Google Ads offers a variety of ad formats that businesses can use to reach their target audience and drive conversions. However, with so many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to determine which ad types are best suited for your unique goals. That’s where the digital advertising experts at Stir Marketing come in – we can create a tailored advertising strategy, design engaging ads with optimized image dimensions and character limits, develop landing pages, track conversions, manage the ad campaign month by month, and provide detailed monthly reporting and recommendations to help you achieve your business objectives. Let us guide you through the world of Google Ads and help you choose the right ad types for your campaign.

1. Display Ads

Display Ads are visual advertisements displayed on the Google Display Network, which includes millions of websites, apps, and videos. They can include static images, rich media, and animations. Display Ads are an effective way to create brand awareness and promote products or services.

Image dimensions:

  • Recommended image sizes:
    • Landscape image (1.91:1)
      * Recommended: 1200 x 628
      * Min. required: 600 x 314
    • Square image (1:1)
      * Recommended: 1200 x 1200
      * Min. required: 300 x 300
    • Portrait image (4:5)
      * Recommended: 960 x 1200
      * Min. required: 480 x 600
  • File size limit: 150 KB
  • Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, or GIF

Character limits:

  • Headline: 30 characters
  • Description: 90 characters

2. Responsive Display Ads

Responsive Display Ads automatically adjust their size, appearance, and format to fit available ad spaces. They use images and text provided by the advertiser and can include multiple images, logos, and headlines.

Image dimensions:

  • Landscape (1.91:1): 1200 × 628 (min required: 600 × 314, max file size: 5120KB).
  • Square: 1200 × 1200 (min required: 300 × 300, max file size: 5120KB).
  • Accepted formats: JPG, PNG, or GIF

Character limits:

  • Short headline: 25 characters
  • Long headline: 90 characters
  • Description: 90 characters
  • Business name: 25 characters

3. Video Ads

Video Ads appear on YouTube and across the Google Display Network in various formats, such as skippable in-stream ads, non-skippable in-stream ads, video discovery ads, out-stream ads, and bumper ads. They offer an engaging way to tell your brand’s story and promote products or services.

Image dimensions (thumbnail):

  • Recommended: 1280 x 720 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio)
  • File size limit: 2 MB
  • Accepted formats: JPG or PNG

Character limits (for video discovery ads):

  • Headline: 25 characters
  • Description 1: 35 characters
  • Description 2: 35 characters

4. Shopping Ads

Shopping Ads allow businesses to showcase their products on Google Search and Google Shopping. These ads typically feature an image of the product, along with its title, price, and retailer name. When someone clicks on a Shopping Ad, they’re directed to the product page on the retailer’s website.

Image Dimensions:

The recommended image dimensions for Shopping Ads are 800 x 800 pixels or larger. The maximum file size is 150 KB.

Character Count:

The character limits for Shopping Ads vary by country and language. In the US, titles can have up to 150 characters, and descriptions can have up to 5,000 characters.

 

5. App Campaign Ads

App Campaign Ads help businesses promote their mobile apps across Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, and the Google Display Network. These ads can appear in various formats, including text, image, and video ads. They’re designed to drive app installs and engagement.

Image Dimensions:

The recommended image dimensions for App Campaign Ads vary by ad format. For example, the recommended size for a square image is 1200 x 1200 pixels, while the recommended size for a landscape image is 1200 x 628 pixels. The maximum file size is 150 KB.

Character Count:

The character limits for App Campaign Ads also vary by ad format. For example, the headline can have up to 30 characters, while the description can have up to 90 characters.

 

6. Discovery Ads

Discovery Ads allow businesses to reach customers as they browse content across various Google properties, including the Discover feed, YouTube, and Gmail. These ads can feature a combination of images, headlines, descriptions, and call-to-action buttons.

Image Dimensions:

The recommended image dimensions for Discovery Ads are 1200 x 628 pixels or larger. The maximum file size is 5 MB.

Character Count:

The character limits for Discovery Ads vary by ad format. For example, the headline can have up to 40 characters, while the description can have up to 90 characters.

 

7. Responsive Search Ads

Responsive Search Ads allow businesses to create ads that adapt to show more text, more relevant messages, and more tailored calls to action to users. These ads can have up to 15 headlines and four descriptions, and Google will test different combinations to determine the best-performing ad.

Image Dimensions:

Responsive Search Ads do not feature images.

Character Count:

The character limits for Responsive Search Ads are flexible, allowing for up to 15 headlines of 30 characters each and four descriptions of 90 characters each.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT GOOGLE ADS

FAQ #1: What’s The Difference Between Google Display Ads and Google Responsive Display Ads?

Google Display Ads and Google Responsive Display Ads are both advertising formats offered by Google Ads that allow businesses to show their ads across the Google Display Network, which includes millions of websites, apps, and video content.

The main difference between the two formats is the level of control that advertisers have over the ad creative. With Google Display Ads, advertisers have more control over the ad design and layout. They can create custom image or video ads in a variety of sizes and formats, and choose where on the page the ad appears.

On the other hand, with Google Responsive Display Ads, the ad creative is generated automatically by Google using a combination of images, headlines, and descriptions provided by the advertiser. Advertisers can upload multiple images, logos, and headlines, and Google will automatically create a variety of ad combinations that are optimized to perform well based on the targeting and placement.

FAQ #3: How Much Does It Cost To Advertise On Google?

The cost of advertising on Google is influenced by several factors. A Google Ads campaign consists of two main budget line items: the initial cost of hiring an agency such as Stir Marketing to establish and oversee a Google Ads campaign, and the direct payment to Google for the ads themselves. Agency management fees are generally between $750 to $2000 monthly, contingent upon the scope of the advertising campaign. Google ad media buy costs range from $300 per month for a small business’s local ad campaign to $1000-$1500 per month for a mid-sized business regional campaign. For larger campaigns that target a broader audience, a larger geographic region, or incorporate multiple campaigns, the costs can reach tens of thousands of dollars. It is crucial to bear in mind that the cost of advertising on Google can fluctuate significantly, depending on the unique goals and requirements of your business. We recommend you reach out to our friendly ads team to help navigate the process and optimize your return on investment.

FAQ #3: What Are All Of The Different Google Ad Types?  

  1. Search Ads: Text-based ads that appear on Google when someone searches for a specific keyword – best for driving website traffic and generating leads.
  2. Display Ads: Image or video-based ads that appear on websites within Google’s network – best for increasing brand awareness and reaching a wider audience.
  3. Video Ads: Ads that appear before, during, or after videos on YouTube or other websites – best for increasing brand awareness and engaging with viewers.
  4. Shopping Ads: Product-based ads that appear at the top of Google’s search results – best for e-commerce businesses looking to drive sales.
  5. App Ads: Ads that appear in mobile apps on the Google Play Store – best for promoting mobile apps and driving app installs.
  6. Local Ads: Ads that appear in Google Maps and other location-based services – best for local businesses looking to drive foot traffic and increase visibility.
  7. Discovery Ads: Ads that appear in Google’s discovery feed on mobile devices – best for reaching new audiences and driving conversions.
  8. Gmail Ads: Ads that appear in users’ Gmail inboxes – best for promoting products and driving conversions.
  9. Smart Campaigns: Automated campaigns that use Google’s machine learning to optimize performance – best for small businesses with limited time and resources.
  10. Call-Only Ads: Ads that allow users to call a business directly from the ad – best for businesses that rely on phone calls for sales or leads.
  11. Dynamic Search Ads: Ads that are dynamically generated based on the content of a website – best for businesses with a large number of products or services.
  12. Responsive Display Ads: Ads that automatically adjust their size, format, and appearance to fit the space on a website – best for increasing brand awareness and driving conversions.
  13. Showcase Shopping Ads: Ads that showcase a retailer’s products together with lifestyle images – best for e-commerce businesses looking to showcase a range of products.
  14. Hotel Ads: Ads that appear when users search for hotels on Google – best for hotels and travel agencies looking to drive bookings.
  15. Lead Form Ads: Ads that allow users to submit their contact information directly from the ad – best for businesses looking to generate leads.
  16. TrueView for Action Ads: Video ads that include a call-to-action overlay – best for driving conversions and encouraging viewers to take action.
  17. TrueView for Reach Ads: Video ads that aim to reach as many people as possible – best for increasing brand awareness and reaching a wide audience.
  18. TrueView for Shopping Ads: Video ads that showcase products from a retailer’s shopping feed – best for e-commerce businesses looking to showcase products and drive sales.
  19. TrueView for Branding Ads: Video ads that aim to promote brand awareness – best for increasing brand awareness and reaching a wide audience.
  20. Bumper Ads: Short video ads that are 6 seconds or less – best for increasing brand awareness and driving consideration.
  21. App Install Ads: Ads that encourage users to install a mobile app – best for promoting mobile apps and driving app installs.
  22. App Engagement Ads: Ads that encourage users to engage with a mobile app – best for driving engagement and user retention.
  23. App Deep-linking Ads: Ads that direct users to specific pages within a mobile app – best for driving engagement and user retention.
  24. App Re-engagement Ads: Ads that encourage users to return to a mobile app – best for driving engagement and user retention.
  25. AdSense Ads: Ads that appear on websites outside of Google’s network – best for increasing brand awareness and reaching a wider audience.
  26. AdMob Ads: Ads that appear in mobile apps outside of the Google Play Store – best used for generating revenue for app developers by showing ads to users who are using their apps.
  27. Google Performance Max ads:  An automated ad campaign type that combines various ad formats, bidding strategies, and targeting options to optimize ad performance across Google’s entire network, and they are best used for maximizing return on ad spend or conversions across multiple channels and platforms with a single campaign.

Need Help from Google Advertising Experts?

With a wide variety of ad types to choose from, Google provides businesses with numerous options for online advertising. If you need assistance with your Google advertising, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today – our team can help you select the best ad type to achieve your unique business goals.