Brace yourself, but did you know that there are other ways to advertise online other than Facebook ads? Or the traditional Google Adwords written ad?
Alright, I realise you did know that. But most people don't venture far from the above, if at all.
So I'm sharing with you five different ways that you can use Google Ads to grow your business and advertise online.
Google Ads has great advertising options for many businesses. It's a bit of a one-stop shop for those of you who really want to elevate your brand across a variety of different places online. Or ‘surfaces', as Google calls them. From your typical Google search ad, Gmail ad through to YouTube ads! Let’s have a look at the different types of ads and how they work.
It's worth mentioning that until 2018, the Google Ads platform was called Google Adwords. But in 2018 they rebranded to Google Ads, to reflect that the platform was well beyond the standard Google Adwords search ad.
Let's look into five of the advertising options available within the Google Ads platform.
1. Google Search Network Ads
I bet when you think of Google Ads (or Adwords), you picture the ones that appear in the search results right? This is the typical text Google Adwords ad and what most people associate with the platform.
A quick search for a ‘dentist near me' brought up these two Google search ads.
When you put a keyword into Google, these ads will show at the top of the page. They look like the dentist example above.
These ads are a great way to reach customers looking for a specific thing. Customers type what they need into the search bar and if your business matches their search terms, then your ad will pop up.
Using the Google Search Network for advertising is very popular. You don't need images or videos to get up and running, because they're text-based. The barrier to entry is low, you can literally set up your account and have an ad running in minutes.
The targeting is based on keywords. You simply target the keywords that you think your potential customers are searching for.
Google Search Network ads are great for local businesses, service providers and eCommerce businesses. If you're looking to generate leads, they're also a great option.
2. Google Display Network Ads
Also very popular within the Google Ads suite is the Google Display Network.
The Display Network contains more than a million websites that allow advertising on them. This means that your ads can show up on many different websites all over the internet. You can choose what websites your ads appear on via a myriad of targeting settings from within the platform, such as keywords, topics and demographics.
Many of these sites get a lot of traffic that you can take advantage of. Hosting ads on their website by being part of the Google Display Network gives them additional revenue from Google (just in case you're wondering what's in it for them!).
Here's an example I found on a media website:
You can use a range of ad formats when advertising on the Google Display Network, like text, banner and video ads. The ads you show on this network need to be crafted to grab attention, as the people viewing them are there for another purpose.
The Google Display Network is especially useful for brand awareness campaigns. However they can be really effective for bringing in a lot of new traffic to a great converting website and they are a great addition to a remarketing strategy.
3. Google Remarketing Audiences
The Google Ads platform allows you to target people who have already visited your website across many of it's other products (or ahem, surfaces!). This is called remarketing (Facebook like to call it retargeting but it's the same thing).
While they are browsing the web, watching clips on YouTube, or reading their favourite news site, your ads can be displayed. This constantly reminds past website visitors of your brand and keeps your business at the front of their mind.
Remarketing ads can show a really good return on your advertising investment as you are marketing to a warm audience of people who have already shown an interest in your business.
If you want to learn more about remarketing, read my ultimate guide to retargeting here.
4. Google Shopping Ads
Google Shopping is the digital equivalent of a store catalogue. But with Google Shopping, you see a range of products from multiple retailers all at once. These ads show at the top of the Google listings, or down the right hand side of the search results when someone types a product into Google.
For example, I put the word ‘tents' into Google. The Google Shopping ads actually showed up before any of the other ads, such as Google Search Ads or the organic Google search results. As you can see, they are from a range of retailers and there is much more to see if I click on the arrow to the right.
Google Shopping is an absolute must for those in eCommerce.
5. YouTube Ads
Errr…what!?
Yes, YouTube Ads are controlled from within Google Ads.
There are 1.9 billion users with logged-in accounts who visit YouTube every month. So YouTube ads provide a massive opportunity to get in front of these people. No doubt some of them are your perfect customers!
YouTube as an advertising option is nowhere near as saturated as Facebook and Instagram ads, or the Google Search Network. So there's opportunity for the savvy business owner to use YouTube ads to their advantage. Due to this lower level of competition, the cost of ad space is lower.
YouTube video ads are great for brand awareness but are also a really effective way to generate leads if you're clever!
Businesses that can benefit from trying YouTube ads are any that are willing to put some effort into creating videos. Most people aren't committed to this video creation, leaving a big opportunity for those who are.
And if you're wondering how to get an image ad placed on YouTube, that is actually done via a Google Display Network campaign. You simply choose youtube.com as a placement for your ad.
There is much more to Google Ads than meets the eye.
You may have realised after reading this post that there is much more to Google Ads than meets the eye. And many ways that you can use Google Ads to grow your business. It's an in-depth suite of advertising products with a plethora of targeting options.
So instead of only relying on Facebook and Instagram ads, maybe it's time to give Google Ads a try?!
