Search Or Display: Which Google Ads Network Is Best for Your Campaign?

Google processes more than 40,000 search queries every second. That’s more than 3.5 billion searches per day and 1.2 trillion searches per year. If you’re not targeting users on their networks, you’re missing huge potential to reach a highly relevant audience with your products and services.

Google offers brands the opportunity to advertise through its Google Network, which is divided into two different categories: 

• • The Search Network: Displaying text ads on Google search results pages and other Google sites like Maps and Shopping.
  • The Display Network: For showing image ads to users as they browse the web on Google sites like YouTube, Blogger and Gmail, as well as thousands of partner websites.

By default, Google sets up new campaigns to show across the entire network. The rationale behind this is that it will give ads the most visibility, however, these networks target users in two completely different ways. As such, applying the same strategy to both networks is unlikely to be effective.

If you are just starting with Google Ads or if you currently have campaigns on both networks, start separating them based on the following points. 

When to Use the Google Search Network

Google’s Search Network is the most common, and well-known form of pay-per-click advertising. On the Search network, your ads can be shown on Google’s Search Engine Results Pages, as well as on smaller search engine partners of Google, like AOL.

This is an incredibly effective form of advertising as it shows your ad to users who are specifically searching for the products and services that your business offers. These ads appear above organic listings and include the advertiser’s text as well as links to additional pages, a phone number, an address and in some cases, a star rating. Conversion rates are typically higher on the Search Network as it is actively targeting people looking for the products and services.

Consider using the Search Network if:

• Your Budget is Limited: Companies with a smaller budget should use the Search Network as it is more likely to generate conversions. This can help marketers to justify their PPC efforts.

• Your Product is Time Sensitive: If your product or service is something that your audience will look for at the moment that they need it, such as a plumber or electrician, you should use the Search Network. 

When to Use the Google Display Network (GDN)

Google Display Network (GDN) is the name given to the collection of websites that partner with Google to show image ads. This ranges from blogs to news sites and includes Google’s video search engine, YouTube. According to stats from Google, the Display Network comprises over 2 million sites and reaches over 90% of global internet users. Given the sheer size of the network, it offers advertisers a great opportunity to expand their digital presence.

Unlike the search network, Google Display Network shows ads to users as they browse the web, which means they are not actively looking for the company’s products or services. As such, to get the audience’s attention your ad creative has to catch their eye and encourage them to click through to your site. This is the most challenging thing about the Google Display Network, however, once you get the creative right it is the ideal place to increase your brand’s visibility.

Consider using the Search Network if:

• You want to Increase Brand Awareness: As GDN is so big, it offers advertisers lots of ways to connect with their audiences. It also provides a wide variety of targeting options, where advertisers can choose the specific sites they would like their ads to show, or the audience that they want to show the ads to. By ensuring your ads are consistently appearing when your audience is online, they will quickly get familiar with your brand.

• You have a Long Sales Process: Display advertising is ideal for keeping your products and services in the mind of your target market, which is necessary if you sell a product or service that they are not likely to purchase immediately. 

Using Both Search & Display Networks 

Many companies have multiple objectives with their advertising campaigns, so running ads on both the Search and Display Networks can be effective (budget permitting).

The key to a successful dual network campaign is to separate your ads into network-specific campaigns. This allows you to create a message that speaks to the relevant audience. It also lets you set specific budgets and bids for each network and separate data so it’s easier to optimise. 

At Digital Squad, we’ve worked on hundreds of Google campaigns, on both the Search and Display Networks. Get in touch with us today for more information on how we can accelerate your campaigns on these channels.

We aren’t your typical digital marketing agency. We make sure our clients’ digital strategy is fully looked after. Leveraging the power of all other digital avenues is key. With proven results, talk to us how we can help you with YouTube advertising, Instagram advertising or any other social media marketing Auckland. Additionally, we’re here to show you scalable growth with programmatic agency Auckland, alongside Bing ads and marketing automation.