What are Google Display Ads?
Before accessing the definition of display ads, you have to understand about GDN (Google Display Network). In simple terms, The GDN include specific Google websites, such as Google Finance, Gmail, and YouTube, where Google AdWords are displayed. Your ads have the potential to reach users when they browse these sites, offering advertisers the opportunity to showcase banner or text ads to a wide audience.
This is different from the Google Search Network, which targets specific search queries. You can target by various options, including demographics, interests, and placements, to effectively reach your target audience through display ads. Choosing display advertising means your product visuals can appear across the entire network.
In essence, Display ads are among the services provided by Google Ads and can be easily confused with the Search ads service. To prevent confusion between these two general types of Google advertising, I will provide you with some key points of comparison below:
| Google display ads | Google search ads |
| Images, banners and interactive media. | Just text-based ad format. |
| Appear on websites, shopping tab, YouTube, Maps and Gmail. | Just in Google search engine results pages |
| Bid strategies include Cost per action (CPA), Return on ads spending (ROAS), Cost per click (CPC), and Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM) | Generally use Cost per click CPC |
Benefits of using Google display
In the article outlining the benefits of Google Ads, you’ll discover nearly every reason why a marketing campaign requires Google’s advertising services, including Display Ads. Nevertheless, advertising across various platforms demands increased attention to campaign setup and quality for optimal performance. I will now present some compelling reasons to demonstrate that the additional effort invested in Google Display ads is indeed worthwhile.
Connect with Diverse Audience
As I mentioned in the sections above, with a diverse platform system, the potential reach to customers through display ads is significant. When comparing, you can see that the reach of display ads is broader than that of search advertising. Additionally, ads with images tend to attract and impress viewers more easily.
From a regular user’s perspective, you’re probably familiar with seeing ad images or banners when visiting a website. Whether you have a specific need or not, you often spend a short time glancing at their content. If the ad introduces a product that aligns with your search interests, you won’t hesitate to click for more details.
And if the advertisers are fortunate, they might receive your purchase request.
Increased Brand Awareness
Through widespread exposure on a diverse array of websites and apps, your ads can leave a lasting impression and contribute to brand recognition even when users don’t click immediately. With options to show your ads to specific groups of people, you can ensure that your brand is seen by those likely to be interested.
The ability to be visible on different devices and control how often people see your ads also makes Google Display Ads a great way to build and strengthen your brand awareness in the digital landscape.
Optimized Targeting
Using targeted exposure in display ads means you don’t just reach a lot of people; you reach the right people. By using specific targeting options, like focusing on certain age groups, interests, or behaviors, your brand gets in front of the audience most likely to be interested in what you offer. This focused approach maximizes the impact of your brand-building efforts, connects with a group that is receptive and relevant, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of your advertising strategy.
Remarketing
With Google Display Network, you can target ads to people who’ve previously visited your website or app. This allows you to reconnect with users who were interested enough to engage with your brand before.
Research shows remarketing campaigns like this boost conversions. On average, they increase conversion rates by 10% compared to campaigns without remarketing. Not only can you use Display Ads, but you can also incorporate Remarketing into your Google Ads campaign. For more information, you can read the article about Google remarketing.
Types and Formats
Typical types of display ads
Image ads allow you to combine visuals like photos, logos, and graphics with headlines and text in attention-grabbing formats. They can be designed responsively for seamless experiences across devices.
Video ads play creative brand videos when clicked, immersing viewers in motion and sound. They are available in numerous durations like 15 or 30 seconds.
Text ads resemble search ads with succinct headlines, descriptions, and display URLs. They blend native-looking content into Display Network sites.
App ads highlight your mobile apps with dynamic features like ratings, install numbers, and store links to prompt downloads.
Local ads showcase your business information like photos, maps, and contact details to engage nearby customers.
Smart ads update automatically based on inventory and performance to show the optimal mix as conditions change.
Gmail ads stand out in the inbox with messaging personalized to each recipient’s email content and characteristics.
Discovery ads adopt a news feed-style scrollable format that blends product info into an in-depth article look and feel.
Shopping ads elegantly display your product images, descriptions, pricing, and other details to capture interest.
Size Guidelines
Because display ads primarily convey content through images, it’s crucial to pay close attention to the precise formats and sizes suitable for various types of display ads.
There are three main image formats commonly used for running display ads, including:
Landscape Image (1.91:1)
Recommended: 1200 x 628 and Minimum : 600 x 314
Square (1:1)
Recommended: 1200 x 1200 and Minimum : 300 x 300
Portrait (9:16)
Recommended: 900 x 1600 and Minimum: 600 x 1067
A few tips: For a picture-perfect appearance in your ads, ensure your images avoid the following elements: Blurriness, Color inversion, Excessive filtering, Borders, Unclear visuals, Upside-down orientation, and Visual skewing. For further information, you can discover detailed guide of Google Support.
Setting Up Google Display Advertising
In essence, the initial steps to set up Display Ads are quite similar to setting up Google Ads. For more detailed guidance, you can refer to my basic tutorial on creating a Google Ads account. However, there are specific points to note when running display ads for product advertising campaigns.
Choosing Goals, Budgets, Target Audience, and Placements
First and foremost, you need to define your basic objectives before setting up your ads. Clearly determining your budget, target audience, and geographic locations will ensure your ads reach the most potential customers. These are factors you can set up within your Google Ads account, as discussed in my previous article.
Selecting the Appropriate Ad Formats
Display ads come in various forms, such as on websites, mobile devices, via Gmail, and more. It’s crucial to pinpoint which platforms your audience frequents the most. This not only helps optimize costs but also ensures your advertising campaign achieves the best results.
Writing Compelling Text and Display URLs
When creating your ads, focus on crafting engaging and clear text. Your headlines and descriptions should grab attention and convey your message effectively. Also, don’t forget about your display URL—it’s the web address people see in your ad. Make it straightforward and relevant to boost trust and encourage clicks.
Setting Up Tracking and Analytics
Tracking and analytics are like the secret sauce for understanding how well your ads are performing. By setting up tracking, you can see valuable data, like how many people clicked on your ad or completed a desired action (like making a purchase). Analytics help you measure success and make informed decisions to improve your campaigns over time.
Display Ad Reporting and Optimization
Metrics like CTR, Conversions, Viewability: Keep an eye on key metrics. CTR (Click-Through Rate) shows how often people click on your ad. Conversions measure actions like purchases. Viewability tells you if your ad is being seen. Monitoring these metrics helps you gauge success.
A/B Testing Ad Elements: A/B testing is like trying on different outfits to see which one looks best. Similarly, you test different ad elements (like headlines or images) to see what resonates most with your audience. This helps you refine your ads for better performance.
Using Insights to Refine Targeting, Bids, Creative: Insights are like the clues that guide your decisions. Analyze the data you gather to refine your targeting (aiming at the right audience), adjust your bids (how much you’re willing to pay for clicks), and tweak your creative elements (the look and feel of your ads). This way, you keep improving and getting better results.
About Google display ads cost and the Agency’s service
Regarding the cost, you can check out my article on how much Google Ads cost for more details, as the bidding costs for display ads are managed through your Google advertising account. The majority is still Cost-per-click (CPC), so you have the flexibility to adjust the advertising fees according to your needs. Payments can be divided into short stages, allowing you to experiment with various ad types in the initial period to find a suitable direction for your long-term campaign.
However, if you’re in need of a marketing campaign to shape and rapidly grow your brand, using Google ads service would be a better choice. You can find more detailed information about Influence, a leading marketing unit in Phnom Penh, to explore professional service packages ranging from Branding to Digital Marketing.
An experienced team will assist you in analyzing and providing clear direction in your display ads campaign and other advertising initiatives. This will save you a considerable amount of money, time, and effort in building a long-term advertising strategy. In essence, using Google display ads service of agency will be a great choice for business without professional marketing team. You just need to take a seat and they will handle all of the campaign. Scrolling down and fill the contact form, we will give some suggestions to meet your requirements.
