Google advertising becomes useful when search intent, offer, landing page and conversion measurement support the same goal. Assess Display campaigns through reach, placements and later actions because an impression is not a visit or purchase. Campaign types and interfaces change, so check current product documentation before applying settings from an older article.
Google Display ads show visual creative across eligible placements in Google’s network. Options, automation and campaign names have changed since 2020. Start with the business objective and confirm current settings in Google Ads.
Powerful targeting tools
When you use Google Display advertising, you have access to one of the largest online audiences in terms of size and market penetration. Not only that, but you get excellent targeting tools to help narrow your ads very precisely so that you can target your adverts either far and wide, or make them as niche as possible.
Powerful AI tools are also used to help automatically configure these options. Google constantly monitors your ad campaigns and can automatically make adjustments to targeting, bid strategies and other optimisations to maximise the value of your budget.
Powerful ad management tools
Google Ads come with mature, sophisticated tools to help support creating and maintaining multiple online ad campaigns. You can use their tools to configure ads at a highly granular level, while also being able to track and chart ads individually and also in aggregate, across ad groups and campaigns.
You have access to the suite of tools to help fine-tune both your ads and your campaigns based on the performance of your ads. The range of targeting options available include location, time of day, time of the week, time of the year, what type of sites you want your ads to display on and plenty more.
Understanding ad auctions
Since the Google Display network is one of the largest ad networks in the world, competition for the top ad spot is fierce. Depending on how popular the keywords or demographics you are targeting, the more your ads will cost to win the spot.
Google uses an ad auction format to select which one of many competing ads are served and displayed. The particular algorithm that selects the ad weighs several factors together, but by far the easiest and most reliable way to increase the probability of your ad winning the spot is with the highest CPC bid.
Setting and spending budgets
Fortunately, Google allows you to configure your budget on a granular level to get the most out of your ad spend. You can elect to spend different amounts on different ads within a campaign, you can set daily and weekly budgets across campaigns and you can suspend any individual ads at any time if they are performing poorly.
Google Display network is incredibly easy to get started with and offers a potential ad reach that’s unparalleled in global online markets.
Control placements and quality
Define the conversion, budget, audience, locations and exclusions before launch. Regularly review placements, frequency, devices and adjacent content. Test one creative variable at a time and assess qualified conversions and cost rather than impressions or clicks alone.
Start with the query and the conversion
Define the action that creates value and test whether measurement records it without duplication. Separate brand traffic, research queries and purchase-oriented searches where useful. Judge cost per meaningful conversion alongside search terms and landing pages instead of optimising around clicks alone.
