When you think about Google advertising, your mind probably immediately goes to search pages and the ads that appear at the top and bottom of the pages.

While it’s true that search ads are one of the most popular and widely used types of Google advertising, there are actually many other ways to promote your brand using Google. And, those methods are always changing and updating as Google works to improve the experience on their platforms for both users and businesses.

Let’s look at some of the ways that you might not know how you can use Google advertising, and see which methods might be right for your company.

Terms to Know About Google Advertising

Before we dive into the different ways to use Google advertising, let’s go through a quick terminology lesson. Knowing these terms will make it easier to understand and use advertising options on Google.

Pay-per-click (PPC): A type of search and display advertising where you are charged each time a user clicks on your ad.
Impressions: How many times someone sees your ad.
Retargeting: The ability to show ads to someone who has already engaged with your brand (whether they have already seen another ad, visited your website, watched one of your videos on YouTube, or a variety of other engagements).
Google Display Network (GDN): A network of third-party sites that display ads from Google on their site as banner or display ads.
Custom Audiences: Targeting options within Google ads that let you set who you want to reach based on their demographics, location, intent, past online habits and actions, email address and more.
Dynamic Search Ads: Google’s automated process for choosing keywords to target based on the content on your site.
Smart Campaigns: Google’s simplified version of search ads that automates the setup and management of campaigns.
Responsive Display Ads: Google automatically generates multiple display ads and sizes to be shown on the Google Display Network. All you do is upload your assets (images, headlines, logos, videos, and descriptions). Google learns the winning combination of those assets to display.

6 Different Ways to Use Google Advertising

Now that you have the vocabulary to talk about Google advertising, let’s look at the options you have for setting up paid ads on Google’s platform.

1. Google Search Ads

Google Search Ads are the paid search results that appear at the top and bottom of search engine results pages (SERPs). They are what most people think of when they think about promoting their brand on Google, and they are often referred to as SEM or search engine marketing.

Google Search Ads are a great way to target potential customers who are searching for businesses like you and the type of products and services that you sell.

2. Google Display Ads

Google Display Ads are banner or graphic ads that appear on third-party websites. Websites in Google’s Display Network place code on their site which allows Google to show ads in certain sections of the site. The site doesn’t control which ads appear, and Google chooses which is the best ad to show based on factors like audience demographics, the context of the content on that site, and other targeting settings.

You can use Google Display ads to target custom audiences or retarget your current site visitors and contacts based on demographics, interests, and intent within the GDN. These ads tend to be high impressions and lower costs.

3. Google Video Ads

Google owns YouTube which allows them to advertise on YouTube videos. Google Video Ads are the clips that appear before or during videos that are hosted on YouTube. They also include the text ads that appear on a video while you’re watching it.

YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, next to Google. If your audience is searching for information related to your industry, you can target those terms (or specific channels) and reach customers while they are in the awareness or consider phases of the buyer’s journey.

4. Gmail Ads

Google also owns Gmail which allows them to share ads through this platform as well. Google Gmail Ads appear at the top of the promotions and social tabs. The ads look like emails and include a subject line, sender, and pre-header (the text that comes after the set subject line).

Gmail Ads aren’t used as widely as many of the other Google advertising options. But, if your brand already has already had success with email marketing, it could be a good supplement. You can use targeting to reach people likely to be interested in your products or services, and run ads with subject lines that you know work (based on your past email marketing campaigns).

5. Google Shopping Ads

Google Shopping Ads are product listings that appear toward the top of SERPs. They are presented with rich-media which may include product names, photos, pricing, star-reviews, and product information.

Product-based businesses can benefit from Google Shopping ads as you can put your product front-and-center on the SERPs. Just be mindful of product cost and how it might impact your return on investment (ROI). Low-cost products likely won’t produce the ROI that high-cost products can. But, low-cost products can be a good tripwire to meet new customers or tag interested customers for retargeting ads.

6. Local Search / Local Service Ads

Local Search Ads are displayed in Google Maps when someone searches for a type of nearby business. Local Service Ads appear at the top of SERPs when someone searches for a local service-based business.

Both Local Search and Local Service Ads are great for brick-and-mortar businesses that want to target only the customers near them -- as those are the customers most likely to do business with them. Brands can use location targeting and location extensions to reach nearby searchers and highlight the business’s proximity to the user.

Which Type of Google Advertising Is Right For You?

As you can see, you aren’t limited to just using paid search ads on Google. You have a variety of options that you can select based on what’s best for your brand.

To choose the best type of Google Ad strategy for your business, consider:

Where your audience spends time online. Choose to place your ads in the places where your audience is most likely to see them. If your audiences spend a lot of time using YouTube, it might be a good option for your next campaign.
What your competition is doing. Look at which platforms your competitors are using, and also consider how much they are spending. For example, some industries are more competitive than others when it comes to PPC costs. Look at industry benchmarks to determine what type of investment you will need to make to compete.
Your budget. Consider which platform and strategy will help you get the most out of your budget. For example, if you have a small marketing budget, it might be better to invest it in retargeting ads that connect with warm prospects instead of showing display ads to cold audiences.
Your goals. Certain Google Ad campaigns are better at producing specific results. Paid Search Ads will drive website traffic while a Google Product Ad may drive sales. Consider your goals, and look for the tactic best aligned with your objectives. If you’ve gone through a SpotOn audit, research, and recommendation project, then we’re on a great path to executing the right google advertising for you.

Keeping Up With Google Advertising

Google is always updating and changing its advertising options to create more ways for brands to find success on their platform. To dig into these opportunities and drive more traffic, generate more leads, and make more sales -- you need to know how to use Google advertising and keep up with their latest features and functions. SpotOn Digital stays up-to-date on Google's latest advertising tools so we can help your brand choose and leverage the best options for your industry and goals.

Contact us today to see how we can help you launch a digital marketing strategy that will help you get the best return through Google advertising strategies.

6 Different Ways to Use Google Advertising To Promote Your Brand