Google Ads is Google’s online advertising platform that allows companies to bid on keywords to show up in search results as advertisements. You can choose to display your ads with Google based on geographical locations, including local, national, or international targeting.
Google Ads can show up in a lot of different places across the web, depending on what type of ad you want to display, who you want seeing your ads, and how you want to target them.
Companies like Kohls and Pottery Barn, for example, pay Google money (in clicks) for their ads to show up in search results, on websites, Google Shopping, and even YouTube with hopes that it will bring customers that convert and buy their products.
Here is a quick guide on the different types of Google Ads, which include graphics display ads, YouTube video ads, text-based search ads, or in-app mobile ads.
Google Ads has two different networks: the Search Network and the Display Network. The Search Network allows businesses to place text ads in the search engine results. On the Display Network, businesses place display ads on a huge network of places on the internet.
Search Ads
Search Ad campaigns are designed to appear next to search results on Google and live within the Search Network. They are text-based and appear in-line with the other search results on the page. They will most often be displayed above or below the organic search results. The only time you will pay is when people click or engage with your ad.
Display Ads
Display Ad Campaigns are designed to show up as banners or text ads and can be displayed in places like Gmail, as well as on over two million different websites and apps within the display network. Often, display ads will show up as a remarketing effort to bring the customer back to the site after they didn’t convert the first time.
Video Ads
These ads can reach potential customers when they are watching or searching for videos on YouTube. You only pay if the customer engages with your ad, and you can choose to whom you’d like to target by things like age, gender, interests and more.
Universal App Ads
These are ads that allow you to advertise your IOS or Android App within the vast Google Network like Google Play, YouTube, Gmail and more. With Universal App Ad campaigns,
Google Shopping
You can promote your goods by showing more than just text ads, as you can include photos, price description, store name, and more. These often appear at the top of a Google search as an image. Check out this awesome guide, which is a more in-depth snapshot of Google Shopping.