Google Display Network: A quick guide for eCommerce marketers and advertisers

Unlike the Google Search Network, which targets users actively searching for specific keywords, GDN allows you to engage users as they browse online content relevant to their interests, capturing their attention earlier in the buying cycle.

Google has unified the features of standard Display campaigns and Smart Display campaigns into a single, simplified Display campaign. This new campaign type combines the flexibility of standard campaigns with the artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities of Smart campaigns. So, now you can use GDN’s built-in AI tools to manage bidding, creatives and targeting for your campaigns.

How the Google Display Network works

GDN collaborates with a diverse network of sites, mobile apps and YouTube channels where ads are displayed. By launching a Display campaign, your ads become eligible to appear in these spaces. They are strategically placed to engage users wherever they spend time online. Google uses advanced algorithms to analyze website content and user behavior, ensuring your ads are shown in situations where they are most likely to resonate.

The Google Display Network also incorporates AI features that support you in key areas, such as:

• Bidding: Smart Bidding lets you optimize your bidding for conversions or conversion value in every auction. These strategies use machine learning to adjust bids based on signals like device, time, location and user intent.
• Creatives: By default, Google Display ads are responsive, which means they automatically adjust their size, appearance and format to fit a variety of ad spaces and devices. All you have to do is upload assets—images, headlines, logos, videos and descriptions—and Google’s AI chooses the best combination and size to fit available ad spaces.
• Targeting: Optimized targeting uses keywords and other information on your landing page to reach new and relevant audiences who are likely to convert. This method expands your reach beyond manually selected audiences.

Types of ads available on GDN

Text ads: Simple ads consist of a headline and description. They blend seamlessly into website content and are effective for delivering concise messages.

Image ads: Visual banners can be static or animated and are available in various sizes. They are a great way to showcase your products or brand. Image ads grab user attention, and you can customize them to match your brand aesthetics.

Video ads: Video ads let you present dynamic content that tells a story or demonstrates product features. This is a powerful medium to engage users more deeply than static images or text.

Responsive display ads (RDAs): RDAs simplify the ad creation process. You can upload a variety of assets, and Google’s machine learning assembles optimized ads for different placements.

Dynamic ads: These ads show products or services that users have previously viewed on your website. They use remarketing lists and product feed management to remind users of their interest. This encourages the user to return to your shop and complete a purchase. Since they cater specifically to the user’s known interests, dynamic ads are a powerful tool for boosting conversions.

Why use the Google Display Network for eCommerce advertising?

Massive reach: GDN gives you access to over 35 million websites and apps, reaching over 90% of internet users worldwide. By expanding beyond Google Search, it helps you target potential customers who may not be actively searching for your products.

Audience targeting: You can reach specific groups based on demographics, interests or behaviors. For example, in-market audiences are users actively researching and considering buying products or services like those you offer.

Contextual targeting: You can place your ads on websites or apps relevant to your products or services by using keywords and topics. This aligns your ads with content your potential customers are already consuming.

Remarketing: Remarketing lets you reconnect with users who have previously visited your website or used your app. You can serve them tailored ads as they browse other sites within the GDN, so your brand stays top-of-mind.

Optimized targeting: GDN uses machine learning to help you find new audience segments that are most likely to convert, even beyond the groups you originally targeted.

Brand awareness: Repeated exposure through GDN helps build brand recognition and trust among your target audiences.

Affordable entry point: Display ads often have a lower cost-per-click (CPC) compared to search ads, providing a cost-effective option for reaching a broad audience. Smart Bidding strategies help you optimize your budget even further by focusing on conversions or conversion value.

Visual appeal: GDN lets you use images, videos and interactive elements in display ads to capture attention. Visual content is more effective than text alone. It conveys your brand personality and has more of an emotional impact.

AI integration: GDN’s AI tools for targeting, bidding and ad formats simplify campaign management and optimize performance. Responsive display ads and optimized targeting also save you and your team a lot of time while helping you achieve better results.

8 tips for smarter advertising on the Google Display Network

1. Set clear objectives: Define goals for your campaigns, like building awareness, driving traffic or boosting sales. This helps you determine the right metrics to monitor when calculating your return on ad spend (ROAS). It also helps you align your strategies to help reach your goals.
2. Use advanced targeting tools: Target by demographics (age, income), interest-based audiences (affinity, in-market) or use Customer Match for personalized campaigns.
3. Create compelling and adaptive ads: Design engaging creatives aligned with your brand. Use responsive display ads for automatic adaptation and dynamic ads to re-engage users.
4. Implement remarketing campaigns: Use remarketing to remind visitors about your products. Tools like Channable simplify dynamic remarketing and help you manage campaigns more effectively on the Google Display Network.
5. Leverage Smart Bidding strategies: Use Smart Bidding options like Target CPA or Target ROAS to optimize costs and conversions, paying for results, not clicks.
6. Monitor and refine campaigns: Track metrics like clicks and conversions, then adjust targeting, creatives and bids based on performance.
7. Use advanced features: Enable deep linking to direct mobile users to in-app content and expand your reach via Google Ad Manager integrations.
8. Plan campaigns in advance: Allow 12–24 hours for changes to go live. Schedule early to ensure timely execution.

Get even more out of the Google Display Network.

The Google Display Network offers you a powerful platform to expand your brand’s online presence and drive business results. By observing the best practices for Google Display and leveraging its diverse ad formats, advanced targeting options and massive reach, you can connect with potential customers at every stage of their journey.

If you want to get even better results from your Google Display Network campaigns, try dynamic remarketing. Easily set up dynamic feed-based campaigns with Channable to streamline your remarketing process and start boosting campaign performance.