Visual advertising is among the most effective, which is where the Google Display Network can help.
In this complete guide to the Google Display Network, by our paid media expert Meghan Parsons, you’ll learn all about the Google ad network and how you can use it to your advantage.
What You’ll Learn
- What is the Google Display Network?
- How Does the Google Display Network Work?
- Google Display Network vs. Google Search Network
- Google Display Network Strategies for Success
- Bonus Display Advertising Tips [with Examples]
- FAQs About Google Display Network Advertising
What is the Google Display Network?
One of the first questions you may have is, “What is GDN (Google Display Network)?” In a nutshell, the Google Display Network is a network of millions of websites that your ad can appear on with visual image ads that stand apart from text-based Google search ads.
The network comprises over 2 million websites, 650,000 apps, and 90% of internet users. Using the Google Display Network for advertising is one of the best chances you have to get your ad in front of most internet users.
My Expert Insight on the Google Display Network
The Google Display Network (GDN) is an incredibly effective platform for reaching audiences beyond simple search-driven campaigns.
I recommend leveraging responsive display ads. They automatically adjust their size, appearance, and format to fit any ad space, helping maximize reach.
By integrating data from existing campaigns and relevant keywords, Google finely tunes my audience, targeting those who are most likely to convert.
Pro-Tip: Consistently run a/b tests, trying out different ad creatives, copy, and audiences to continuously maximize your ROI.
How Does the Google Display Network Work?
Display ads pop up on websites, YouTube videos, within mobile apps, and even in your Gmail inbox. Often, they’re from sites you’ve recently visited or products you’ve recently searched for.
Advertisers target buyers early in the sales cycle as they research different products and solutions.
Whether you want to reach people before they even know they need your product or reach them after a recent search, you can program the Google Display Network to do whatever fits your marketing strategy. This is the perfect way to get your ads in front of the right people at the right time.
As the advertiser, you have control of where your ad appears and when. This avoids ad spend money being wasted by ads being run in places where it doesn’t need to be. The Network avoids advertising to everyone across all of Google’s millions of sites. You have the control to choose where or which kind of site you would like your site to run on, and what kind of audience you’d like to target.
Now that you have an answer to, “What is the Google Display Network,” let’s look into the differences between this network and another Google Ad network.
Google Display Network vs. Google Search Network
When choosing whether to use the Google Display Network or the Google Search Network, the right choice will depend on the desired ad placement.
The Google Search Network uses search ads to reach people in search engine results, along with other text ad placements across the web. They’ll appear when people search a relevant term, often above organic search results.
Some specific features you get with Google Search Ads include:
- The ability to target specific keywords in search results
- Connect with audiences on search engine results pages (SERPs) and partner sites
- Show up when people search for relevant keyword phrases
- Reach audiences toward the beginning of the buyer’s journey
Meanwhile, the Google Display Network uses image ads and other visual formats to connect with audiences on various relevant websites, videos, or apps.
These Google network ads are best for building more brand awareness, as they will often appear in front of audiences who aren’t currently looking for your offerings. However, they can appear on relevant platforms based on your industry and offering topics.
Some key features you get with these Google network ads include:
- Ad placements across the web, including many relevant websites, videos, and applications
- Ads that can help build brand awareness
- The chance to target audiences based on the kinds of websites they browse, their interests, and individual audience segments
Google Display Network Strategies for Success
1. Get Familiar With the Targeting Options
Your success on the Display Network will probably come down to how effectively you can target your audience.
We can divide all the ways to target ads into two groups.
First, you can target ads based on the content of the ad itself, so that it appears next to similar content. For example, if someone visits a website about wedding cakes, they might see an ad for your wedding cake business. Google calls this “contextual targeting”, and there are several ways to do it:
- Keyword Targeting: Choose broad keywords related to your business. It’s a good idea to use long-tail keywords or phrases, as more and more people search for content on mobile or with voice. Your ads will appear next to content that matches that keyword.
- Topic Targeting: Pick a group of websites that are related to your industry. Topic targeting is a good way to reach a more general audience because instead of targeting a specific web domain or specific users, your ads will appear across a group of themed websites.
The second way to target ads is based on the viewer. For example, a dog food manufacturer could set up ads that only appear to older people who like dogs. Those methods include
- Remarketing: You can target ads to people who previously visited your website, or interacted with you in other ways (for example, by watching a video on your YouTube channel). This is available for desktop and mobile users, and it’s closely related to Similar Audience targeting, which we’ll discuss later.
- Audience Targeting: Google places users in different “interest groups” based on the things they search and read online. You can select a particular audience to see your ads. Choose between “in-market audiences”, with people who are ready to make a purchase; or “affinity audiences”, with people who are interested but will need a little push to purchase.
- Demographic Targeting: This method is perhaps the most straightforward, but can be controversial; it allows you to target users based on age, gender, marital status, etc. Be aware that different countries may have different laws about which demographics you can target.
- Automatic Targeting: With this option, you don’t choose who sees your ads – you let Google decide for you. This is a good choice if you are inexperienced or have little time to monitor ads, but it might not be as effective as tailoring your own ads.
You can also choose different ad formats, based on where your targeted ads appear and the result you want to achieve. There are different options for ads that appear on desktop or mobile.
If you’re a new user, you’ll manage all your ads from Google Ads–even the ones that appear on Google Display Network. Check out this list to see all the formats available.
Remember, the first step in any successful campaign is determining what you ultimately want to achieve. The best way to determine which targeting method is right for you is to experiment. Try them all if you can to determine which best suits your business.
2. Run Remarketing Ads on the Google Display Network
Remarketing ads are the ones that pop up on seemingly every site you visit, advertising a website you’ve recently visited.
I’ll be honest, users aren’t always excited to see them. But that’s ok because whether they know it, remarketing ads are extremely effective.
They’re so effective that websites can see up to a 161% increase in conversions with remarketing ads.
The people you are showing them to already have an interest in your brand. They’ve already visited your website. They’ve already searched out your product or service.
It’s especially helpful on the Google Display Network (GDN).
Some advertisers worry that running ads on the Google Display Network could be classified as “pushy” advertiser behavior since you’re showing ads to people who aren’t technically searching for them.
But by using remarketing ads with Google Ads, you’re showing ads to people who already know you. You’re establishing a connection. You become a helpful, familiar face, which goes over better with viewers.
3. Exclude Sites That Are Off-Topic in the Google Display Network
The last thing you want is to advertise your product or service on a completely unrelated website. Luckily, with the Google Display Network, you don’t have to.
Google allows you to exclude certain sites or pages that you feel are inappropriate for your product.
You can also block sites where your ads don’t perform well.
You can prevent your ads from appearing in certain locations, based on:
- topics
- devices: computer, tablet, or mobile
- app category
You can also ban specific apps, websites, and content. You’ve probably heard some horror stories about ads appearing in inappropriate places.
Fortunately, Google now offers tools to avoid this kind of mix-up. You can create a list of negative keywords so that your ads never appear on any page that contains those words.
4. Use the Managed Placement Targeting Option
If you want the most control over ad placement, use the managed placements targeting option.
The other methods – topics, keywords, etc. – give Google the power to choose which sites are best for your ad.
While you control which specific interests or topics to target, Google then decides – based on predetermined lists and algorithms – the sites that best fit those particular topics.
That isn’t always ideal, and even Google makes mistakes.
If you’re more comfortable taking the guesswork out, you can manage the placements yourself by choosing which websites you would like your ad to appear on.
If you need ideas about which sites to add, think of it in terms of your target audience. What websites are they most likely to visit?
For example, if your target audience is new moms, you’d want to add a list of the top mommy blogs to your network.
5. Use Search Network with Display Expansion
If you’re at all familiar with advertising on Google, or SEO you’re familiar with the importance of keywords.
You may be less familiar with Google’s Display Expansion feature. (That’s what it’s called for people using the updated Google Ads service. If you’re a legacy user, then this feature is called Display Select Keywords).
Normally, keywords target sites your audience visits. But Display Expansion Ads will show up on sites that offer complementary or related products and services.
The overall aim is to target users based on search intent. Your ads will show up in search results for your keyword on Google and its partner sites, as well as other websites with related content. Think of it as tripling your audience.
Because they are currently searching for related items, searchers will find ads more relevant and be more likely to convert.
This can be beneficial to your campaign for many reasons.
First, by targeting indirectly you’re still reaching those that are interested in similar content and services, meaning they will likely be interested in your service as well.
Beyond that, it exposes you to a whole new, relevant audience. Just be aware that this type of campaign can eat up your budget because it covers both Search Network and Display Network ads. Make sure that a combo campaign is actually relevant to your marketing goals – and worth the spend.
6. Make Your Google Display Network Ads Visual and Appealing
One of the Google Display Network’s biggest advantages over search ads is its ability to incorporate visuals into your ad.
Some of the ad types available are:
- Responsive Display Ads – These automatically adjust to fit size, appearance and format to fit different ad spaces. These ads have replaced responsive ads as the default type of ad on the Google Display Network.
- Uploaded Image Ads – You can upload your own image ads to the network. These ads can be uploaded in different sizes or HTML5.
- Engagement – Visually rich, immersive ad experience
- Gmail Ads – Show ads on the top tabs of people’s inbox
Ad sizes range from small to large banners, so you can choose how much real estate you want to work with. Generally, images attract more attention, so choose an ad size that works for your brand while still being able to incorporate some visual appeal.
And don’t forget to pay attention to your messaging. Keep it short and simple, especially if using a visual ad. It’s often best to let the images do the talking. Pay attention to the color choices you make as well, each can affect your overall messaging. And always, always include a clear call to action so that people know what to do next.
7. Adjust Your Google Display Network Ad For Time of Day
This is an important, yet often overlooked feature.
With all Google ads, you have the option to set schedules (specific days, time of day, etc.) This allows you to arrange for your Google Display Network ads to appear on (specific days, at a particular time of day, and so on, etc.)
The most obvious target to keep in mind is the time zone. Specifically, if you have a local or regional audience, you’ll want to set your time parameters around your particular time zone. Otherwise, you’re simply wasting money running an ad that your audience won’t see.
Google also allows you to monitor how your ad performs throughout the day so you can hone in on your best-performing times.
Then, you can increase your bid on certain keywords during those times or schedule them to appear more on certain days based on ad performance.
8. Use Demand Gen Ad Campaigns
If you want to connect with more people via Google feeds with visually appealing content, use Demand Gen campaigns. These have officially replaced Google’s Discovery Ads as of 2024.
While they work similarly to Discovery Ads, Demand Gen ads offer numerous advantages. Discovery Ads came about in 2020 and allowed advertisers to make the most of their existing social ad assets to reach more people cost-effectively.
Demand generation strategies allow for the same kind of benefits and even more, including:
- Farther reach on YouTube – In addition to YouTube feeds and home page content, you can use Demand Gen campaigns to connect with people through YouTube Shorts and In-Stream content.
- Ad creative tools and experimentation – See how your ads would look with different types of placements and run A/B tests for alternate pieces of content, helping you determine which content resonates the most with your audiences.
- Implement various video formats for your ads – Where Discovery Ads allow you to incorporate images in your ads, Demand Gen ads allow you to use as many as five videos to reach your audiences.
9. Use Contextual Targeting
These control settings allow you to quickly create relevant keyword lists to run on the Google Display Network. As we mentioned earlier, contextual targeting is based on keywords and topics.
The more targeted keywords you have, the better your targeting will ultimately be in your ads. This means building relevant keyword lists is crucial to a successful campaign.
You can use it on existing campaigns or new ones. Simply enter a keyword that describes what you’re advertising, the more specific, the better.
Google will then pull up a list of relevant keywords to add to your ad groups. It will sort the keywords into groups and even suggest max CPC bids.
From there, you can edit the ad group ad you would like based on Google’s recommendations.
10. Monitor and Test Your Ad’s Performance
The only way to really know how well your ad works is to monitor its performance and test it over time.
Does the ad match the goals you outlined in the beginning? Whether you want to improve your ad spend more website traffic or anything in between, you should be able to see clear results.
If you find your campaign isn’t performing as you had hoped, test original features.
Start with your targeting options. Run different ad groups based on topics, keywords, etc. to see which performs best.
Try out remarketing ads vs. similar audiences. Which kind of targeting is most effective?
You can measure your ads performance right in Google through various reports, and connect it to your Google Analytics to see how your website traffic and conversion have been affected.
Bonus Display Advertising Tips [with Examples]
Use Humor
One of the best tips to use when advertising is to reach your audience with humor. You will need to get your creative juices flowing and research your target audience, but a funny ad is a memorable one.
Humorous ads are far more memorable than other types of ads, and they appeal to younger generations. Humor often works because it makes your ads seem less formal and your brand more fun.
Plenty of brands have seen success with humor in the Google Display Network and many other ad formats.
One example here is Hyundai’s video ads joking about the British pronunciation of its company name, which used existing video creative.
Hyundai saw considerably increased brand awareness with these efforts:
- +26 Ad Recall (1.6x higher than Spotify’s global Auto benchmark)
- +10 Top-of-Mind Awareness (3.3x higher than Spotify’s global Auto benchmark)
- +9 Brand Preference (9x higher than Spotify’s global Auto benchmark)
Keep it Simple
Try to make your ads simple, clear, and visual. When this balance is achieved well, the ad will be clear and make the largest impact.
The simpler your ads are, the more they’ll connect, which is particularly crucial if you’re in an industry that normally deals with a lot of technical terminology and jargon.
Highlight the key benefits you offer and make the message concise but effective. You can also use very simple imagery to convey your message, especially when your brand has gained more of a foothold.
Look at Kit-Kat’s ads that use simplicity to connect with the right mix of eye-catching images and concise messaging.
3. Add Shock Value
Like humor, when you leave a tasteful shock in your ad people cannot forget your product or service. You can achieve this with a twist in the text or an image.
However, you don’t want to offend your audiences; you want to simply do something different that audiences may not expect.
For instance, you might bring attention to certain social issues that are sensitive to many, but in a way that shows how you can help solve these issues through your offerings or brand as a whole.
The Truth Initiative is one brand that has used shock value advertising to resonate with audiences, displaying the harmful effects of smoking through individual testimony and graphic imagery. The intent is to prevent people from smoking and encourage current smokers to quit.
FAQs About Google Display Network Advertising
1. Should I be using display expansion for my Google Display Network and Search campaigns?
Both search and display ads can be effective. However, they should be kept separate for best results, better data and more economical budgeting.
Display Expansion gives Google the power to determine what’s best for your campaigns, which isn’t really a great idea. More often than not, your budget gets eaten up by search and any leftover is put towards display.
Being in control of your campaigns, from targeting to budget, is always going to be in your business’s best interest.
2. How granular should I get with my Google Display Network targeting?
You should get fairly granular. The Google Display Network is huge and targeting your ads is going to give you the best results while making the most of your ad spend.
That said, you want to be careful not to overdo it. If you add too many targeting restrictions, then your ad reach will be tiny. If not enough people are exposed to your ad, you probably won’t have significant results.
If you have a bunch of targeting options you want to try, do some testing to see which combinations will yield the best results. Over time, that will be more effective than adding a hundred different targeting options at once.
3. Is there anywhere on the Google Display Network I should avoid having my ads placed?
Typically, this will depend on your business and which sites you may want to exclude because of relevancy issues.
However, many advertisers have reported hemorrhaging budgets because of mobile game placements.
While in theory, ads being showcased in mobile games seem like a good idea, the opposite is true.
Mobile game ad placements have a reputation for getting a multitude of erroneous clicks. Not only are those playing the games more likely to accidentally click ads in haste or due to game concentration but, often parents will let their children play mobile games on their devices and… well… you can imagine the number of accidental clicks that could cause.
If you want to give mobile game ad placements a shot, be sure to monitor your analytics for anything that doesn’t add up.
If you don’t want to take a chance of wasting away your budget, you can easily exclude your ad from mobile games in your dashboard.
4. What is the main purpose of using managed placements?
The main purpose of using managed placements is to help exert more control over the videos, apps, and web pages the Display Network has.
If you do your research and find out where your customers are active, then you can add it to a managed placement.
5. How much does it cost to use the Google Display Network?
The cost-per-click of Google network ads using display advertising typically costs less than $1.
At the same time, this cost will vary depending on the nature of your campaign and your allotted budget.
Get Ignite Visibility’s Help to Succeed With the Google Display Network
With the right Google Display Network ad specs and strategy behind your campaigns, you can make the most of the Google Ad network and connect with your target audiences.
Need some help with this? Ignite Visibility has the experience and resources needed to give your PPC campaigns the lift they need.
With our assistance, you can:
- Identify your target audiences
- Develop an effective keyword strategy for Search and Display campaigns
- Optimize your ads with the ideal Google Display Network ad specs
- Use the right messaging and creative to reach audiences
- Continually improve your campaigns by measuring and monitoring the results
If you like the idea of these campaigns and want to get some help with the rest of your marketing efforts, reach out to Ignite Visibility today.
