Here’s a fun fact that will make you feel old: October 23, 2015 marked the 15-year anniversary of Google’s pay-per-click (PPC) advertising network. Since then, the search engine giant has made countless changes to Adwords, enhancing the service for the millions of business owners and marketers who use it. Just last month, the Adwords team announced a handful of additional changes to the Google Display Network.
So, what are these changes and how will they impact the performance of your campaigns?
Search Network vs Display Network: What’s the Difference
Before we reveal the new changes Google is making, let’s first discuss the differences between the Search Network and Display Network. Google allows advertisers to choose between two different targeting platforms for their Adwords campaign: the Search Network, which consists of Google Search, Google+, YouTube, Google Maps, and a couple smaller search engines like AOL. The Display Network, on the other hand, is comprised of millions of third-party affiliate websites.
Only Pay for ‘Viewed’ Display Network Ads
Among the new changes Google is making to its Adwords service includes charging advertisers only when their Display Network ads are viewed. Unlike ads on the Search Network, Display Network ads are charged by impression (1,000 impressions to be exact). But an impression doesn’t always mean that someone actually saw your ad. If your ad is below the fold – and the user did not scroll to see it – your ad would remain unseen, yet you would be still be charged for an impression. According to Brad Bender, VP Product Management of Google Display Network, advertisers will now ONLY be charged when an actual users sees their ad.
Dynamic Remarketing Ads
Adwords advertisers can also expect to see dynamic remarketing ads introduced into the Display Network. Why is this important? Well, not everyone accesses the Internet on a desktop or laptop. In fact, large majorities of people use smartphones and tablets. The introduction of dynamic remarketing ensures that your Display Network ads will function the same on all devices.
It’s important to note that the “quality” of traffic between the Search Network and Display Network tends to vary. Because Search Network ads are placed on Google-owned properties like Google Search, it generally yields a higher conversion rate when compared to Display Network ads. In order to maximize your return on investment (ROI), you should split your Display Network and Content Network ads into two separate campaigns, adjusting your maximum bids accordingly.
