Display vs search
- Shows while people browse
- Cheap clicks and impressions
- Builds awareness and recall
- Low intent from cold audiences
- Shows when people search
- Higher cost per click
- Captures active demand
- High intent from searchers
How targeting works
Google offers two kinds of targeting. Audience targeting reaches people, like past site visitors or in-market buyers. Content targeting reaches pages, by topic, keyword or specific sites. Optimized targeting can also look beyond your choices for people likely to convert.
Where display pays off for local businesses
- RemarketShow ads to people who visited your site.
- ExcludeRemove apps and sites with junk traffic.
- MeasureTrack leads, not clicks or impressions.
- ExpandTest new audiences once remarketing pays.
Watch placements closely
Display budgets can drain into mobile games and low-quality sites where taps are accidental. Check the placements report, exclude poor sites and app categories, and judge display by leads.
Good example. A kitchen remodeler shows remarketing ads with a seasonal offer to people who viewed its project pages. Leads cost less than from search.
Bad example. A remodeler runs broad display ads to cold audiences and celebrates 40,000 impressions with no bookings.
Read how retargeting ads work. Our Google Ads management uses display mainly for remarketing.