Overview of Google Display Ads Objectives

Driving Action, Influencing Consideration, and Building Awareness with Google Display Ads

1. Introduction to Google Display Ads

Google Display Ads serve three key marketing objectives:

• Driving action: Encouraging users to take specific actions, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service.
• Influencing consideration: Engaging users who are actively researching products or services similar to yours, helping to guide their decision-making process.
• Building awareness: Introducing your brand, products, or services to a broader audience who may not be familiar with your offerings.

Targeting ads to different stages of the customer journey is crucial for achieving these objectives effectively. By tailoring your ads to match the user's intent and stage in the buying process, you can deliver more relevant and impactful messages.

2. Objective-Specific Strategies

• Driving Action: To drive action, use optimized targeting to reach users who are most likely to convert. For example, you can target users based on keywords related to your product or service. This ensures that your ads are shown to people actively searching for what you offer, increasing the likelihood of them taking the desired action.
• Influencing Consideration: When aiming to influence consideration, target users who are actively researching products or services similar to yours using in-market audiences. In-market audiences are groups of users Google has identified as being in the market for a particular product or service based on their recent browsing and search behavior. By targeting these audiences, you can reach users who are already considering making a purchase in your category, helping to guide their decision-making process.
  • Example: If you sell running shoes, you can target in-market audiences for "Sports Shoes" or "Running Shoes" to reach users actively researching and comparing different shoe options.
• Building Awareness: To build awareness, use broad targeting based on demographics, interests, and affinities to introduce your brand to a wider audience. This approach allows you to reach users who may not be actively searching for your products or services but share characteristics with your target audience.
  • Example: If you're launching a new line of organic skincare products, you can target users interested in "Organic Beauty" or "Natural Skincare" to build awareness among potential customers who align with your brand values.

Detailed Targeting Strategies for Each Marketing Objective

Aligning your targeting strategy with specific marketing objectives is crucial for maximizing the impact of your Google Ads campaigns. Here's a step-by-step guide to implementing targeted campaigns for driving action, influencing consideration, and building awareness.

1. Driving Action

When your goal is to drive immediate conversions or sales, focus on targeting users who have already shown interest in your products or services.

1. Remarketing: Target previous website or app visitors.
   • Create a remarketing list in Google Ads by adding a tag to your website or app.
   • Segment your list based on specific actions taken (e.g., cart abandonment, product page views).
   • Craft compelling ad copy and offers to entice users back to your site to complete their purchase.
2. Custom Intent Audiences: Target users based on recent searches related to your products.
   • Identify key search terms that indicate a high purchase intent for your offerings.
   • Create a custom intent audience in Google Ads using these search terms.
   • Develop ad content that directly addresses the user's search intent and highlights your product's benefits.
3. Customer Match: Target existing customers with personalized ads.
   • Upload a list of customer email addresses to Google Ads.
   • Create a customer match audience to show targeted ads to these users across Google's ad network.
   • Leverage customer data to create highly personalized ad experiences, such as promoting complementary products or loyalty rewards.

‍2. Influencing Consideration

To reach users who are actively researching products or services like yours, employ targeting strategies that capture mid-funnel interest.

1. In-Market Audiences: Target users currently shopping in your category.
   • Select relevant in-market audience segments from Google's predefined categories.
   • Refine your selection based on factors like geographic location, demographics, and device type.
   • Create ads that showcase your product's unique value proposition and include strong calls-to-action.
2. Similar Audiences: Target users resembling your existing customers.
   • Create a seed audience using your remarketing lists, customer email lists, or website visitors.
   • Use Google Ads' similar audience feature to find new users who share characteristics with your seed audience.
   • Develop ad content that appeals to the shared interests and behaviors of this expanded audience.
3. Topic Targeting: Place ads on relevant topic-specific websites.
   • Identify topics closely related to your products or services using Google Ads' topic taxonomy.
   • Select topic categories that align with your target audience's interests.
   • Create ad groups for each chosen topic, with tailored ad copy and landing pages that match the topic's theme.

3. Building Awareness

Expanding your reach to new, relevant audiences is key to driving top-of-funnel growth. Use these targeting options to boost brand visibility:

1. Demographic Targeting: Target based on specific demographic factors.
   • Define your ideal customer profile based on age, gender, household income, or parental status.
   • Use Google Ads' demographic targeting options to reach users who fit these criteria.
   • Tailor your ad messaging and creative to resonate with each distinct demographic segment.
2. Affinity Audiences: Target users with long-term interests related to your products.
   • Identify affinity categories that align with your target audience's passions and lifestyle.
   • Select from Google's predefined affinity audiences or create a custom affinity audience based on specific interests.
   • Develop ad content that appeals to the shared values and aspirations of this audience segment.
3. Placement Targeting: Display ads on specific sites, channels, or apps frequented by your target audience.
   • Research online platforms where your target audience spends their time.
   • Use Google Ads' placement targeting to select specific websites, YouTube channels, or mobile apps for ad placement.
   • Ensure your ad creative and copy are optimized for each unique placement environment.