What is the difference? search vs display ads

Let’s first define search and display ads before we get into the discussion about them. Here are some brief definitions.

Search Advertising – Paid Links are displayed on search engines. They are ranked based on a number of factors, including keyword, bid, landing page and age of account.

Display Advertising – Paid ads are displayed on websites that match keywords to the topic of the website. Display ads can include text, images, or video.

Display ads and search ads are priced differently. Search is usually more expensive per click. For example, a user clicking on your search ad may pay $2.50, while a display ad might cost $0.50. This is due to the fact that the amount of advertising space available on search engines is less than what is available across all websites.

Example: If 2000 advertisers want to advertise their product for someone searching for “All white Nikes”, then the bid price for that keyword will be high because there is more demand than supply. If those same 2,000 advertisers wanted a display ad for their product on a website that had shoes, it would be much cheaper because there are millions of pages that offer prime advertising space.

What to consider when deciding between Search and Display Advertising.

Let’s take a look at the four factors that will help you choose between search and display ads for your PPC goals. We’ll also give you a bonus that allows you to combine search and display ads for the best results.

1. Search Volume

Display ads use a push approach while search ads use an approach that is more pull-based. This is the first major difference between these types of ads. This means that people who see your search ads are already searching for your product. People usually see display ads after they have watched a video, read emails, or browsed the internet. This will help you determine which strategy is best for your brand and product/service awareness.

You can use the AdWords Keyword Planner to find out how familiar people are with your brand and products. It’s a good idea for your brand and products to begin a search advertising campaign. Display ads, on the other hand, can be more effective if there’s not much volume. These will help to build awareness for your brand and products. Below are keyword ideas that focus on “ppc services”, along with search volume, keyword competition and keyword competition.

2. Brand Awareness

You may start branding your ads if you’re a new company selling a product or service that is not well-known. Google Display Network is a great tool to reach potential customers who may not be familiar with your brand.

Display campaigns can be compared to advertising in a sporting arena. The arena is full of banners and sponsorships, but everyone’s attention is on the game. Advertisers still find this a great investment, but they also know their target audience well enough to relate their ads or brand to their sporting experience. This makes the ads very relevant to them.

Display advertising is similar to this. Even though people see display ads online doing other things, you can target specific audiences so that they pay attention to your ads. This will make your investment worthwhile. Display ads can be used to target specific people based upon their demographics or keywords in the content.

You can also target specific websites if you know which sites your audience visits. This is possible by bidding on sites on the display network. Remember that your target audience might not purchase a product immediately, just as someone attending a sporting event might not purchase a product immediately. But, if they are interested in your product or service, they will be more likely to recall your brand.

You can create a search campaign that includes only brand terms to help you gauge the effectiveness of your branding display campaigns. As the display campaign progresses, you should expect to see an increase in impressions for these terms. This strategy employs the push approach to generate the pull.

3. Urgent Services

Search ads are a great way to get your business noticed if you view it as an urgent service. A wide range of services can be considered “urgent”, including locksmiths, tow trucks and 24-hour veterinarians. These services are not something that people would normally pay for, but they might be interested if they see your ad in the news. If someone is locked out of their home or their car has problems, they will likely search for a service that can help them.

Remember that “urgent” services are most likely to be searched on a mobile device. Mobile searches are growing each year and voice searches are on the rise. If you are a business that offers an urgent service, mobile advertising is a good option.

Businesses are now more likely to make their websites mobile-responsive due to the rise in voice searches. These searches can be done hands-free so the searcher doesn’t have to go to a website and may prefer to make a quick phone call. Call extensions can be used to make the process easier for searchers. This allows the searcher to convert faster and gives you their business. Here’s an example of call extensions for “tow truck” when you search on your mobile device. Click the red Call button to call the advertiser.

A combination of Search AND Display PPC strategies

You can’t choose between display advertising and search advertising. Display ads are often seen as branding plays, but a well-planned attribution process and technological improvements can help to show the ROI of display advertising campaigns. Cross-device conversions, for example, track when someone clicks on an ad on mobile and converts to a different device later. 

Both can be run if you have the budget. This can be done by running two campaigns on each search network and one on each display network. It can be difficult to see metrics and optimize if you mix the campaigns. You can view metrics side-by-side if you split your campaigns. This will help you make an informed decision about which campaign to pursue, even if that means moving forward with both. Here is an example of a simultaneous search and display campaign. It is easy to view high-level metrics in the campaign view, as you can see. It is easy to go deeper into ad groups or keywords to optimize, without having to distinguish which keywords are in the display or search campaign.

Designing digital ads

When designing an advertisement for search advertising or display advertising, you should consider the following:

• The purpose of the advertisement
• The target audience
• The keywords or phrases that will be used
• The tone of the advertisement
• The visuals that will be used

Adept tips for designing search ads:

– The purpose of the advert is to get people to click on it. It will be a short, catchy ad with large text and visuals.

– The target audience for search ads are those who are in your industry or an adjacent industry to see if they want more information about what you’re offering. Examples would be “pet stores” targeting “dog owners”.

– The keywords or phrases used in search ads are based on what the user is searching for. You want to use relevant keywords so that your ad appears when they are searching for something related to your product or service.

– The tone of a search ad is usually more serious than a display ad, as the user is searching for a specific product or service.

– The visuals used in search ads can be images, videos, or both. You want to use visuals that are relevant to the user’s search and will grab their attention.

Adept tips for designing display ads:

– The purpose of the advert is to raise awareness of your brand or product. It will be a creative ad that stands out from the rest.

– The target audience for display ads is based on the insight you gained during your marketing research.

– The keywords or phrases used in display ads are based on what the user is interested in. You want to use relevant keywords so that your ad appears when they are searching for something related to your product or service.

– The tone of a display ad can be more serious or more fun, depending on the product or service. The display ad should always alight with your brand’s identity.

– The visuals used in-display ads can be images, videos, or both. You want to use visuals that are relevant to the user’s interests and will grab their attention.

Which should you choose?

It depends on your marketing goals and whether you need a Search campaign or display ads. Display ads are a great way to build brand awareness and get people to know your company name. If your business is solely focused on selling products, we recommend that you only run a Search campaign. You can run both search and display campaigns if you have the budget.

Adept Creative is a marketing, branding and design agency based in Cleveland, Ohio.