Navigating Google Ads: What your Business Needs to Know

Google is not just a brand name, it has become a verb. Every day people are told to ‘Google it’ when looking to find the answers that they are looking for online.

Google Ads is Google’s advertising platform that allows you to serve advertisements in a variety of formats across its network. The three most common formats are deployed on this network, are:

  • Search Ads
  • Display Ads
  • Video Ads

So, what is the difference and which is better? Can you use just one? Or a combination of all three to maximise your online advertising efforts? As Search, Display and Video play major roles in advertising campaigns, it is best to know when and how to use them in your own marketing efforts. Let’s step into the world of Google Ads for a brief few minutes…


Oddball Google Ads result page

Google Search Ads

Google Ads (formally AdWords) is one of the most significant marketing opportunities for businesses. With over 2.5 billion Google searches made everyday (and growing), Google Ads allows you to display clickable ads in Google’s search results. This gives you the ability to target potential customers who are actively looking for the products or services which you provide.

Why you should use Google Ads:

There are so many advertising mediums and methods available out there. With so much choice, it can be extremely hard to determine which one is a good fit for your business. Google is the world’s preferred search engine, and most of us use it on a daily basis, so there is a great element of trust and familiarity already there. The problem is that many businesses have some idea of what Google Ads is, and that they should be making the most of it, but why? We could name you a hundred reasons, but as you’re probably quite busy, here’s the top benefits a business should start using Google Ads immediately…

1. Pinpoint Targeting

Through keyword, location and demographic targeting, Google Ads allows you to pinpoint consumers who are actively looking for the products or services you provide.

2. AdWords are Measurable and Flexible

Unlike other forms of traditional media like radio or print, Google Ads metrics allow you to directly attribute enquiries or sales to your ad spend

3. Faster than SEO

Whilst we certainly advocate for SEO, the speed at which Google Ads can be setup and start delivering results cannot be matched.

4. Control your Advertising Costs

With Google Ads, you are in control. You can set the maximum daily budget you are willing to spend. This budget is flexible and can be adjusted at any time.

5. Beat your Competitors

80% of all search results now contain Google Ads. A smart Google Ads approach is going to draw eyeballs and customers away from your competitors


How to get started with Google Ads

Time and time again we hear of poor experiences and money being thrown away by potential and current clients who have opted to run their own Google AdWords campaign. Not only has Google has made it super easy for anyone with the time to set up a campaign, but they’ve made it easy to spend money but not necessarily ensure that it is spent in the best way it could be! With that in mind we recommend that you enlist the help of a Google Ads Agency to help you navigate Google Ads.

Before commencing any Google Ads campaign, businesses should consider the following:

1. Who are you targeting?

Knowing the location of and needs of your target audience is the best way to reach them. Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes and seek to understand what answers they will be looking for when they use the Google search network.

2. What search terms are your target audience using?

Building a list of high quality, relevant and in demand keywords is essential to a successful campaign. Google’s Keyword Planner tool allows businesses to search historical data to identify keywords relevant to their products and services.

3. What is your key message?

With a limited amount of text and high levels of competition in the Google search results, you must ensure your ad is interesting and captures the users attention. Consider what it is you are selling, and why should your campaign’s audience care?

4. What response do you want from the audience?

Your campaign is most effective when you have a clearly defined goal. Are you an ecommerce store looking to sell products? Are you an emergency plumber looking for people to call you? Are you a coffee shop looking to drive foot traffic? Tailor your campaigns and messaging for the action you want people to take.

5. What is the value of an enquiry?

Google Ads have the advantage of being measurable, thus determining the return on your ad spend allows you to make informed decisions about whether to continue, scale or discontinue any campaign. Some key metrics to understand are:

a. Average revenue per customer/sale
b. Gross margin per customer sale
c. Average enquiry to sale closure rate


gumtree display ad example

Google Display Ads

While search ads are all about Google, the display network has nothing to do with searching on a search engine platform.

The Google Display Network is the largest of all global display networks, with over 2 million websites, serving more than a trillion impressions every single month.

While Google Display Network ads operate within the Google Ads interface, display ads work very differently from their paid search counterparts. The biggest difference is that your ads won’t be limited to appearing in one place but will be displayed across different websites that users are browsing on across the web.

The Google Display Network is the largest of all global display networks, with over 2 million websites, serving more than a trillion impressions every single month.

Display ads let you put your ad directly in front of customers without waiting for them to find you. It lets you be more active in the discovery stage of the sales funnel, introducing people to your product even if they never knew they needed it!

Types Of Display Ads

Text ads

The ads are identical in format to the text ads on the search network, but are displayed across the network of partner websites. You can kill two birds with one stone and publish the same advert on both the search and display networks by creating a “Search network with display select” campaign.

Image ads

This is a more eye-catching ad type, allowing you to use images on the display network to get people to click through to your website.

Rich media ads: Rich media ads are similar to image ads, but have interactive elements and animations that make it more eye-catching and interactive.

How to use Display Ads

There are several ways to target users on the Display network. In Paid Search, you must have keyword-level targeting. In Display, there are several additional targeting options to choose from and keyword targeting is not required.

Advertisers can use a combination of the targeting options below to reach their ideal audience.

Keyword Targeting

With display keyword targeting, Google will serve ads alongside content that matches the keyword you have specified. For example, if I target the term gym equipment, Google may serve my ad on the same page as an article on the best exercises to build muscle.

Placement Targeting

With placement targeting, you have the ability to select the websites which you wish for your ads to display. For example, if I want my ad to serve when users are consuming real estate related content, i can choose specific websites such as realestate.com.au.

Interest Targeting

Google identifies and places users in predefined interest groups based on their web behaviour. These interest groups are then further segmented as “In-Market” and “Affinity” interest groups. Google identifies that “In-Market” groups are closer to purchasing a particular product or service. For example, if I select the Moving & Relocation in-market group, Google has determined that users in that group are actively searching for removals and relocation services.

Audience Targeting

Audience targeting allows you to serve advertisements to users (or a subset of users) that have already visited your website. These are referred to as ‘remarketing’ audiences and are why you may notice that after visiting a website you seem to be followed around the internet by their advertising afterwards.

The other option with audience targeting is to reach similar audiences, which are audiences which Google identifies as matching the characteristics of your audience of website visitors.

Topic Targeting

With topic targeting, an advertiser will reach a group of websites that fall into the selected topic. Whereas interest targeting will reach individual users based on their interests, topic targeting will serve ads on websites based on the overall theme of that site. For example, if your business sells ready-made healthy meals, you may choose to serve ads on websites whose overall theme relates to ‘Health’.

Demographic Targeting

Through Google’s Display Network can target age, gender, household income and/or parental status, thus minimising unnecessary spend serving ads to people who are unlikely to need your product or service. For example, if you sell women’s clothing, you may restrict ads so that only females are served your ads.


example of instream ad and discovery ad

Image: Social Media Examiner

Video Advertising

With over 2 billion monthly active users on YouTube, consuming over 1 billion hours of content each day, YouTube is the second most popular website on the internet after Google. As Google owns YouTube, Google Ads provides the ability to run video campaigns on the Youtube platform which can play before, during, or after a video that someone is watching.

Why you should definitely start using Video Advertising

With 78.8% of marketers considering YouTube as the most effective platform for video marketing, there’s no doubt that it should be a part of your advertising strategy. But why should you be considering video ads on YouTube – here are our top reasons:

1. Expand your reach

Among the 2 billion users active on the platform every month, there is a good chance that your target market is a part of the platform

2. Advanced Targeting

Just like Display Ads, YouTube allows you to create targeted campaigns based on category, keyword and topic. Unlike traditional ‘spray and pay’ media, this increases your chances of reaching users whose interests align with your industry, product or service.

3. Run Cost-effective Ads

Just because your ad displays, doesn’t mean you are paying for that ad to appear. Certain YouTube ad formats have a cost advantage in that you only pay when someone engages with your ad or views it for a specified duration. See more on Ad types below.

4. Visually Engage Your Audience

Use creative visuals to instantly capture your audience’s attention. According to studies, the average viewer remembers 95% of a message when it is watched, whereas only 10% when read. In addition to this, a user’s positive experience with a video ad increases their purchase probabilities by 97%.

5. Get In Depth Analytics

Like all other Google Ad formats, Youtube comes with advanced analytics that help you understand how your ads are performing. These insights will help you perfect your ad campaigns for optimal performance.


Types of Video Ads

YouTube allows multiple video ad formats which provide different positioning and length options. Read about each one below so you can find the best match with your promotion goals.

Bumper

Bumper ads are non-skippable ads that play right before a viewer’s chosen video.

When should I use this ad format?
Use bumper ads when you want to reach viewers broadly with a short, memorable message.

How does the ad format work?
Bumper ads are 6 seconds (or shorter) and play before, during or after another video. Viewers don’t have the option to skip the ad.

Where does the ad format appear?
Bumper ads appear on YouTube videos and Google video partners.

How will I be charged?
You pay based on impressions. Bumper ads use Target CPM bidding, so you pay each time your ad is shown.

Non-skippable in-stream

As the name suggests, these are non-skippable ads that play before, during or after the chosen video.

When should I use this ad format?
Use non-skippable in-stream ads when you have video content that you’d like to promote before, during or after other videos on YouTube and across websites and apps running on Google video partners and you want viewers to see the entire message without skipping your video.

How does the ad format work?
Non-skippable in-stream ads are 15 seconds (or shorter) and play before, during or after other videos. Viewers don’t have the option to skip the ad.

Where does the ad format appear?
Non-skippable in-stream ads appear on YouTube videos and Google video partners.

How will I be charged?
You pay based on impressions. Non-skippable in-stream ads use Target CPM bidding, so you pay each time your ad is shown.

Skippable In-Stream

Skippable In-Stream Ads (TrueView) are one the most popular types of YouTube video ads, mainly because advertisers only pay when viewers engage with the ad. In-stream ads play before or during a viewer’s chosen video and will give them an option to skip the ad after five seconds. You only pay if someone watches at least 30 seconds of the ad.

When should I use this ad format?
Use skippable in-stream ads when you have video content you’d like to promote before, during or after other videos on YouTube and Google video partners.

How does the ad format work?
Skippable in-stream ads play before, during or after other videos. After 5 seconds, the viewer has an option to skip the ad.

Where does the ad format appear?
Skippable in-stream ads appear on YouTube watch pages and Google video partners.

How will I be charged?
With CPV bidding, you pay when a viewer watches 30 seconds of your video (or the full duration of the video if it’s shorter than 30 seconds) or interacts with your video, whichever comes first.

With Target CPM, Target CPA and Maximise conversions bidding, you pay based on impressions.

Discovery Ads

Skippable In-Stream Ads (TrueView) are one the most popular types of YouTube video ads, mainly because advertisers only pay when viewers engage with the ad. Video discovery ads are displayed alongside other YouTube videos. And you only pay if someone clicks on the video to watch it.

When should I use this ad format?
Use discovery ads when you have video content you’d like to promote to users who may be likely to engage.

How does the ad format work?
Video discovery ads are displayed alongside other YouTube videos, with users having the option to engage. You are only charged when someone clicks to watch the video.

Where does the ad format appear?
Discovery ads appear on YouTube within search results and in recommended video sidebars.

How will I be charged?
With CPV bidding, you pay when a viewer clicks to interact and watch your video.


Ready to tackle Google Ads?

Business owners and marketers can pursue some of these advertising avenues straight away. But some of these advertising options will require professional assistance form someone who is familiar with navigating Google behind the scenes – ideally an accredited Google Ads agency. Getting an expert to manage your Google Ads not only has the potential to get you new leads, but to grow your business with an ongoing search engine marketing strategy. Talk to us today if this sounds like something you want to achieve!

Related articles

Expert marketing tips

delivered to your inbox each month.

Newsletter Form - Popup (#6)