Types of Google Ads and Updated Trends in 2023

Anyone who conducts online marketing campaigns must keep abreast of the new trends, tools, and types of Google Ads to utilise them effectively. Google Ads are useful for businesses to gain an edge in an increasingly competitive marketing space.

What is Google Ad?

Google Ads are advertisements on the Google search engine, a platform with the highest number of users, and therefore the highest potential reach. From Google AdWords in 2018, Google Ads are used by businesses for online marketing purposes, which are to promote products and services on Google search, YouTube, and other websites.

Google provides advertisement templates for different purposes:

• Sales: Increase online sales through mobile applications or online shops.
• Leads: Increase the number of potential clients and sale lead opportunities from ad engagement. 

• Website Traffic: Increase the number of quality website visitors from the right target group.
• Product & Brand Consideration: Create brand and product awareness for consideration.
• Brand Awareness & Reach: Increase brand visibility and awareness among the target audience.
• App Promotion: Increase visibility for the installation of the application on user smartphones.
• Create Campaign Without A Goal’s Guidance: Create custom campaigns to match the brand image and objectives. 

Types of Google Ads

Many digital marketing campaigns use Google Ads as part of their strategy to achieve different goals. Google Ads in 2023 provides six advertisement types:

Search (Google Search)

Purpose: Sales, Lead, Website Traffic

Search ads use keywords related to the business that are inputted on the search engine by the user. The user types the keyword, depending on their intention, and the search results appear. Search ads will appear on the first Google page with SEO-ranked page results. The site’s ads appear with clickable links, and their rankings depend on the keywords that were bid.

Display (Google Display Network)

Purpose: Sales, Lead, Website Traffic, Brand Awareness & Reach

Google Display Ads are advertisements that appear as photo banners and text ads. Google will send selective ad banners to co-websites that are related to your products and services. This ad type increases brand visibility by placing the ad on various websites. 

Shopping

Purpose: Sales, Lead, Website Traffic

Google Shopping Ads display the advertisement with a photo and information about the product. Google will display the photo, information, and price of each product that the user searches via keywords, and the user can click to purchase through the online shop immediately.

The display is usually the same as in online marketplaces because users typically browse the same product category from several websites and compare prices before purchasing.

Video (YouTube)

Purpose: Sales, Lead, Website Traffic, Product & Brand Consideration, Brand Awareness & Reach

YouTube Ads display advertisements in video format to users watching videos on YouTube, usually at the beginning and during the clip. With this type of ad, marketers are able to reach new audiences and increase brand awareness.

App

Purpose: App Promotion

This Google Ad type specifically promotes applications in GDN on YouTube, websites, and Google Play Store. This type of ad allows users to click on the ads and install the application without leaving the Play Store.

Remarketing

Remarketing is the process of targeting the audience who already engaged or had an action on the website. Google Ads appear on Google Search, Google Display Network, and Google Shopping. For example, the target group searched for washing liquid brand A and closed the website without purchasing. Google Ads will collect the data and the ads banner will display on the websites that the target group visit to drive conversion.

Google Ads for Businesses in 2023

After learning the different types of Google Ads, marketers should regularly get updates about Google Ad trends to plan effective strategies:

Develop the landing page to achieve results

The key to leading clients to the website is purchasing Google Ads to the landing page. Google is concerned about landing page quality and issues policies to be followed. For example, the landing page should have quick upload time and connect to the website directly. If these conditions are met, the landing page quality will improve and lead to higher conversion through Google Ads. 

Utilise Performance Max

Performance Max is Google’s goal-based marketing campaign type used to increase conversion in Google Search, Video, Google Map, and Google Display Network. This campaign has access to all Google Ads campaigns on several platforms to create a look-alike audience, or reach new people who have the similar characteristics and interests as your existing audience. In bidding, Performance Max also controls the budget for better results.

Removal of Third-Party Cookies

In 2023, Google announced the removal of third-party cookies used to collect data due to the platform’s updated security and privacy policies. Google Ads will now use customer data collected from first-party cookies on their website for better analysis, efficiency, and audience targeting. 

Popularity of Google Shopping 

Research from Store Growers found that marketers purchasing ads from Google Shopping are increasing due to Google Ads format of displaying a photo with the link and information such as the shipment method and product review rating, which allows the target group to click on ads easily. This makes Google Shopping an effective tool to increase ads efficiency.

Influential Smart Bidding

PPC (Pay-Per-Click) is an online marketing model where an advertiser pays each time a user clicks on the ads. Google developed an algorithm called Smart Bidding to support PPC ad purchases. Smart Bidding controls the ad budget by proposing bidding prices on new campaigns which marketers can use to create efficient campaigns and increase the campaign conversion and return on advertising spend (ROAS).  

Trendy Product Feeds

There is a new ad trend on YouTube product feeds where brands can present their products in showcase format to reach their target audience, who can click on the photo link to the website and lead to conversion and sales. However, the product feed is limited to vertical displays only.

Local campaigns

Local campaigns are being utilised more in 2023. They target audiences in a specific geography, benefiting businesses within that area. It’s useful for companies with branches in different regions, allowing them to reach more target customers.

New ad rank algorithm

The Google Ads algorithm has been adjusted to locate ads by SERP (search engine result page). In 2023, Google will use high-quality ads to measure the ad rank, such as click rate and conversion, which means that quality ads will increase the ad rank.

Conclusion

Google Ads is an essential tool to support marketing campaigns and reach the target audience, create awareness, and bring them down the marketing funnel. With a clear understanding of how to use Google Ads, marketers can utilise their knowledge of the trends and types of Google Ads to create impactful and effective campaigns that bring efficient results. 

Get professional advice and guidance on leveraging Google Ads to achieve your marketing goals. Digital marketing experts at Primal Digital Agency are on hand to help you execute strategies that bring positive results to your business. Contact us for a consultation today.