8 Best Types of Google Ads Right For Your Business

When it comes to Google Ads, marketers have several options to choose from to effectively reach their target audience: Find out which ad format is best for your advertising goals and how to create effective campaigns that reach your target audience.

Google Ads enables businesses to reach their target audience and promote their products or services. But not all types of Google Ads apply to all situations. Find out which one is right for your business. 

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1. Search Ads

Search ads are the most common form of Google Ads. These ads appear at the top or the bottom of the Google SERP.

The image below shows you the search ad for the keyword ‘adidas shoes’

These ads come with a pay-per-click (PPC) model. Businesses only have to pay when someone clicks on their ad. Each click’s cost depends on the keyword’s competitiveness and the ad’s relevance and quality score.

These ads target a potential customer base actively searching for a particular product or service, making them highly effective for driving sales and conversions.

2. Display Ads

Display ads appear only on sites and mobile apps across Google Display Network. The Display Network comprises about 35 million websites, blogs, and apps that have partnered with Google to display ads to their audience.

These differ from search ads a little. Search ads act as a pull marketing strategy, where users only see the ad when they type relevant keywords. Display ads are a push marketing strategy that shows online users based on their online behaviours and other parameters for targeting. 

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Display ads can include images, videos, and text but you can customise them to match the look and feel of the website or app they appear on. These ads are great for reaching a broader audience and increase brand awareness. 

In the image below, check the display ads with arrows on the Economic Times page.

These ads are the best for brand promotion across the Google Display Network. 

3. Video Ads

Video ads are a type of Google Ads that appear on YouTube and other video-sharing platforms. These ads can be in-stream ads, which appear before, during, or after a video, or display ads, which appear alongside videos. 

The screenshot below is an example of a video ad appearing before the video starts. 

They can include a call-to-action (CTA) button that encourages users to visit the advertiser’s website or take a specific action.

There are non-skippable and skippable in-stream, in-feed, outstream, and bumper ad formats. 

These are always engaging and effective for creating brand awareness, generating leads, and driving sales. 

4. Shopping Ads

Shopping Ads appear at the top of the Google search results page when a user searches for a particular product. These ads feature an image of the product, the price, and the retailer’s name. They are based on a PPC model, meaning advertisers only pay when someone clicks on their ad.

These can also appear together with search ads above them. See the example below. 

Shopping Ads are highly effective for driving sales and conversions as they enable users to view and compare products from different retailers in one place. 

5. App Ads

App Ads are a type of Google Ads that promote mobile apps on Google’s search and display networks. These ads can encourage users to download or use the app and include a CTA button directing users to the app store or the app’s landing page.

App Ads can be highly effective for increasing app downloads and usage and can be targeted to specific demographics, interests, and behaviours.

6. Dynamic Search Ads

These ads are generated based on the content of your website, making them a dynamic and efficient way to reach customers searching on Google for precisely what you offer.

7. Discovery Ads

These ads appear in various Google feed environments, such as the Discover feed, YouTube, and Gmail. They are designed to reach and engage with audiences as they browse content.

8. Smart Campaigns

Smart campaigns use Google's AI to automate campaign setup and ad optimization, making them a convenient option for advertisers looking to save time.

Parting Thoughts

These five types of Google Ads offer various advertising options for businesses of all sizes and industries. By choosing the right type of ad and targeting the right audience, businesses can increase their online visibility, generate leads, and drive sales.