What are the types of Google Ads?

You must be familiar about the ads aka advertisements, you are surrounded by them either in a physical or a virtual way. Most of the people reading this blog also extensively use Google for finding the solutions for their search queries. While using Google or its Associate platforms like Google maps or YouTube, you come across several digital ads and you might click on some of these ads as well. These digital advertisement are collectively known as Google Ads and in today’s blog we will be learning about the different types of Google Ads you come across while using Google. So let’s get started.

What is Google Ads?

First get familiar with the definition of Google Ads. Google Ads is a Google per-pay-click (PPC) platform which promotes various businesses on its platform and helps them to gain visibility.

The search ad which appears on the top of the search engine result page (SERP) is the most common type of Google Ads. This Ads are relevant to the advertisers’ products and services. To know more about the Google Ads, you can read our other blog.

Types of the Google Ads

There are basically 10 type of Google Ads. Below is the table for the different types of Google ads:

Search ads Responsive Call-only Dynamic	App ads App installApp engagement
Display ads Single imageresponsive	Discovery ads
Video ads Skippable in – stream Non – skippable in – streamIn-feedBumperOutstreamMasthead	Local ads
Shopping Ads Product shoppingLocal inventory	Smart ads Search Display
Performance max ads	Local service ads Google guaranteeGoogle screened

Let’s discuss all these Google Ads in detail,

1.Search ads

Definition	Working	Benefits
Search ads are the first and ‘OG’ type of Google ads.	You bid on the keyword relevant to your offer, so when search for that keyword on Google, your ad will be appear on the top of SERP	These types of ads are beneficial for the businesses who want to drive leads and purchases.

Types of search ads:

• Responsive: Responsive Search Ads allows the advertiser to add or write multiple description or headline for their search engine ad. You can add 15 variations of title and 4 description in just one ad.

• Call-only: These ads drive call for your business by promoting your clickable phone numbers. If you want to use these type of ads, use call tracking feature.

• Dynamic: Dynamic Search Ads are based on the user search intent and are dynamically generated by Google and text relevant to the landing page or domain.

Search ads pros and cons:

Pros	Cons
Can be easily set upTargeting user according to the specific keywords.High – intent traffic and average ROI is 200%	Highly competitiveText based ads don’t have much creativity.Low keyword volume.

2.Display ads

Definition	Working	Benefits
These are image based ads that appears passively on website in Google display network (GDN) when people browse them.	These ads are shown to that audience whom you want to show. In these type of ads you target placements, audience and topics instead of keywords.	They help in increasing the brand awareness by receiving high relevant impression.

Type of display ads:

• Single image: designed you have created and uploaded as the static ads.

• Responsive: they are quite similar to responsive search ads. These ads are the combination of text and image to give a best performing ad in multiple placement.

Display ads pros and cons:

Pros	Cons
Cheaper than search adsMore appealing because of visual ads.Multiple targeting customizable options.	Lower CTR because of high volume impression.Only work better when combine with other search campaigns.

3.Video ads

Definition	Working	Benefits
The ads content which can be shown in video format.	Their working is similar to display ads campaign. You bid on your video on the particular placement on YouTube or other web spaces and these appears in front of the relevant audiences.	The complex business and brands who cannot promote their business with search ads can use video ads to promote their product and services.

Types of video ads:

• Skippable in – stream ads: The skippable ads after 5 seconds usually appears before, during and after the streamed content.

• Non – skippable in – stream ads: The maximum 15 second non – skippable video ads that appears before, during and after the streamed content.

• In – feed video: A thumbnail image of the video along with text that attracts the audience to click on the ad to watch more. These type of ads usually appears in the YouTube search recommendation.

• Bumper ads: 6 seconds non – skippable ads that plays before, during and after the video.

• Outstream ads: video ads with no sound for mobile that only shows on the Google partner site expect YouTube. It lures the audience to watch the full version with sound on.

• Masthead ads: These are the auto – play ads without sound up to 30 seconds and only available on reservation basis through Google ads rep. they showed up on the top of the YouTube’s homepage feed.

Video ads pros and cons:

Pros	Cons
Video content is engaging and immersive can attract the action through emotion.Multiple ads formats, targeting and bidding option and videos campaign are extremely customizable.Value proposition of your brand can be easily showcased.	Video ads consume lot of time and budget. YouTube space is highly competitive.Be aware of four fine printing settings.

4.Shopping ads

Definition	Working	Benefits
These types of ads are important for any business who sell products. You usually see such type of ads on the shopping and search tab on Google.	These type of ads are survived off the product feed of the searcher’s intent. Shopping feed shows the all product information, attributes, color, price, quantity and more.	It is best for increasing sales online for the purpose of eCommerce advertising.

Type of shopping ads:

• Product shopping ads: Regular shopping ads you usually see on the SERP when you want to buy a product online.

• Local inventory ads: When you submit your store inventory to Google ads merchant center, you ads will appear on the nearby searcher. These ads are similar to shopping ads but include the info about the stock and pick-up details of the product.

Shopping ads pros and cons:

Pros	Cons
More attractive and appealing because the visual shopping ads contains the original image of the product that will be sell.Appears on both regular search and shopping tab.You can add special attributes to your shopping ads like “price drop”, ”last piece remaining” etc.	No keyword targeting.Shopping feed need optimization needs to create high – quality ads for the right audience.Involvement of merchant center account setup and integration with your eCommerce site.

5.Smart ads

Definition	Working	Benefits
These are the fully automated ads in Google.	These ads are created and managed by Google. Smart ads advertise your business across Google searches, YouTube, Maps and other partner sites.	Advertisers who don’t have enough time to managed their ad campaigns can use these fully automated smart ads.

Type of smart ads

Smarts ads work similar as search and display ads and these two types are already discussed above

Smarts ads pros and cons:

Pros	Cons
It is created and maintained by Google, so a lot of time is saved	Lack of manual control.

6.Performance max ads

Definition	Working	Benefits
These are also automated Google ads where your performance max combines your all assets in one group for global advertising across all Google’s network.	You provide your main goal with assets and information about your product and service. Then, Google created an automated ads according to the available placements.	These ads are best for those accounts that have already set-up a particular conversion goal. It is best for such eCommerce business.

Performance max ads pros and cons:

Pros	Cons
You can target multiple placement with one campaign only.Focusing on the performance driversTesting and assessing in one place	Requires a good amount of marketing budget.Not for beginnersNot suitable for lead generation business.

7.App ads

Definition	Working	Benefits
These types of ads are focused on driving downloads and engagement with your app that appears on Google display network.	These ads are created according to your app store listing and you set the ads budget and location and Google uses this info to show your App ads.	The advertisers who owns a app can use App ads

Types of App ads

• App install: it has a download button.
• App engagement: forwarding the existing app users to a particular landing page.

8.Discovery Ads

Definition	Working	Benefits
Automated Google ads that allows advertisers to show their ads across all the Google feed placements to increase the discovery of their product and services.	It is similar as other ad campaign run by Google. You have to provide Google, your assets, text and images then Google take care of all the ad placement of your ads by itself.	It is good choice for business who want drive brand awareness with media rich ads.

Types of discovery ads:

Mostly Google created images, text and video ads in the user’s feed within YouTube, Gmail and the Google app.

Discovery ads pros and cons:

Pros	Cons
Useful for those businesses who have limited audience.	Have little control over placement.

9.Local ads

Definition	Working	Benefits
Local ads have been replaced by the performance max ads. This is your Google business profile.	You can link your Google business profile to your account for promoting your store services across the Google display network.	It is not much in use know because they are upgraded to the performance max ads for optimizing store goals.

10. Local services ads

Definition	Working	Benefits
These ads appears on Google search although it is not run by the Google ads itself. They either message or call you when you click on these local services ads.	Businesses who are approved by the verification process of Google business profile get a green badge or check mark. You will pay the customers only when they contacted you through your ad.	Local services ads provides you potential customers who are willing searching for your product/services.

Type of Local services ads

• Google Guarantee: These ads for blue collar industries such as plumbing, locksmiths and housekeeping etc.

• Google screened: These ads for white collar industries such as lawyers, accountants and real estate etc.

Local services ads pros and cons:

Pros	Cons
Pay you per leadAds appears on the top of the search ads.You Google business profile reviews will appear on your LSA profile. Thus, it influence your ranking.	For being active, you need 3.0 average rating review.When you stop advertising, the reviews you got on your LSA profile will disappear from your Google business profile.

 For more info about Google AdWords click on the video-

Conclusion

Form the above blog, we draw a conclusion, that there is no best Google ad. You can choose a mixture of different ad campaign according to your marketing needs. If you still confuse about these different ad campaign, you can go with trial and error method until you find the right kind of Google ad campaign that is suitable for your niche. Try to avoid any PPC mistakes and start taking baby steps for lasting and steady results for a successful ad campaign. If you want to learn more about the Google Adwords you can join our online course.

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