5 things you should know about Google’s new ad platform – 5 Business Rules

Google recently made some very major changes to its ad platform. While it’s great that they’re trying to improve Google Ads, these changes require some adjustments from experienced users of the platform.

In this episode of 5 Business Rules, Monika and I will share five things you should know about Google’s new ad platform. Spend four minutes watching the video or read on for the tips.

Smart Bidding

The smart bidding feature is perfect for less experienced users who aren’t quite sure where to start. You basically tell Google a goal, such as getting people to attend an event or read your blog post, and Google will handle the rest, using automated bid strategies to optimize your bids for the maximum number of conversions.

It’s An All-or-None Platform

Besides appearing on Google, an ad can also appear on their display network, which can include basically any site in the world that wants traffic. These third party sites may not deliver the same quality of results, but if you utilize smart bidding your ads will appear across Google’s display network. It’s a bummer that you can’t utilize smart bidding for Google-only properties.

Expert Mode

Smart bidding is designed to simplify the advertising experience, but if you want full control over your Google Ads, then you need to switch into Expert Mode. When in this mode, you have the ability to handpick specific third party sites, such as placing YouTube ads on a specific channel that’s relevant to your business.

Google Discover

Google news feed has now become Google Discover. Unlike other news feeds, Discover uses algorithms to figure out what content you’d be interested in viewing. Along with this come discovery ads, which are visually engaging ads that are placed on the Discover news feed. Google will ask you for pictures and copy, then place your ad where they feel it’s relevant.

Gallery Ads

If you’re an interior designer or landscape architect, it’s hard to show in one image what you can do. Luckily, the gallery ads that Google now offers allow you show a series of photos or before and after shots. You can have a carousel of 4 to 8 pictures that people can scroll through. According to early stats, Google is seeing 25% more interaction with these ads.

 

While a number of these Google Ads features are meant to simplify things for more beginner-level users, it’s good to know that more experienced users are still able to control their campaigns the way they’re used to.

Have questions about Google’s ad platform or any of its new features? If so don’t hesitate to reach out to us.