What is Google Ads? (Briefly)

This is an online advertising platform where advertisers pay to display short ads to users in Google's network (search engine, YouTube, partner sites, etc.). It works on the principle of search auction - you pay only when someone clicks on your ad (Pay-Per-Click, PPC).

Main Types of Ads in Google Ads

Google Ads offers several basic types of campaigns, each with different goals.

1. Search Ads

What are they? Text ads that appear in and above Google search results when a user searches for a keyword related to your business.

Where are they shown? In Google search engine (and partner networks, but rarely).

How do they look? They have a headline, description and website URL. Marked with a small "Ad" word.

Advantages:

• High intent: You reach people who are actively searching for your products/services at that moment.
• High targeting: You can target specific keywords.
• Measurable results: You can easily track how many calls, leads or sales you generate.

Use Case:

• Boiler service: Sets up a campaign with keywords like "boiler repair", "boiler service Sofia". When someone searches for this, they see their ad.
• Online shoe store: Advertises a specific running shoe model with keywords "buy running shoes", "team running shoes".

2. Display Network Ads

What are they? Visual ads (banners, images, GIF animations) that are shown on millions of websites, apps and YouTube (in Google partner network).

Where are they shown? On websites, in blogs, in Gmail apps, etc.

How do they look? Images, rich media or responsive ads (Google automatically creates variants for different placements).

Advantages:

• Wide reach: Ideal for building brand awareness and reaching people everywhere on the internet.
• Visual impact: More memorable than text.
• Advanced targeting: You can target by interests, demographics, website topics, or even show ads to people who have already visited your site (remarketing).

Use Case:

• Travel agency: Shows beautiful banners with vacation offers on travel websites and magazines.
• Software company: Targets people who visited their site but didn't sign up for the free trial (remarketing).

3. Video Ads

What are they? Ads in video format that play before, during or after other videos on YouTube and in the display network.

Where are they shown? YouTube, websites and apps from the display network.

How do they look? TrueView (viewer can skip after 5 sec.), non-skippable ads (6-second bumper ads), in-stream playback.

Advantages:

• Captivating attention: Video is one of the most effective formats for storytelling.
• Reaching huge audience: YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world.
• Format variety: For different goals - from awareness (brand awareness) to direct sales.

Use Case:

• Beauty blogger: Creates a video tutorial and advertises it with TrueView ads to people interested in cosmetics.
• Car manufacturer: Releases an epic, cinema-like ad for a new car model as a non-skippable ad before watching a popular video.

4. Shopping Ads

What are they? Visual ads that directly show your products. Include image, title, price, store name, etc.

Where are they shown? On Google search results, in the "Shopping" tab and in Google Images.

How do they look? They look like product listings.

Advantages:

• Product-centered: Users see exactly what you offer, right in the search results.
• Highly converting: Reduces steps to purchase.
• Price shown: Attracts serious buyers.

Use Case:

• Any online store (electronics, clothing, household items): When someone searches for "buy iPhone 14 case", they see your case directly with your price.

5. App Campaigns

What are they? Specially created ads for promoting app installation or encouraging actions within the app (in-app actions).

Where are they shown? Automatically in Google's network: Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, Display Network.

How do they look? Google automatically generates ads from materials you provide (text, images, video).

Advantages:

• Automation: You set a goal (installations or actions), and Google finds the best audiences and placement locations.
• Reaching mobile users: Ideal for app developers.

Use Case:

• Game developer: Aims to increase downloads of their new mobile game.
• FinTech app: Encourages existing users to take a new action in the app (e.g., open a credit card).

Main Advantages of Google Ads (General)

• Instant traffic: Unlike SEO, which takes months, with Google Ads results are immediate.
• Precise targeting: You can reach people based on their location, language, interests, demographics, online behavior and even life stage.
• Budget control: You control how much you spend each day. You can start with a very small budget.
• Measurability and ROI: Every investment can be tracked to a specific result (order, call, lead). You can easily see if your advertising is profitable.
• Flexibility: You can quickly stop, change or optimize your campaigns based on results.

How to get started?

• Define your goal: What do you want to achieve? (Increase sales, get calls, website visits)?
• Choose campaign type: Based on your goal, choose one of the above types.
• Do keyword research: How will your customers search for you? (Use Google's free tool - Keyword Planner).
• Create quality ads and landing pages: The ad should be clear and the promise in it should be fulfilled on the page where the user lands.
• Monitor and optimize: Analyze data and continuously improve your campaigns.