at this ad from Monday.com, for example. It’s been watched more than 18 million times and received comments like “Ingenious!” No doubt more people know and remember Monday.com because of this entertaining ad. What are they best for?A significant advantage of YouTube ads is the amount of control advertisers have over targeting (where your ads appear and the people who see them). Broadly speaking, you can target based on audience (who you want to reach) and content (where you want ads to appear). Thanks to their visual format and targeting options, YouTube ads are best for:
The main downside is having deep creative resources and strategy to make video ads work. From our experience, we see strongest results among companies that already produce video content or have the resources to start, and familiar brands and products. Types of Video ad formatsYour YouTube ad strategy will depend on what type of ad you choose. Because of length and format differences, each type has unique strengths and weaknesses. TypeLengthBest ForIn-stream skippable12 seconds to 6 minutesRemarketingIn-stream non-skippable15-20 seconds, depending on the regionBrand awarenessBumper6 secondsBrand awareness, remarketing, mobile devicesVideo discoveryNo requirementsRemarketing In-stream skippable and non-skippable adsThese ads play in the video stream before, during, or after regular YouTube content. There are two types:
Sometimes in-stream ads come with a banner ad at the top right of the screen. Even if users can skip the video, the banner ad remains. Bumper adsRunning at 6 seconds or less, bumper ads can’t be skipped and only appear before a YouTube video. And like non-skippable in-stream ads, bumper ads are paid for on a CPM basis. This format can work as a standalone ad campaign, but Google recommends pairing bumpers with longer in-stream ads—great for remarketing. Bumper ads are also ideal for mobile devices when users are watching content on the go. The challenge with this type of video ad is making them compelling within their short time frame. Here’s a good example from Hefty. Video Discovery adsVideo discovery ads are the least intrusive ad format on YouTube because they don’t interrupt users’ video-watching experience. Instead, they look like regular organic videos on YouTube, but are marked by yellow ad tags. They appear across desktop and mobile but are mostly delivered on mobile:
4. Shopping campaigns: promote products to audiences who are ready to buyShopping campaigns are essential for ecommerce businesses, but there are several requirements to get started. Here are the steps in a nutshell:
Although it requires several days and several platforms, once approved, there’s very little to be done with actually creating or managing Shopping campaigns within Google. For more specifics, check out Google's documentation. What are Shopping ads?These are Shopping ads: Shopping ads show your products directly in Google search results (next to both paid and organic search results). When people click on a product in the ad, it takes them directly to the corresponding product page on your website. Product ads are significantly more enticing than a simple text Search ad; we’ve gotten CACs as low as $6 through Shopping ads. For some of our ecommerce clients, Shopping campaigns make up the vast majority of their marketing budget and a significant portion of their recurring revenue across all channels. But they’re only available for two types of products:
Why Google Shopping ads are worth consideringShopping ads have lower CACs for a few reasons:
How Shopping ads workShopping ads are very different from the other types of Google ads. In fact, Shopping ads require minimal additional setup or management beyond the initial requirements. Like Dynamic ads, Google pulls all the product data it needs from your Google Merchant Center (GMC) account. GMC sits between your eCommerce platform (like Shopify) and Google Ads. It takes in all your product data, passes it through Google’s review process (to make sure you’re not selling drugs, promoting harm, or marketing scammy growth courses), and sends the data to Google Ads in a format it understands. Most of the work will be preparing and sending your product data to GMC. When you first add a new product, it takes 3-5 business days to have your products reviewed and approved by Google. Once these products are approved in GMC, you're off to the races. Here's a run-down of what you can and can't control with Shopping ad campaigns: What you can control within Shopping ads
What you cannot control
How does Google determine whose ads to show?When determining whose ads to show in the auction (i.e., yours versus a competitor's) and in what SERP position, Google first looks at all ads that match the search, then prioritizes each ad's position based on a combination of bid, ad quality, and search intent. These factors contribute to your overall Ad Rank. High-quality, high-relevance ads are generally rewarded with higher positions in the search results. Types of Shopping ad formatsProduct Shopping adsThese are the standard Shopping ads—clicking an ad sends people directly to the product page. Showcase Shopping adsShowcase ads let you group related products and show them together in one ad. Google claims these are best to introduce your brand or business to new people. In reality, they’re still relatively new and don’t show up as often as Product Shopping ads. We haven’t found them to get a meaningful number of eyeballs in practice. Here's what they look like and how they work: As you can see, clicking an ad opens up the “showcase,” which shows more information like site URL, description, and list of products with their complete product data. Clicking the products will take you to a product page. So far, we've covered the four most common types of Google ads.
The majority of you will focus on these four exclusively. The next five campaign types are geared more towards specific businesses (App and Local), broad reach and awareness (Discovery), and new advertisers who want a simplified, automated way to run ads without having to learn the ins and outs of professional media buying (Smart and Performance Max campaigns). For the most part, the following campaign types and formats build on what we've already learned so far. 5. App campaigns: drive app installs and engagementApp campaigns, previously Universal App Campaigns (UAC), are automated ads used to help drive mobile app installs and in-app conversions. App campaigns are the obvious choice for companies that sell… apps. Unlike Search ad app extensions, App campaigns are purely dedicated to app promotion. And they're easier to set up. Google pulls information from your app and automatically creates ads in different formats depending on the network it'll appear on—Google Search and Display, Google Play, YouTube, Discover, and over 3 million sites and apps. As you can see in the examples below, app ads are pretty simple. Logo, headline, description, and CTA. The format may vary slightly by platform, but they're all very similar. Source: InstapageHere's how app ads look in the Google Play store: How do App ads work?The main benefit of App ads is that you don't actually need to create ads. Like Responsive ads or Dynamic ads, Google does this work for you. All you have to do is provide your app's information, audience, and place your bid. Two goals to choose from in App campaigns:
Both goals optimize ads according to your set bid. Install volume ads use a cost-per-install (CPI) pricing model, while in-app actions use cost-per-action (CPA). Before launching an In-app campaign, make sure to set up conversion tracking beforehand so Google can optimize for your conversion goals. Another important detail is that you need to have at least 10 users complete the target action every day to choose the In-app goal. Over time, Google will figure out the best-performing ad combinations and continue showing them to people. App campaigns have a few advantages:
The downside:
6. Local campaigns: promote a physical locationNote: Local campaigns are upgrading to Performance Max in July (2022). 46% of all Google searches are locally oriented. And conversion rates tend to be higher when people search for something locally (especially on mobile when people are on the go and looking for something immediately). Local campaigns appear on four networks:
With Local campaigns, Google uses information from your Google My Business profile (GMB) to determine:
Campaigns are mostly automated, but you can modify select settings like language, bid strategy, and average daily budget. From there, Google's machine learning AI will use radius targeting starting from your business location to determine who should see your ads. Here's an example of a Local campaign with ads in Maps and Search: And here's the GMB page for the same tax office: It's subtle, but as a user, you can tell which Map listings are ads because they use a square icon—or pin—not a round one: RequirementsTo create a Local campaign, your GMB profile needs to be linked to your ads account, filled out, and ready to go. And you'll need at least one active location or affiliate location extension in place before you can create a Local campaign. Once you satisfy the requirements and you're able to create a Local campaign, all you have to do is set a daily budget and decide on a goal:
How do Local ads work?Location ads use radius targeting for the address listed on your GMB page and from local affiliate location extensions. Other factors that determine targeted radius include: industry vertical, population density, and existence of competitors. Here are a few best practices for Local campaigns:
What are they best for?Broadly speaking, Local campaigns are meant to help physical businesses grow offline. They're best for:
8. Smart campaigns: simplified campaign automationWhen you start a fresh Google ads account, you'll notice two types of "modes" within the ad platform: Smart Mode and Expert Mode. By default, every campaign you create starts you off in "Smart Mode" because it's an approachable way for novice advertisers to get their feet wet. Experienced advertisers typically switch to Expert Mode right away because it offers more control. Here's a side-by-side comparison: Technically, every campaign you run in Smart Mode is a Smart campaign. Smart Display, Smart Search, and Smart Shopping are all examples of individual Smart campaigns. To make matters more confusing, Smart campaign is also a standalone campaign type. The difference is, in a Smart campaign, Google creates each of these campaigns for you automatically within a single dedicated campaign builder. What is a Smart campaign?A Smart campaign is an automated, simplified campaign builder that uses AI to decide everything from bidding strategies to keyword research, ad creation, targeting, network selection, and more. As a user, all you have to do is upload your assets and choose a goal, then let Google pick the best placements and formats depending on your business type and goals. In short, a Smart campaign is an all-in-one automatic campaign builder. To give you an idea of how hands-off the experience is, take a look at this side-by-side comparison between Smart campaigns and Search campaigns: As you can see, most of the hands-on implementation has been relegated to Google's AI management. Not a bad thing for some. What are Smart campaigns best for?Ultimately, Smart campaigns are best for anyone who doesn't want to manage campaigns all by themselves, people who don't have enough time, resources, or sheer interest in learning a sophisticated marketing discipline. Here's what Smart campaigns are best for, more specifically:
Types of Smart campaignsThere are three main types of Smart campaigns: Smart SearchSmart Search is the automated version of a Search campaign, which we covered at the beginning. You need at least 100 conversions within the last 30 days to use this campaign type. Smart DisplayAgain, the automated version of a Display campaign. The requirements to launch a Smart Display Campaign are similar to those for Smart Search Campaigns. The main difference between them is that, rather than needing to record a minimum of 100 conversions, you need at least 50. Smart ShoppingOut of the three available Smart Campaigns, the criteria for Smart Shopping Campaigns are the most stringent, but if you meet the requirements, you can expect strong results. To launch this type of campaign, you must:
Reminder: Each of these campaign types can be created within the primary campaign type (i.e., Search, Display, or Shopping campaign). Smart campaigns combine all three into one simplified campaign builder. The downside:
8. Performance Max: the future of Smart campaignsPerformance Max is the newest campaign type (released in late 2021). And as of 2022, Performance Max will be replacing Local campaigns and Smart campaigns altogether. Performance Max is essentially a new and improved version of Smart campaign, with Local campaigns rolled into the mix. Like Smart campaigns, with Performance Max, Google generates ads dynamically, testing different combinations across different formats and networks, optimizing for the desired action. The main difference is that your ads can be served across more placements in more formats. Performance Max ad placements include: YouTube, Display, Search, Discover, Gmail, and Maps.All you have to do is upload various assets appropriate for each placement option—everything Google could possibly need to create unique campaigns for every format (text, video, image, product feed). After that, Google puts machine learning to work to show your ads to people who are most likely to convert. What are they best for?
The downside:
9. Discovery campaigns: native ads on content feedsDiscovery campaigns are similar to Display ads. They're designed to show visually engaging ads using the standard audience targeting. The difference is:
Discovery ads appear across the Google Display Network and serve on a few specific feeds: YouTube Home and Watch Next feeds, Gmail, and Discover in the Google search mobile app. Here's an example of a YouTube Discovery ad from Nootropics Depot: And here's an example of a Gmail Discovery ad: When you click an ad in your inbox, it'll open up and show you the details on the offer from the brand. Source: HubspotWhat are they best for?Discovery ads are intended to show audiences what Google thinks they need, rather than waiting for people to search for it directly. Google learns from user behavior to anticipate their interests and serve relevant ads that look native to the platform they appear on. In reality, Discovery ads are hardly different from Display ads—they just show up in different places. Here are the best use cases for Discovery ads:
Types of Discovery adsCarousel adsA carousel ad (a mainstay in paid social), is a series of single images or graphics users can click/tap through. Each ad can include 2-10 cards and must include a logo. Single image adsSingle image ads are similar to Responsive Display ads. Google uses assets you upload to create different formats and sizes, which respond according to the specific placement. They're also highly visual with minimal text. Ultimately, Discovery campaigns help advertisers access broad audiences with minimal effort to get started. Focus on quality creative assets that pique interest and get people to click to get the best results. Every campaign type is a channel of its own There are nine different campaign types under the Google ads label, but each one could be considered a channel of its own. To recap, the nine types of Google ad campaigns are:
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By submitting this form, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. Confirmed! We'll send you our growth insights and tactics every week. Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form. I open and read every email that Demand Curve sends. The content is advanced and teaches something novel and useful in each issue. What are the 4 main types of ads?What are the 4 types of Advertising. Display Advertising. ... . Video Advertising. ... . Mobile Advertising. ... . Native Advertising.. How many types of ad are there?The ten common types of advertising are: display ads, social media ads, newspapers and magazines, outdoor advertising, radio and podcasts, direct mail, video ads, product placement, event marketing and email marketing.
What are the 12 types of advertising?Here are 12 prominent types of advertisements and their benefits:. Online advertising. ... . SMS advertising. ... . Product placement advertising. ... . Paid search advertising. ... . Social media advertising. ... . Native advertising. ... . Display advertising. ... . Print advertising.. What are the 3 types of ad?There are 3 main types of digital advertising at your disposal:. display advertising.. paid search advertising.. social media advertising.. |