Have you ever wondered how Google decides which ads to display on its search results pages? And on websites? Or even before the YouTube videos are played?
Have you ever wondered how Google decides which ads to display on its search results pages? And on websites? Or even before the YouTube videos are played? It’s all through a program called Google Ads. This post will overview how the Google Ads platform works and why you should use it for your business within your Paid Media advertising strategies. So let’s start at the beginning.
What is Google Ads?
Google Ads is a program that allows businesses to run ads on Google search results pages, on websites, and in YouTube videos. The program is run by Google, meaning businesses can trust that their ads will be shown to potential customers interested in what they’re selling.
How does Google Advertising work?
Companies create advertising campaigns on the Google Advertising platform based on their campaign objectives, as they can target specific audiences.
For example, a business that sells winter coats could create a Google Ads campaign targeting people in cold climates searching for “winter coats.” When someone searches for that term on Google, your business ad may appear on the search results page.
And this is possible because Google Ads works through a bidding system. Companies set a budget for their campaign and then bid on the keywords they want to target. Google will then use an Ad Rank algorithm to decide which ads to show and in what order.
Ad Rank is based on three factors:
- Bid Amount: If a company bids more for a keyword, it will have a higher Ad Rank than companies that bid less.
- Quality Score: This measures the quality and relevance of a business ad. Google considers factors such as the click-through rate (CTR) and the significance of the ad for the keyword it is targeting. The higher the quality index, the higher the Ad Rank.
- Landing page experience: This measures the relevance and usefulness of the landing page (the page users are taken to when they click an ad) for users. The higher the experience of the landing page, the higher the Ad Rank.
Why should you use Google Ads?
There are several reasons why you should use Google Ads for your business:
- It is an effective way to reach potential customers interested in what you sell since Google Ads ads are seen by an average of more than one billion people daily.
- It’s a way to get your message across to people who might not be familiar with your brand.
- It’s a relatively cheap way to advertise, especially compared to other forms of advertising (the average cost per click (CPC) for Google Ads is $0.50).
Also Read: The Seven Types Of Google Ads Campaigns
Types of advertising campaigns in Google Ads
There are four main types of Google Ads advertising campaigns:
- Search Ads: Appear on Google search results pages and are the most common type of campaign.
- Display ads: Appear on websites that are part of the Google Display Network and can take the form of text, images or videos.
- Video Ads: These appear on YouTube videos and can be skippable or non-skippable.
- Shopping Ads: Appear on Google search results pages and show products that businesses sell.
Search Ads – Features
Search ads are the most common type of Google Ads campaign and can effectively reach potential customers. There are three main features of search ads:
- Keywords: Businesses choose keywords they think potential customers will use when searching for their products or services. For example, a business that sells winter coats might choose the keyword “winter coats.”
- Ad groups: Companies can group similar keywords into ad groups. This helps organize and manage the campaign more effectively.
- Match Types: Businesses can choose how closely they want their keywords to match the terms that potential customers use in their searches. For example, they can choose to show their ads only when people search for an exact word or phrase (exact match) or when people search for a word or phrase that includes their keyword (broad match).
Display ads: features
Display ads are the second most common type of campaign due to their versatility in both Brand awareness and Performance campaigns. There are three main characteristics of display ads:
- Image ads: Businesses can choose to show image ads on websites that are part of the Google Display Network. They can be static or animated and include a call to action (CTA), such as “click”.
- Rich media ads: These are more interactive than image ads and can include elements such as video, audio, or games.
- Text ads: Businesses can also choose to show text-based ads on websites that are part of the Google Display Network. They are usually less intrusive than image ads or multimedia ads.
Video ads: features
Video ads are another type of Google Ads campaign. There are two main types of video ads:
- TrueView Ads: These are skippable ads that appear before, during, or after YouTube videos. They can be up to 30 seconds long, and companies only pay when users view them for at least 30 seconds (or the entire ad) or when they interact with the ad, for example, by clicking on a call to action.
- Bumper ads: These are non-skippable ads that appear before YouTube videos. They can last up to six seconds, and companies pay each time someone sees them.
Shopping ads: features
Shopping ads are the fourth type of Google Ads campaign. They appear on Google search results pages and allow businesses to display the products they sell. Shopping ads have three main characteristics:
- Images: Businesses can choose to display up to eight images of their products in their ads.
- Price: Companies can indicate the price of their products in their ads.
- Product information: Companies can include additional product information, such as product name, description, and availability.
What are the main advantages of using Google ads?
Using Google Ads has several benefits, including:
- Reach: companies can reach potential customers both locally and internationally
- Profitability: companies only pay when users click on their ads so that they can control their budget
- Flexibility: businesses can choose the type of campaign that best suits their needs, whether it’s a search, display, video or shopping ad campaign
- Measurability: companies can track the results of their campaigns and see how many users have clicked on their ads
And the disadvantages?
Using Google Ads also has some drawbacks, such as:
- Time-consuming: companies need to spend time creating and managing their campaigns
- Learning curve: There is a bit of a learning curve in understanding how Google Advertising works and creating effective campaigns
- Competition: Businesses will be competing with other businesses for ad space, so it’s essential to ensure your campaigns are well-targeted and relevant to your potential customers.
Also Read: How Much To Invest In Google Ads?