May 8, 2020
Google. Everyone knows “who” they are. It’s the top search engine in the world. So much so, that the brand has even coined it’s own phrase “Google it!” and everyone on the planet knows what that means. Seek it out. Search. Find the data; the information you need. It’s a vital entity that continues to shape society every day.
That means Google is continuously reinventing itself. One of the newest features that can greatly benefit small and big businesses alike is something called Google Gallery Ads. It focuses more on visuals and top of the funnel ads. After all, don’t we all respond better to those anyway?
In their 2019 Marketing Live Event, Google announced it was shifting its entire focus to visuals. This comes from a need to compete with other visual ad platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. The intent was also to help expand their reach in the discovery phase of the customer journey.
Google’s focus on visual ads brought them to develop a new paid search ad type that would showcase multiple images on a mobile (much like a copy of Facebook Carousel Ads). Thus, Google Gallery Ads was born.
Gallery ads consist of a swipeable, image-based ad carousel that combines the user’s search intent with related visuals. These ads are displayed at the top of a SERP (search engine results page). The idea is that they provide better engagement possibilities from potential customers.
Gallery ads can be used to connect with people before they visit your landing page or website. It’s channeling traffic into the top of the funnel from Google. It allows users to quickly cycle through your image cards and click on an ad to expand it.
There is a CTA (call to action) button that appears at the end of the gallery that will take users to your post-click page. This is where they will get more information about what your Gallery Ads are offering.
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you are thinking about using this system:
Gallery Ads aren’t applied to a specific campaign. They will run in your search campaign ad groups along with text ads. They also compete in the same auction as other text ads. The format will only show one ad at a time and only appear at the top of the search, above any text ads.
Therefore, Gallery Ads will compete with all other ad formats in an auction. On a mobile device, they are always shown in the first position.
In addition to promoting a product, Gallery Ads can be used to tell a brand story. Since you have a carousel of images, each one can be a step in the progression of your business. This is more about increasing engagement, then selling
They can also be used to convey information and educate your audience. Why not explain how your product solves a problem or address a popular pain point? If you are just starting out, this is the best way to build an authentic audience.
Depending on how your audience engages, your business can be charged one of two ways:
Google is at the top of their game so when it comes to getting noticed, it’s best to pay attention to the features they are realizing. Particularly when it comes to new ways to advertise. You always want to be the first one at bat!
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