Google Ads is a great tool for advertising on the internet, and a very accessible one: whether you’re a freelancer or a large multinational, anyone can use Google Ads.
This time we want to talk about the different types of campaigns you can run with this tool, so you’ll have an idea of what they are, how they work and which one may be right when you decide to create a campaign.
Search Network–only campaigns
This is the most common type of campaign and the one we’re all used to seeing.
When you search on Google, it returns a list of websites that can answer your query.
Search campaign ads are shown at the top and bottom of each results page, and they are triggered by the keywords you assign to them.
You only pay each time someone clicks on your ad, and its position depends on how much you’re willing to pay per click and how well optimized your ad is.
A good keyword selection can help you reduce costs and get a better position.
Some keywords are more competitive than others, so it’s a good idea to use keyword research tools to get a sense of how competitive the term you want to use is.
The advantage of this type of campaign is that it’s highly customizable and lets you reach the customer you’re interested in more precisely: you can choose who sees the ad and on which devices it appears, and the results come in the short term.
Display Network–only campaigns
These campaigns are shown across Google’s partner network, such as YouTube, Gmail, blogs, news sites and more.
Unlike the Search Network, where ads are triggered by the keywords you select and the user types in their search, on the Display Network it’s up to you to go and find potential customers.
You do this by segmenting your target audience in advance, so your ads appear on the different sites associated with Google.
As we said, these ads are shown to users based on the targeting you set up. There are 4 types of targeting:
- Contextual: you select keywords for your ads, and they appear on websites that include those keywords.
- Placements: you choose the websites or apps where you want to appear.
- Topics: you appear on websites about the topics you work with in your campaign. For example, if your topic is marketing, this targeting places you on websites about marketing.
- Interests: you can appear on any website, but the ads are shown to users interested in the topic you selected. Google itself assigns that interest label based on people’s searches and the sites they visit frequently.
The Display Network is a great tool for getting known, since you can appear in many places.
It’s a very useful type of campaign for building your brand and starting to raise awareness.
One of its main and most attractive features is remarketing: it gives you a second chance to attract a potential customer who is interested in your product or service but didn’t complete the purchase.
Search Network campaigns with Display expansion
This type of campaign is a hybrid of the two above: it lets your Search Network ads appear both in search results and on sites in the Google Display Network.
It works the same way as a Search Network campaign: you set a budget, choose keywords and match types, create the ad and set bids if you wish.
The advantage of this type of campaign is the visibility it offers, since you appear on both the Search and Display networks.
Google Shopping campaigns
This type of campaign is perfect for sales, because it shows product cards with an image, name, price, the store selling it and extra details. That makes it easier for users looking for a specific product to make up their minds, and it increases the chances of conversion.
To run these campaigns, you first sign up for Google Merchant Center, then link it to your Google Ads account and finally add your product information: image, price, name, URL, image URL, product description and so on.
Keep in mind that availability depends on the country. To check whether Shopping campaigns are available in yours, see Google’s list of supported countries.
These campaigns are very visual and capture users’ attention. They are also entirely sales-oriented and usually achieve a higher CTR and conversion rate than other campaigns.
Video campaigns
As the name suggests, this type of campaign uses video for advertising.
These videos are shown mainly on YouTube, but they can also appear on Display Network sites that support this format.
The main video formats are:
- In-stream ads: ads shown before, during or after a video; skippable ads can be skipped after 5 seconds.
- In-feed (formerly Discovery) video ads: shown on YouTube in the places where people discover content, such as search results and the home feed.
- Bumper ads: non-skippable videos of up to 6 seconds. They need to be striking and communicate the idea concisely to be effective.
Among their benefits, they can be low-cost and deliver great results. They’re ideal for selling products, for branding or for teaser campaigns, and because the format is entertaining there’s a greater chance of engagement and conversion.
App campaigns
These campaigns are ideal for promoting apps. The ads can appear on the Search Network, the Display Network and YouTube, and they are optimized for the installs users make.
They’re a good way to position your app in the app stores.
Unlike other campaigns, Google designs the ads itself, using the app’s text, images and information to create ads that are shown in various formats and networks.
To use these campaigns, you specify the language the ads should be shown in, the locations around the world where they will appear, the text and information, and a budget.
As you can see, you can run many kinds of campaigns in Google Ads, and each one offers different conversion opportunities.
If you’re still not sure which campaign could work for you, we at Gulupa Digital are here to help.
As Google Partners, we are certified to run successful Google Ads campaigns. If you’d like to hire our services, you can contact us through our website.
