Every good PPC advertising strategy starts with choosing the right type of ad for your specific product or service. Understanding the difference between the different types of PPC ads will not only help you build your campaign but ultimately, increase the potential for lead conversions.
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What Types of PPC Ads Should You Use?
If you’re new to paid search engine marketing, chances are you’re overwhelmed by all of the different ads to choose from. While it can be tempting to use all of them for your first campaign, we recommend getting to know each ad to create the best strategy for your business’s needs. The following types of PPC ads are the most popular:
- Search ads
- Display ads
- Google shopping ads
1) Search Ads
Deemed one of the most common types of PPC ads, paid search ads are usually a good place to start for beginners. This is the basic “pay-per-click” ad where you choose relevant keywords for your text ads to appear. Depending on the maximum amount you’re willing to spend, you’ll be charged every time a user clicks on your ad, hence “pay-per-click”.
Within Google Ads Manager, you can customize the heading and ad copy, target a specific audience, and set a budget. PPC ads use an auction system to determine which advertisement appears first on the page and how much each keyword is worth.
Search ads are usually the first couple of results on a search engine results page (SERP). They are usually set apart by having an “Ad” message on the top left of the ad.
2) Display Ads
Display advertising is another type of pay-per-click advertising that appears while users are browsing the internet. Unlike search ads, display ads can appear outside of a search engine. Depending on the site, display ads may show up as banners on the top, left, right, or bottom sides of a web page. When a user clicks on the display ad, they are promptly redirected to a landing page that usually has a contact form or quick call to action.
One of the main differences between search ads and display ads is appearance. While search ads tend to look like other text search results, display ads are images or videos. Display ads are usually displayed once users have indicated they are interested in a particular product or service. In a few words, it is a type of retargeting that can follow users who visited your site and remind them of your business.
While display advertising tends to have a lower conversion rate than search ads, the click rate cost is more cost-effective and may prove beneficial for a wide range of customers.
3) Google Shopping Ads
While Google shopping ads aren’t relevant for every industry, they are definitely worth noting when comparing PPC marketing ads. A Shopping campaign is much like a Search ad campaign – the only difference is that it links to a product, not a website. Shopping ads typically include a product photo, sales price, title, and description.
Shopping ads are one of the most profitable ads for e-commerce businesses. Since the user has already gotten a preview of the product’s photo and price, they are more likely to buy when they click. Thus, the conversion rate for a Shopping campaign tends to be much higher than a typical Search campaign.
Ready to Start Your PPC Campaign?
In digital marketing, having a surefire way to promote your products and services sets the pace for your success. PPC advertising gives business owners the ability to directly target potential customers and gain traction fast.
Which one of these PPC ads would fit your business needs? Get in touch with our team for a search engine marketing strategy customized to you.
Ashlee Visser is the Content Manager at ITVibes, Inc. She holds a B.A. in Humanities from Thomas Edison State University. With a strong focus on organization, she excels in content management and website writing. Ashlee’s passion for writing is evident in every project she undertakes. When she’s not busy managing content, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their growing family.
