How to Choose the Right Google Ads Campaign Type. (Explained, Simplified, Win) 🎯💡

Ever feel like Google Ads is a giant puzzle you can't solve?

You're not alone. Many small business owners struggle to navigate the different campaign types, leading to wasted ad spend, frustration, and missed opportunities.

In this blog post, I’ll simplify the process and show you exactly how to choose the right Google Ads campaign type for your business so you can finally get the results you deserve.

Understanding Your Goals

Choosing the right campaign type is the foundation of a successful Google Ads strategy. Get it wrong, and you're flushing money down the drain. Get it right, and you'll see a surge in qualified leads and sales. Here’s how to determine the best campaign type based on your goals:

Google Ads Campaign Types

Let's break down the core Google Ads campaign types:

Search Campaigns

These are the bread and butter for many businesses. Your ads appear when someone searches on Google for keywords related to your products or services. Think of it as catching customers in the moment they're looking for what you offer. Great for direct response and driving traffic to your website and generating conversions.

Performance Max (Pmax) Campaigns

 This is Google's newest campaign type, designed to automate your advertising across all of Google's channels, including Gmail, the Discover app, Display ads, YouTube, and Search. 

With Pmax, you provide Google with your assets (text, images, videos), set your goals, and Google's AI does the rest. It's a powerful option for businesses looking to reach a broad audience and drive conversions.

Here's are the places that Pmax can show your ads:

Demand Gen Campaigns

This campaign type focuses on generating demand for your product or service, building awareness and interest rather than immediate sales. It’s generally cost-effective compared to Search or Pmax campaigns and can be very effective for local businesses targeting in-market and affinity audiences.

Demand Gen ads are images and video - you can run this campaign using one or both types of media. The ads will show on YouTube if you have video content, and your images will show on other websites.

If you’re a local business, I would have one of these running all the time, targeting people who are actively searching or considering buying your products or services.

Demand Gen Targeting Options

Google gives you a lot of flexibility in targeting based on demographics including age, gender, household income, parental status, and then Google provides fantastic psychographic buckets you can target with In-Market and Affinity audiences. 

In-Market audiences are people that Google knows are actively searching for your products or services within the last 30 days. 

Here are examples of In-Market audiences related to Food:

Here are examples of In-Market audiences related Beauty and Personal Care:

There are hundreds of In-Market audiences you can leverage for your business. 

Next, we have Affinity audiences which are audiences based on long-term interests, habits, and lifestyles. Google builds these audiences using browsing history, search patterns, and engagement across Google properties.

Here are examples of Affinity Audiences:

Display Campaigns

Display campaigns are all about visuals - banner ads appearing on websites, apps, and Gmail. They build brand awareness and reach people interested in your products or services, even if they aren't actively searching for them.

Here's an example - a restaurant ad showing on a website: 

Display ads are effective for retargeting audiences and building mindshare with existing customers, or prospects that did not buy on a first visit. Display campaigns are similar to Demand Gen but they are typically only banner ads that show on other websites. 

What's The Difference Between Display Campaigns and Demand Gen Campaigns?

Display campaigns are like billboards on the internet – they're visually appealing and reach a broad audience. 

Demand Gen, on the other hand, is more like a targeted conversation. It focuses on nurturing potential customers and guiding them through the sales funnel. Personally, I do not like using Display campaigns in most situations - Demand Gen or Pmax are better options.

Shopping Campaigns

Essential for e-commerce businesses, Shopping campaigns showcase your products directly in Google search results with images, prices, and reviews. They make it easy for customers to find and purchase what they need.

Video Campaigns

 Video campaigns let you reach your target audience on YouTube and other video platforms, including connected TVs.

Connected TVs have access to the internet and can show ads from your Google Ads campaigns. Yes, video ads running in Google Ads can show on home TVs. They are perfect for telling your brand story, showcasing products, and engaging with potential customers. Video campaigns can provide penny views on your videos, making your budget go a long way.

Here's an example where we're getting just under five cents ($0.049) per view with very targeted In-Market audiences. 

Video is becoming more and more important so if you haven’t embraced video yet, now is the time. Read my related posts How to Dominate Google with Video SEO, and Unlock Explosive Growth with Video SEO. 

Choosing the Right Campaign Type (Table)

Here's a table to help you understand which campaign types you should consider based on your goals:

Understanding User Intent

So, you've identified your goal, and you see a few campaign types listed. How do you narrow it down further?

Let's take 'Drive Immediate Sales or Website Traffic' as an example of your goal. Both Search and Shopping campaigns can achieve this, as can Performance Max. So which one do you use?

Here's the key: Think about user intent.

Are people actively searching for your specific product or service? If so, Search is a strong choice. They're typing in keywords into Google and on Google Maps and showing clear intent to buy.

If you're selling products online, Shopping campaigns are essential. They put your product images right in front of potential customers as they search, making it incredibly easy for them to click and buy.

Now, if you want to automate the process and reach customers across all of Google's channels, including Search, Display, YouTube, and more, then Performance Max is a great option. It's a powerful tool for maximizing conversions, especially if you have a well-defined target audience and conversion tracking set up.

 
By understanding user intent, you can narrow down the most effective campaign type for your specific needs.

And remember, you can always combine campaign types for a more comprehensive strategy. For example, you might run a Search campaign to capture immediate demand and a Demand Gen campaign to build brand awareness for future purchases.

Conclusion

Choosing the right Google Ads campaign type is essential for success. By following these steps, you can avoid wasting your budget and start seeing real results that produce positive business outcomes.

Related posts: Low Budget Google Ads Tips, How Much Should You Spend on Google Ads

My full Google Ads YouTube playlist, Google Ads YouTube Playlist