– A Short Introduction in Separating Search Advertising and Display Advertising –
Let’s assume you already set your marketing objectives and know precisely what it is that you want to promote. Let’s also assume that you chose Google AdWords as your online ad serving platform. You have all this figured out, but do you know exactly how you are going to do it? What is your target audience? Who are your prospects? How can you bring them to your website/ blog/ online store? Which targeting option is most efficient for you campaign?
This is where the first – and, perhaps, the most important – difference between the two main types of Google AdWords campaigns comes in. It is essential for any advertiser to be aware of these two options: on the one hand, Search Network campaigns and, on the other hand, Display Network campaigns. Whichever one you choose, and especially if you choose both, the campaign-level settings will illustrate why it is optimal to separate the search from the display.
OK, but how do you actually select one or the other? How do you know if what you need is running a search ad campaign or a display one? The answer is never really simple, but if you are flexible enough to adapt your marketing goals to the specific of your field of activity, your company, the target-audience of your website/ blog and so on, than you might just have a starting point for your campaign.
Still, let’s have a look at some hypothetical situations, which will better illustrate the differences.
Does your message focus on branding? Would prospects enjoy a gif file or a video instead of text ads? Is your logo relevant for this campaign? Do you rely on graphics to trigger certain actions from users? If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, it is highly recommendable you set up a display campaign. It offers various possibilities to create original image and rich media ads to meet your advertising requirements and needs.
On the other hand, if your main goal is to be available to people who are activley searching for the products or services you provide, if you seek sales growth, lead generation or conversions, if you know exactly who your audience is and aim at managing precise targeting options, or if you need precise statistics and data on keywords, than you’ve taken the first step towards a search campaign. It will provide you with solutions for any of the above requirements and much more.
This is only the beginning. But, as long as you bear this significant difference in mind, your marketing efforts gain the potential to achieve the goals you set.