9 Types of Google Ads – Which Is Right for You?

You’ve seen the ad that shows up at the top of the Google results page when you type a query into the search bar. These are called “text ads” and are the cornerstone of the Google Search Network. They can be very effective and are essential to many businesses’ marketing mix. But what about all the other ad formats Google offers? What if you’re a retailer marketing your inventory? What if you’re trying to get customers to download your app?

Which type of ad is best to maximize your marketing efforts? Let’s find out.

Ad Type No. 1: Responsive Search Ads (RSAs)

Expanded text ads are the most recent iteration of ‘standard text ads’ and allow room for up to three headlines and two descriptions. These were phased out by Google on June 30, 2022 in favor of RSAs which can tailor ad copy to specific search queries. RSAs offer more options for headlines (15) and descriptions (4) to allow greater reach and allow A/B testing without having to create separate ads. Google will try different combinations of your headlines and descriptions until it identifies the most effective combination, customizing copy to reach potential customers at the right time. These ad types have a drawback in that each headline must work well with all the others, delivering a clear message no matter what order they appear. You can pin some headlines – like if you want to always show the brand name in Headline 1 – but this isn’t recommended as it can hinder ad copy optimization.

Image credit: Google

Ad Type No. 2: Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs)

Dynamic search ads (DSAs) populate search ads automatically with content from your website. These ads run within search campaigns and are meant to be used with well-developed websites that have clear categories of content and a large inventory of products. DSAs use the content housed on your website to target your ads to users searching for similar products or services. This saves you a lot of time in setup and ensures you are using keywords you may otherwise have missed. However, the automation factor means you have little control over what exactly your ad will say. Google does its best to keep the content relevant to the pages you specify. If you’re selling different product lines or even just one range of products, you can upload a page feed for Google to create these ad types.

Ad Type No. 3: Display Ads

Image ads run on the Google Display Network, which means they can show on websites that partner with Google to provide ad space (including Gmail, Google Finance and YouTube); Google will choose to show them on websites your target audience visits often. Also known as display ads, image ads can be static or animated graphics and are recommended for brand awareness campaigns. Text ads (within search campaigns) are geared more toward users further down the marketing funnel.

Ad Type No. 4: App Promotion Ads

App promotion ads do exactly what they sound like: promote an app. These ads are run on the Google Search and Display Networks, including Google Play, YouTube and Google Discover. App campaigns can focus on promoting app installs, app engagement, or app pre-registrations. If you want to promote your ad within the Apple App Store, you can run an Apple Search Ads campaign.

Ad Type No. 5: Video Ads

Several different video ad formats allow you to deliver a more engaging experience to users, reaching customers on Google Partner sites and platforms (like YouTube. Video advertising is a lucrative ad format that’s best for upper funnel objectives and is recommended for companies who have the budget to invest in video assets. Fun facts: Everyday, people view over a billion hours of video content on YouTube. According to a study by Google / Talk Shoppe, 70% of people bought from a brand after seeing their ad on YouTube.

Image credit: Google