7 Google Ads Campaign Types and Who Should Use Them

Your website is beautifully designed, packed with informative content, and stands out from the competition. Unfortunately, that might not be enough to draw the traffic you need for success. Fortunately, you can always use Google Ads campaigns. This is one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to reach potential customers online.

Your complete look at Google Ads campaign types, including their benefits and estimated costs, starts right now.

1. Search Campaigns

The fact that Google owns over 80% of the search market share should convince you that their search campaigns are still the big dogs.

Search Campaigns are like the Godfather of the Google Ads campaign types. They are the oldest and most popular. They're text ads that appear alongside search results where they're meant to look organic.

For Search ads to work, you first need to know what people are searching for, essentially predicting what customers would type into Google to find you. You can target individual keywords or groups of related words, called Ad Groups. Using either Branded keywords specific to your business (i.e. “Duff Brewery”) or Non-Branded keywords related to your product (i.e. “beer” or “brewery near me”), ads can be highly targeted to specific segments of your audience. Once you’ve done the keyword research to find those search terms, search Search campaigns are especially effective if your main goal is to increase sales or signups for your product or service, as they can help drive more traffic and, ultimately, more leads to your site.

Costs are based on the number of people who clicked on your ad, making the ads effective even on a small budget. While specifics vary, cost per click ranges between $1 and $20 for Non-Branded keywords and around $0.25 to $3.00 for Branded.  

Another reason for their popularity is how simple they are to implement. You enter basic information about your business and Google's Smart Campaign will automate the ads and targeting. How easy is that? Google Ads are a solid choice for businesses of all types because they drive traffic by connecting with people actively using search engines to look for the products or services you provide.

2. Display Campaigns

These campaigns display your ads throughout the Google Display Network, which includes over two million sites, apps, and videos. Now, that's what we call an audience.

Generally, these visually striking ads don't have room for complex information, making them better suited for increasing brand awareness than conveying product details. But don't let that fool you. Studies show that consumers who are exposed to display ads are 155% more likely to search for brand-specific terms. You have plenty of opportunities for creativity because these ads let you use images, video, and text.

Unlike Search campaigns, Display campaigns aren't as focused on keywords. Instead, image ads are displayed according to themes and topics related to the audience you're trying to target. You'll reach people interested in your products, plus it provides an opportunity for remarketing. Double whammy!

CPC will typically range from $0.25 to $3.00. You can adjust your targeting options to focus on a specific keyword or, instead, on a broader theme. Topic-focused targeting is ideal for increasing brand awareness while also shifting more focus towards a theme that can help increase sales.

3. Video Campaigns

Google owns YouTube, which means you can engage an audience across billions of hours of videos. Video campaigns display ads before videos on YouTube, plus any Google video partner sites or apps.

Prices vary based on the type of video you want. Options include skippable, non-skippable, six-second bumpers, videos that open in a separate window, and mobile-only videos.

The cost per view (video's CPC equivalent) varies based on your bidding strategy, but in-stream video ads have a maximum cost of $0.25 when a user watches 30 seconds of your video. That's the same maximum for a video discovery ad.  

Although costs are typically higher than images or text campaigns, video has several benefits. Products with a video ad see a 150% increase in sales compared to display-only advertising. Additionally, video is easily shareable, which is helpful for viral marketing.

4. Shopping Campaigns

A Google Shopping Campaign can boost sales and increase brand awareness for both online and brick-and-mortar stores. These ads are displayed on Google search result pages as well as the Google Shopping tab. Additionally, if you own a physical business, you can promote real-world locations with local Inventory ads. 

To implement a shopping campaign, you'll first need to set up a Google Merchant Center. This allows you to upload product inventory. If you want to sell local products, you'll need to click Local Inventory Ads within the Settings of your Shopping Campaign dashboard.   

Shopping campaigns are one of the least expensive ad types. We all love a good bargain. The amount you pay per click typically ranges from $0.25 to $3.00, although most are on the low end. Aside from tracking clicks, you'll also want to monitor your inventory movement for advertised items to judge the campaign's effectiveness.

They're ideal for businesses with a moderate-to-high level of brand awareness who are primarily interested in boosting sales (I'm looking at you).

5. App Campaigns

Google App Campaigns help you increase sales of your product or service through your app, as well as increase awareness and use of the app overall. It's excellent as part of a multichannel campaign or for any business that focuses on an app-based product or service.

Implementation is simple. To create a campaign, sign in to your Google Ads account. You'll need to select a New Campaign. Select App Promotion as the goal. Next, you can select either App Installs or App Engagement. And voila!

The campaign automatically optimizes your ad across multiple channels, including Search, Play, YouTube, and other key Google properties. Additionally, targeting, bidding, and ad creation are automated, saving time and ensuring optimal audience targeting.

Prices vary based on your goals. If your campaign is focused on app installs, you don't need to set a target bid. However, it's required for a campaign based on in-app actions. You might see a range of bid values for Android installation.

6. Local Campaigns

Did you know that 86% of consumers use the internet to find a local business? What's more, 72% of consumers who are searching end up visiting that business if it's within five miles.

A Google Local Campaign helps drive in-person traffic to your local store so you can see all those smiling customers face to face. Aside from providing permanent information, such as your location and hours of operation, the campaign can also promote specific events, such as a Christmas Sale or the arrival of new inventory.

To implement a Local Campaign, you'll need to have either a Google My Business account or location ad extensions. Google recommends running your campaign for 30 days minimum and focusing on at least 10 locations.

After setting your average daily budget, your costs are automatically adjusted for maximum efficiency. The number of times customers call your business, visit in-store or seek directions are all compared to determine the best conversion value. The default conversion value is $1.  

7. Smart Campaigns

Smart Campaigns are an easy way to automate the entire campaign process. You enter information about your business and put together multiple ads. The more the merrier. Google then automatically optimizes the ads and targets across Search, Display, YouTube, and Maps.

Once you've set up a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaign on Google, you'll use their conversion tracking tools to make adjustments based on customer interactions. Additionally, Smart Bidding allows you to easily set a maximum spending limit based on your budget and goals.

Final Thoughts

On average, businesses earn $2 for every $1 that they spend on Google Ads campaigns. Using the right Google Ads campaign type helps your business grow and reach a new audience. Fortunately, you don't need to spend big or have a large amount of technical know-how to find success using different Google Ads Campaign types.

However, if you feel like this is better left for the pros, our Google-certified team can help you leverage your marketing dollars more effectively. We take the time to understand your business and become a part of your team.

By partnering with us, you can increase conversions, have a greater return on ad spend, and increase your site traffic. We will review your Google Ads account free of charge, so get the ball rolling with Sparkinator!