What are Google Ads?

Google ads can be very complex upon first glance. There is lots of Google specific terminology and differentiations which are not obviously valuable at first. Nonetheless, Google Ads is a powerful advertising platform that allows businesses to advertise their products and services to a massive audience across the internet. It's not something you want to miss out on. That's why in this article, we will explore the different types of advertisements offered by Google Ads and discuss the effectiveness of each type in various circumstances.

Search Ads:

Search ads are text-based advertisements that appear in the search results when a user searches for keywords related to the advertiser's products or services. These ads are highly targeted and can be an effective way to drive traffic to a website. They are shown at the top or bottom of the search results page, and they are distinguishable from organic results because they have a “Ad” label next to them.

Search ads are particularly effective for businesses that are trying to reach potential customers who are actively searching for products or services that they offer. For example, if a user searches for “best pizza restaurant,” a local pizza restaurant might show an ad for their restaurant in the search results. The ad would likely have a strong call to action, encouraging the user to visit the restaurant's website or call to place an order.

According to Google, search ads can increase website traffic by up to 200% compared to organic search results alone. Additionally, search ads can help increase brand awareness, as they appear at the top of the search results page where they are highly visible to users.

Display Ads:

Display ads are visual advertisements that appear on websites and apps across the internet. They can take the form of banners, interstitials, or other types of visual advertisements. Display ads are typically shown on websites or apps that are relevant to the advertiser's products or services, and they can be targeted based on a variety of factors, including the user's location, interests, and search history.

Display ads are particularly effective for businesses that are trying to reach potential customers who are not actively searching for their products or services, but who might be interested in them. For example, a local coffee shop might show display ads on websites or apps that are popular with coffee lovers, such as food and beverage blogs or coffee-related forums.

According to Google, display ads can increase brand awareness by up to 90% compared to other forms of advertising. Additionally, display ads can help drive website traffic and increase conversions, as they provide a visual representation of the advertiser's products or services and can encourage users to take action.

Many of Google's other ad types can be considered "display" ads because they run on the display network. Nevertheless, there are differentiations in the specifics of the ad campaigns which separate the more niched categories from the broad and general "Display Ad".

Video Ads:

Video ads are advertisements that use video content to promote a product, service, or brand. These ads can appear on YouTube, the Google Display Network, and other video-based websites and platforms. Video ads can be highly engaging and allow advertisers to tell a story or demonstrate their product in a visually compelling way.

Video ads are particularly effective for businesses that are looking to increase brand awareness and reach a large, diverse audience. For example, a beauty brand might create a video ad that showcases its products and the benefits of using them. The ad could be targeted to users who are interested in beauty and skincare, and it would be shown to them on YouTube and other video-based websites and platforms.

According to Google, video ads can increase brand awareness by up to 10 times compared to other forms of advertising. Additionally, video ads can drive website traffic and lead to increased sales, as they allow advertisers to create a powerful, emotional connection with their audience. Video ads also provide advertisers with detailed insights into their performance, including metrics like view count, engagement rate, and conversion rate.

Shopping Ads:

Shopping ads, also known as product listing ads, are visual advertisements that display product images, prices, and other relevant information about the advertiser's products. These ads appear in the search results when a user searches for keywords related to the advertiser's products, and they can be highly targeted based on the user's search history, location, and interests.

Shopping ads are particularly effective for businesses that sell physical products, as they allow potential customers to quickly see the products that the advertiser offers. For example, if a user searches for “running shoes,” a sporting goods retailer might show shopping ads for their running shoes in the search results. These ads would display images of the running shoes, the price, and other relevant information, such as the color options and product features.

According to Google, shopping ads can drive up to 35% more product sales compared to other forms of advertising. Additionally, shopping ads can help increase website traffic and brand awareness, as they provide a visual representation of the advertiser's products and can encourage users to take action.

Local Ads:

Local ads are advertisements that appear in Google Maps and are designed to help local businesses reach potential customers in their area. These ads typically feature the business's name, address, phone number, and a link to its website, as well as a map and reviews from other users.

Local ads are particularly effective for brick-and-mortar businesses that are looking to drive foot traffic to their location. For example, a local coffee shop might create a local ad that appears when users search for "coffee shop near me." The ad would provide users with information about the coffee shop, including its address and hours of operation, and it would encourage them to visit the shop's website or call to place an order.

According to Google, local ads can drive up to three times more foot traffic to a business compared to other forms of advertising. Additionally, local ads can help businesses establish their online presence and improve their visibility on Google Maps, which is used by millions of people each day to find local businesses. Local ads are also highly targetable, allowing businesses to reach potential customers in their local area based on factors like location, keywords, and interests.

App Ads:

App ads are advertisements that appear within mobile applications and aim to promote app installs or in-app engagement. These ads are shown to users based on their interests, behaviors, and location, and they come in different forms, including interstitial ads, native ads, and banners.

App ads are an effective way for app developers and businesses to reach potential customers and drive app installs. For example, if a user frequently uses weather apps, an ad for a new weather app might appear in one of their current weather app sessions. The ad would have a call to action, encouraging the user to install the app from the app store.

According to Google, app ads can increase app installs by up to 40% compared to organic app discovery. Additionally, app ads can help increase app engagement, as they reach users who are already interested in similar apps and are more likely to use the promoted app.

Discovery Ads:

Google Discovery Ads are full-screen, visually-rich advertisements that appear on Google's Discover Feed, which is a personalized feed of content and advertisements that users can access on the Google app, Gmail, and YouTube. You may notice it below the search bar when you open google, or if you swipe all the way left on many android devices. These ads are designed to provide a unique and engaging user experience, as they can include images, videos, and carousels to showcase products or services.

Discovery Ads are particularly effective for businesses looking to reach a broad audience, as they can appear in front of a large and diverse group of users. For example, a clothing retailer could show a Discovery Ad showcasing its latest fashion collection to a broad audience, regardless of whether they have searched for similar products or not.

According to Google, Discovery Ads can drive product discovery and consideration, as they allow businesses to showcase their products or services in an interactive and engaging way. Additionally, they can also help increase brand awareness, as they appear on a highly visible platform that users interact with regularly.

Google Smart Ads:

Google Smart Ads are a type of programmatic advertising that uses machine learning algorithms to optimize ad performance and deliver more relevant ads to users. These ads can appear on various platforms including Google Search, YouTube, Gmail, and the Google Display Network.

Smart Ads use data from a user's past interactions with a brand to determine the best ad format and messaging to display. For example, if a user has previously shown interest in a specific product, a Smart Ad might display a targeted ad for that product the next time they use Google.

Smart Ads can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of an advertising campaign by automatically optimizing ad delivery to reach the right audience at the right time. This can lead to improved ad performance, increased conversions, and a better return on investment for advertisers.

Conclusion

That concludes our brief dive into the various types of google ad. As you can see there is a vast array of options available to the advertiser, each one requiring careful consideration and attention regardless of whether it ends up being utilised in a campaign or not. Hopefully this article has helped to inform you on the power advertising tool that is the Google Ads platform.