Complete Guide to the Top 18 Google Ad Types with Examples (2023)

Describe Google Ads.

One of the most effective channels for sponsored advertising is Google AdWords. It not only gives you access to a wide range of advertising options but also to users of the two biggest search engines in the world—Google and YouTube, respectively—as well as a network of millions of websites on which you may place advertisements.

Yet, there are numerous Google ad types, and not all are appropriate in all situations.

It’s best to start by learning the necessary terminology and being aware of the different Google ads campaign types available to you and what you can reasonably expect from them. Whether you intend to manage your own Google advertising or outsource it to a professional, this is true. In this manner, you will fully comprehend what the platform can achieve.

Compared to many other paid digital advertising networks, Google Ads shares several similarities. It operates on the pay-per-click (PPC) business model, so you only get charged when someone goes to your website. You may target audiences based on particular habits and demographics, create flexible budgets (beginning as little as AED 18), and receive quick, quantifiable feedback on campaign results.

The fact that Google Ads can reach customers in three different ways—through search, display, and video ads—makes them particularly appealing. The campaign types you can conduct within these three categories are covered in this section.

Do you need some motivation first? See these 12 Effective Google Advertising Examples From E-commerce Companies.

Google advertisements

google-ads-types-search-ad-example

Unlike social media, consumers typically use search engines with a definite purpose: to look for information, find solutions to their issues, or locate particular goods or services. Because of this, Google is a potent marketing tool for many companies.

The typical monthly search traffic for a specific query, the expected cost per click, and other information Google makes available can all be used to guide your Google advertising decisions. You can search advertisements that highlight your goods and services in the search results of a certain query and even focus your targeting on people in a specific region.

Let’s say you market protein powder made from plants. Google receives more than 200,000 monthly searches for “protein powder” but much fewer for “vegan protein powder.” Google will allow you to place separate bids to advertise your brand on either of these terms, but the more precise search term will probably convert more effectively because it is more pertinent to your product.

You can build text advertisements in search results tagged with “Ad” in a tiny box or Google Shopping feed ads that reveal important purchasing data like product images, pricing, and ratings—making them ideal for many e-commerce firms.

Let’s discuss the many categories of search ads: 

  1. Custom Google searches

google-ads-types-branded-search-ad-example

The aim is to attract those specifically looking for your brand online.

High level of audience relevance. (They are trying to find you.)

Low expected cost per click (AED 11).

Suggested for: When there is search intent for their particular brand, all firms, regardless of size and industry, are likely to see sales. If resources allow, give this campaign a top priority.

Branded keywords include the precise names of a product or brand. For instance, “Apple phone” or “iPhone” is synonymous with the company.

Even if your website currently ranks organically at the top of search results, you might not think to bid on your brand name. Yet, doing so enables you to highlight specific information (using Google’s ad extensions) and specify the particular page where you want people to land. Additionally, it guards you against rivals who might bid on your name or other branded terms.

As your URL and your advertisements will be highly relevant to visitors who search for you, CPCs for branded search is typically cheaper than for any other search campaign. Be cautious if your advertisement appears for related but unrelated keywords simultaneously.

If you were promoting iPhones for Apple, you would omit terms like “apple picking,” “apple cider,” or even “how to upgrade my Apple iPhone” and focus your targeting by selecting suitable keyword match types and negative terms.

Branded search marketing can support brand awareness initiatives because your potential revenue from branded search depends on how many people seek you. For instance, a pop-up store or a popular Facebook video may increase brand name searches.

Implementation difficulty: If you are unfamiliar with search engine marketing, implementing this type of campaign may not be easy. There may be a need for external or internal resources. Yet, managing branded search doesn’t require much work, so prioritize it if you can. 

  1. Google search ads without brands (generic)

google-ads-types-non-branded-search-ad-example

Goal: Reach out to potential customers who might buy your items but aren’t necessarily familiar with your brand to generate qualified intent-based traffic and attract new clients.

Low to medium audience relevance

An estimated medium to high cost per click ( AED 3 to AED 73).

Everyone, but don’t put this strategy ahead of some of the more successful efforts on this list. Yet, generic non-branded search should be a primary goal for brands trying to increase top-line revenue and acquire new customers.

Non-branded search campaigns, as their name suggests, focus on keyword expressions that don’t specifically mention your brand or products. As a result, your costs will probably increase because you will be less relevant to users, especially for more general keywords (such as “purchase pillow” as opposed to “organic goose feather pillow in downtown Toronto”).

This campaign aims to efficiently increase the number of new clients and visitors to your website. Yet, these campaigns can also offer advertisers a positive return on ad spend (ROAS) and enormous potential size.

Remember that a customer’s lifetime worth from your brand, not just their initial purchase, determines their value.

Implementation difficulty: This search campaign can be challenging, as with all others. To manage and test your creative and landing sites for these campaigns, you need a lot of staff members. You also need a lot of funding to get results. To make sure these campaigns are managed properly, it is best to hire assistance.

  1. Search without brands (niche)

google-ads-types-non-branded-search-ad-niche-example

The objective is to attract new clients from specialized markets compatible with your niche offerings.

Medium to high audience relevance. The more relevant you are to your audience, the more specialized that audience is, and the better your product caters to that technical audience.

According to the level of competition and the worth of customers/orders to other advertisers, the estimated cost per click ranges from medium to high (AED 3 to AED 73).

Suggested for: Businesses that sell niche goods or that aim to appeal to a specific clientele within a non-branded product category, such as “old NFL game memorabilia” or “vegan deodorant.”

Unlike generic, non-branded search campaigns, niche, non-branded ones typically face less competition. That’s because they’re more particular, and if your products match what they’re looking for, you’ll become more relevant to the searcher’s intent.

If your company and products fit niche marketing well, you should consider running this campaign. Because it offers a targeted audience that is simpler to identify and concentrate on, niche marketing, even outside the framework of Google AdWords, makes it much easier for firms to obtain traffic and, perhaps, a positive ROAS.

Generic non-branded search and niche non-branded search are frequently combined. Yet, for the reasons outlined above, it makes logical to categorize and discuss this traffic in its campaign.

By placing bids on the exact branded keywords connected to your third-party items, you can use this campaign type if you sell them. You can even include these brand names in your ad copy if you purchase these keywords and link to a landing page with those products displayed.

Implementation difficulty: Like other search efforts, this campaign type is challenging and will need adequate resources to set up and maintain. 

  1. Google Ads-types-Competitor-Search-Example: Competitor Search Campaign

The objective is to attract new clients who may not be familiar with your company or your goods by positioning your name in front of consumers looking for your rivals.

Low audience relevance (People are looking for a particular rival rather than your brand.)

An estimated medium to high cost per click ( AED 3 to AED 73).

They are suggested for: Businesses interested in acquiring new customers who are already conducting profitable marketing campaigns, retailers with high LTVs, or those actively experimenting with various client acquisition strategies.

A rival search campaign is a branded search campaign turned around. You place bids on searches for your competitors’ branded keywords rather than your brand’s name and goods.

Although it sounds like a good idea, stealing traffic from the terms of your biggest direct competitors can be pretty pricey because, in this situation, searchers aren’t most likely to be interested in seeing you, a rival company.

Brands that can justify the higher costs of obtaining a new customer with a potentially higher average order value or lifetime value typically use this method. Otherwise, you might not have much luck using this approach.

This might be a very profitable campaign for you if a business isn’t buying its traffic or doesn’t have a lot of brand loyalty among its customers and if your product is an equal or better alternative.

(One of the main reasons we strongly advise purchasing your own branded phrases is to avoid this kind of disruption from a rival.)

Note: You cannot utilize your competitor’s name in your advertisements if the website you direct traffic to doesn’t sell their products, nor should you employ dynamic keyword insertion when purchasing your competitor’s branded keywords.

Implementation difficulty: This search campaign is difficult to execute and could cost money, as make all search efforts. Resources should be allocated specifically for managing this.

The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to E-commerce SEO explains how to increase Google traffic to your store.

 Google Shopping Ads No. 5 (branded)

google-ads-types-google-shopping-ads-branded-example

Goal: Use your branded keywords to attract searchers, especially those looking for your products or product categories.

High level of audience relevance. (They are trying to find you.)

Low expected cost per click ( AED 11).

Businesses that sell physical products and have previously invested in building their brand awareness and those that feel comfortable making adjustments within Google AdWords to set up this kind of campaign.

The user experience with Google Shopping campaigns is often excellent: after conducting a specific product search, a user is shown images, pricing, and reviews of products that Google believes are pertinent. Customers go directly to that product page if they click the advertisement.

Visitors who search for your brand are more likely to convert, so you may increase traffic from this source and manage your money more effectively if you can set up branded Shopping as a separate campaign. Otherwise, branded and non-branded traffic will be included by default in shopping campaigns.

Without a segmented campaign approach, non-branded traffic will always outnumber branded traffic, and most of your spending will probably be used on non-branded terms with low conversion rates. Because of this, it’s worthwhile to separate branded traffic into a separate Shopping campaign if you can (and have the traffic benefit from it).

Implementation simplicity: Shopping campaigns are typically more straightforward to set up than search campaigns. Install Google Channel for Shopify or manually set up the Google Merchant Center to establish a successful product feed from which Google can pull. To distinguish between branded and non-branded search traffic, you must set up separate campaigns for each type, use negative keywords, and prioritize your keywords so that only specific queries will see your advertising.

Google Shopping Ads No. 6 (non-branded)

google-ads-types-google-shopping-ad-non-branded-example

The objective is to attract users who are specifically shopping for the product categories you sell but may not be specifically looking for your branded products.

Low to medium audience relevance (They aren’t necessarily looking for your products; they are looking for your product categories.)

Medium-range estimated cost per click ( up to AED 73).

You are suggested for: The majority of businesses that market tangible goods. Unless in cases when you have particular goals for new customers, expansion, or top-line revenue, this form of the campaign should not take precedence over more profitable campaign types.

Similar to the previously mentioned branded Shopping campaign, you may establish a second campaign for non-branded Google Shopping.

Similar to non-branded search marketing, non-branded shopping campaigns function similarly. These are nearly always something that e-commerce businesses should do if they have the budget. A typical shopping campaign will be 100% non-branded if you don’t have any branded goods.

Implementation simplicity: While separating branded from non-branded traffic needs some setup, you can create distinct non-branded Shopping campaigns and set aside a specific budget for each.

Google Performance Max 7.

Goal: Using machine learning to generate lucrative orders through Google Shopping, remarketing, and display placements.

Audience relevance: Variable because it combines several marketing kinds into one.

Low to a medium estimated cost per click (up to AED 11).

Retargeting and/or Google Shopping campaigns are advised for Shopify merchants who wish to manage their movements with the least effort.

On your behalf, Google Performance Max campaigns employ machine learning to optimize a combination of display, Shopping and retargeting advertisements. This campaign type selects the goods to promote, the amount to bid, the audience to target, and the creative to display.

Planning Advice: Integrating Google Shopping with Shopify? Learn how to sync, automate, and manage your Google Ads campaigns directly from Shopify by visiting the Shopify Google Channel.

The number of customers who look up your brand, items, product categories, or branded keywords will determine how well you do here. The volume of searches for your branded keywords and the size of your retargeting audience affect how much retargeting and branded traffic you may generate through Shopping advertisements (i.e., how many people have visited your site already).

Implementation simplicity: Whether using Shopping or retargeting ads, Performance Max offers a clear entry point into Google advertising. In the future, there may be more of a possibility to switch to a segmented manual advertising plan if you see success.

 Dynamic search adverts

google-ads-types-dynamic-search-ad-example

Goal: Using Google’s automatic keyword generation to produce orders.

Depending on the keyword choices Google’s spider picks for your campaigns, audience relevance ranges from low to high.

Low to a medium estimated cost per click (up to AED 11).

They are suggested for: Anybody who wants to start anything to test it out without making a significant financial commitment but does not have the knowledge to manage a search campaign.

Dynamic search campaigns are campaigns for every single form of keyword Google finds on your website, including branded keywords, non-branded category keywords, product-specific keywords, keywords from your descriptions, and even event keywords from your about page or blog.

Like other campaigns that group your visitors, this one lacks out-of-the-box segmentation. Therefore we advise against scaling it and instead suggest using it as a starting point for custom segmentation as you gather performance data.

Implementation simplicity: This is a fantastic, quick, and simple approach to launching a search campaign online. Dynamic search campaigns may contain irrelevant terms on your site that you would never manually purchase to increase traffic, even though it is simple to deploy.