A Guide to Google Ads: What They Are, How They Work, and How They Can Improve the Performance of Your Digital Advertising Campaigns

On a surface level, Google Ads sound self-explanatory. They are ads on Google, how difficult could they be to understand? Dive below the surface and you’ll come to realise that using Google Ads requires much more nuance and strategy than you would think. This article will help you understand how Google Ads works, how many formats there are, and how business owners and advertising campaign managers can determine whether or not their business, product, or service is suitable for Google Ads.

Google AdWords is now Google Ads

If Google Ads sounds unfamiliar, you may recognise it by its former name, Google Adwords. On July 24th, 2018, Google Adwords rebranded to Google Ads and upped its capabilities by giving users the option to run different advertising campaigns, such as:

Sales

Drive sales or conversions online, through mobile applications, by phone, or in stores

Leads

Increase customer acquisition numbers and sales opportunities by attracting customers to interact with your ads

Website Traffic

Drive potential customers to visit your website

Product and Brand Consideration

Encourage potential customers to consider your brand or products when they are researching or shopping

Brand Awareness and Reach

Reach a wide audience and increase awareness among relevant audiences

App Promotion

Drive application downloads and engagement with an automated campaign that displays ads on the Google Search Network, Display Network, Google Play, within other apps, and on YouTube

*Create Custom Campaigns 

Create a customised campaign that allows for advertising to be done independently and to be specific to a brand’s products or services

There are many different types of Google Ads to choose from, with each providing a different advantage. They are:

1.Search (Google Search)

Search Ads are the most popular form of pay-per-click (PPC) advertising in which brands pay to have their ads displayed above and below organic search engine results. Search Ads are powerful because a Google search user’s intent (i.e. what they want to buy, if they want to buy, etc) is clear based on the keywords they search for. 

The advantage of Search Ads is that they will appear on the first page of Google independent of any Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Search Ads are displayed with an “Ad” or “Ads” label next to the listing, and they are often shown with ad extensions which allow advertisers to include business details like location or phone number. While ads can appear above organic search results, an ad’s position depends on its competition for that specific keyword.

2. Display (Google Display Network)

Google Display Ads are ads that appear on websites or apps that partner with Google in the form of banners, images, and text (Text Ads). This type of advertising is also quite popular because advertisers have the flexibility to make ads in varying sizes and formats, thus increasing the chance that potential customers will see the ads while browsing their favourite websites, watching a YouTube video, checking their Gmail account, or using their mobile devices and apps.

3. Shopping

When a user searches keywords related to a product, Google will display Shopping ads showing a photo of a related product, its name, price, store name, and additional details about the product. Google will display these ads on Google Searches, Google Search Partner websites, and the Google Display Network (GDN). If searchers are interested, they can click on the ad and place an order through the advertiser’s desired external online shop. Google Shopping ads’ display format is similar to a marketplace, as searchers will see products from other websites and brands. 

4. Video (YouTube)

YouTube Ads are video ads that appear while people are watching videos on

YouTube. These ads can be displayed either before a video starts or during the video.  

In using YouTube ads, video creators on YouTube, also known as YouTubers, get a share of the revenue made from advertisements, provided their YouTube channels and videos meet Google’s requirements.

5. App

App promotion ads are advertisements aimed to promote an app and drive app downloads. These ads appear across Google in the GDN format on YouTube, various partner websites, and in the Google Play Store.The key advantage of App ads is that users can click on the ad and immediately install the app without the hassle of going in and out of the Play Store.

6. Smart (Re-Marketing)

Smart campaigns use advanced “smart” technology to help constantly monitor, evaluate, and enhance an ad’s performance. Smart ads are the default campaign type when using Google Ads and require less time to manage.  

Which businesses should advertise on Google?

Google Ads is the world’s number one search engine advertising service and is continuously developing so that every business can advertise their products or services on Google. 

Businesses should invest in Google ads when they have specific online marketing objectives, such as building brand awareness, sales conversions, engagement, etc. 

In summary, every business in the world today should be using Google Ads because it is the optimal tool to serve, support, and achieve advertising objectives. Businesses from real estate and hotels, to consumer goods and beyond should incorporate Google Ads into their digital marketing strategy.

What is Google AdSense?

We have already covered Google Ads’ options for advertisers, now let’s talk about the website owners who partner with Google and allow ads on their webpages. Google AdSense provides a way for publishers to earn money in exchange for ad placement, so long as a website meets the criteria set by Google.

AdSense works by matching ads to a website based on its content and visitor profile. Publishers therefore do not have to worry about Google displaying ads on their web pages that do not align with their content. 

Therefore, business or website owners looking to earn some passive income should check to see if their pages meet the criteria set by Google and apply for Google AdSense!

Even though Google Ads is one of the most effective advertising tools in the world, we wouldn’t recommend only using Google Ads and overlooking other online marketing channels, particularly social media. Campaign results will be more effective if a strategy includes a combination of Google Ads and social media advertising.

If you are a business owner or a marketer looking for help with managing your advertising, we recommend hiring an online marketing agency. When partnering with an agency, it is important to choose one that is a Premiere Partner with Google and that has marketing experience and access to specialised tools.