Get to know the three most common Google AdWords strategies designed to increase exposure and bring in more leads to your business.
When you think of ads on Google, you may assume they only appear on Google search engine results pages (SERPs). This is actually incorrect! Through Google AdWords, your pay-per-click can appear in multiple places, and in several different ways.
There are three major paid ad strategies within Google AdWords. Each ad strategy lends itself to certain business applications and marketing goals, so it’s important to understand the differences between them to select the best option for your business and your ad campaign.
Search ads
Search ads are text advertisements that appear on pages within the Google Search Network, including SERPs on Google itself. When a user searches for a term on Google, your ad may appear at the top, or bottom of their results page if you use a related search term or keyword.
Search ads can also appear on search results pages of websites that are Google search partners. These websites partner with Google to display text ads on their pages and include non-Google websites as well as other Google-owned products, such as Google Video.
What type of business benefits from search ads?
While almost every business can benefit from search ads, this is the ad type most frequently used by local businesses, businesses that provide a service in a specific geographic area (like plumbers, for example) and brick & mortar businesses.
Display ads
Display ads are a different type of ad, shown on websites within the Google Display Network. Rather than show text ads in search results like the Search Network does, the Display Network shows users image advertisements, video ads and responsive ads that blend into the display partner’s website. People who see your ads will not be searching for your particular product, but might be intrigued when they see it on a website.
The Google Display Network is made up of millions of websites, blogs and apps that your target market uses. You can select targeting options for your ads, meaning you can narrow down the type of people you want ads to be displayed to, and the websites you want your ads displayed on.
For example, if your business sells makeup, you can specify that ads be shown on websites related to makeup and other websites that are popular with women who are interested in makeup. This helps you reach people who are the most likely to be interested in and to buy your products.
What type of business benefits from display ads?
Again, while every type of business can utilize display ads, these types of ads most benefit businesses focused on building brand recognition on a larger scale. In the example above, imagine how greatly a new makeup brand can benefit from having their visually stunning ad displayed on a popular makeup blog, or even on the website of a famous fashion magazine.
Remarketing ads
Google also allows AdWords campaign managers to run ads specifically targeted at people who have visited your website or mobile app before. If a user clicks through to your website but doesn’t buy anything, you can use retargeting ads to regain their attention and bring them back to your site.
Remarketing can take many forms on Google AdWords, including text ads on the Search Network and image ads on the Display Network. You can set up remarketing ads that simply show your standard company ad to people after they have visited your site, for example, to increase brand awareness. Or, you can take it a step further and show ads that feature a product the user looked at on your website but didn’t buy.
What type of business benefits from remarketing ads?
Remarketing is a valuable tool for just about any business, but it’s most frequently used for businesses who rely heavily on their website to generate sales or leads since remarketing allows them to re-engage website visitors who have shown interest in a product or service.
Which AdWords strategy would you choose for your business?
Now that you understand the three types of ad campaigns you can run on Google AdWords, consider the goals you are trying to achieve through your paid ads and which campaign style would work best for your business. It’s possible only one will be appropriate, or perhaps you might use a blend of all three!