What Types of Google Ads Should You Be Using?

If you’re new to Google Ads, you may have noticed that there are a few different ways to go about using this platform. You can use different types of ads, bidding strategies, ad extensions and more to enhance your ads, optimise performance and get your brand in front of the right people. The first thing to get right is the type of ad campaign you set up, so let’s take a look at your options (including search, display, video, shopping, and app ads) and why you might use each one.

Search Ads

Search ads are the ads you see on Google results pages. They are text-only and you usually see four of them above the organic search results, as well as a few at the bottom of the page. This means that they appear where people tend to look when viewing search results pages. Search ads are very effective because they are shown to people when they are actively looking for what you are offering.

From 30th June 2022, responsive search ads will be the only ad type you can create or edit in search campaigns. With responsive ads, you create several headlines and descriptions for your ads, and Google will use automation to mix and match them and create a combination it thinks will attract each user. This means that two people who view your ad may see different wording depending on a range of factors, and this difference is designed to deliver more relevant results for searchers and better advertising performance for you.

Use them if: you want text-only ads with highly specific targeting to reach goals such as increasing your online sales, leads, sign-ups and other conversions or micro-conversions.

Display Ads

Display ads are usually images, and instead of appearing on search results pages, they appear on a variety of websites within the Google Display Network. They work well because they attract the user’s attention when viewing a page, while website owners benefit from them by receiving revenue from ad clicks or impressions. Your ads could appear on websites your target audiences frequent, meaning your brand is in front of people who are more likely to buy from you.

As display ads can appear on many websites within the Google Display Network, they are great for expanding your reach. Plus, not only are they good for increasing sales and leads, but the visual aspect means they work towards increasing brand awareness, too.

With display ads, you can also create remarketing campaigns that are shown to people who have already visited your site, to encourage them to come back and make a purchase.

Use them if: you have eye-catching images available for creating memorable ads with strong calls to action, or if you want to try remarketing.

Video Ads

Video ads can appear at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of YouTube videos. They can be used for a variety of reasons, from increasing brand awareness to driving conversions with more action-focused videos. Like display ads, they can also be used for remarketing. You'll need to create your video and upload it to YouTube first, and of course, your video will need to be of excellent quality, well-edited and eye-catching, with a strong call to action and purpose.

Use them if: you're looking to increase brand awareness, sales or leads.

Shopping Ads

Like search ads, shopping ads appear on search engine results pages (and they also appear in the Google Shopping tab). But they aren’t just made up of text - they combine product information, prices and images to create an eye-catching ad that’s just what your searcher is looking for. Add to this, you can use local inventory ads to promote products available at your physical location if you have a shop. Shopping campaigns are run through Google Merchant Center, so you'll need to set up a Merchant Center account and upload your product inventory before you can create a Shopping campaign. 

Use them if: you're an online retailer looking to sell products using visually engaging ads.

App Ads

Google App ads are for - you guessed it - advertising mobile apps. You can use them to promote your app on Google Search Network, YouTube, Google Play, Google Display Network and more using just one campaign. You can run ads that encourage people to install the app, or if they already have the app, they may see an ad that encourages them to use it. There is no need to write ad copy for app ads - just provide the app’s information and audience, place a bid, and let Google do the rest. App campaigns are therefore easy to set up and manage, with automated targeting, bidding and creation giving you optimal performance.

Use them if: you want to find new users for your app, or re-engage existing users.

You can find a wealth of information on different types of ads and campaigns, as well as more in-depth strategies, tools and issues related to Google Ads and Bing Ads in the PPC section of our blog.

If you would like any help with your PPC campaigns, get in touch with SilverDisc.