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Types of Google Ads
Taylor Tunnison • September 23, 2022

There are many different types of Google ads available today. Some are easier to manage than others, but they all require a clear goal to be effective. Depending on your unique goal, you’ll want to focus your efforts on the ad type(s) most likely to provide the best results. Knowing which types of Google ads serve which purposes will empower you to get the most out of your advertising budget.

Google Search Ads

You’re probably familiar with Google Search ads if you use the internet regularly. These ads display at the top or bottom of Google Search results pages. Companies often leverage their simple text-based ad format to promote popular products and services to potential customers.


Google Search ads can serve a wide variety of purposes. However, they’re ideal for driving qualified traffic to your website by targeting specific groups of users based on search intent. We often recommend Search campaigns for service providers and B2B companies that are looking for more leads, sales, downloads, or newsletter signups.


Creating a Google Search campaign is fairly straightforward. It involves choosing relevant keywords and writing ad copy that will catch users’ attention. No additional assets or special files are necessary, but it’s essential to link to a high-quality landing page or professional website. This will keep users engaged long after the very first click.

Google Display Ads

Google also allows you to place visually engaging ads in various online spaces. Display ads take many different forms, and they can appear almost anywhere that allows space for an image or video. These campaigns are a great way for companies to expand their reach beyond Search alone.


Google Display ads are much more memorable than Search ads. Plus, they appear across millions of websites, as well as mobile apps and Google platforms like Gmail and YouTube. For instance, you may have seen them as website banners or as introductions to your favorite YouTube videos. This makes them an excellent avenue for attracting attention, driving website traffic, and improving brand awareness.


Designing an effective Google Display campaign takes a bit of strategy. It requires not only custom-created or handpicked media, but often a fair amount of A/B testing, as well. Luckily, Google can automatically adjust the format of Display ads to improve their performance over time. We recommend these campaigns for anyone who’s looking to promote their products and services to a wide range of online audiences.

Google Video Ads

If you watch YouTube videos, then you’ve seen your fair share of Google Video ads. Google places them throughout YouTube’s platform and even within the videos themselves. While these ads take several different forms, they must be hosted either directly on YouTube or on carefully vetted partner websites and mobile apps.


Google Video ads are ideal for experienced digital marketers. To be effective, they require clear goals, engaging content, constant optimization, plenty of A/B testing, and high-quality video designed to convert. These ads are often more expensive than Search and Display, but in the right hands, they can make a massive impact.

Other Google Ad Campaigns

The three types of Google Ads listed above are the most popular from our experience. However, there are also a few other options worth mentioning. They tend to serve either very broad or hyper-specific advertising purposes.

Discovery Ads

These ads are all about brand awareness. Discovery ads deliver personalized experiences across Google’s properties like Search, Display, Gmail, and YouTube. They’re often focused less on conversions and more on impressions and overall engagement. Discovery ads offer slightly less control than Search, Display, and Video, but they can help brands easily connect with new consumers as they browse their favorite content feeds.

App Ads

Google App ads make it easy to promote your mobile app on Google properties. They only require a few images, videos, and text ideas, and they can be featured across Search, Google Play, YouTube, and the Display Network. Google offers three App campaign goal subtypes: installs, engagement, and pre-registration (Android only).

Shopping Ads

You’ve probably seen Google Shopping ads if you’ve searched for any product online. They appear above or beside search results on relevant pages, and they often display a product’s image, price, and reviews. Shopping ads are perfect for ecommerce businesses looking to promote their online or local inventories. These ads also provide insightful performance data to help identify opportunities for improvement.

Smart Ads

Google Smart ads are one of the simplest types of Google ads to manage. They’re a great way for companies to get started, but they offer limited control compared to more specific ad types. Smart campaigns can be set up in a matter of minutes, and they are featured on Search, Display, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and partner websites.

Performance Max Ads

This is the newest addition to the Google Ads family. Performance Max ads run on all Google channels, and they can complement other ad types. This approach allows advertisers to prioritize precise goals across all platforms with a single, AI-assisted campaign. Google is automatically upgrading most existing Local and Smart Shopping campaigns to Performance Max ads in 2022.

Ask Us about Google Ads

With a little time and research, anyone can set up different types of Google Ads campaigns. However, if you aren’t careful, you can end up wasting valuable resources on poor results. That’s why we recommend working with a trusted digital marketing agency to ensure the best return on your investment. If you’re curious about Google Ads, then we encourage you to contact us to get started today. We’ll gladly take the weight off your shoulders so you can focus on what you do best.

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