Google Ad Formats – Complete Guide [2024]

Google ad formats are of 22 different types. It can be overwhelming to remember all the formats, even for seasoned marketers.

In this guide, I will explain each and every type of Google ad format with examples.

Google is the biggest search engine in the world and offers one of the largest PPC ad networks in this world. With a market share of 87.96% (as of October 2019). 63% of people say they would click on a paid ad on Google search results.

PPC ads are one of the best ways to build brand awareness, increase website traffic, and boost sales. PPC visitors are 50% more likely to purchase than organic visitors. 

With Google Ads, you can display your ads on over two million websites, and in more than 650,000 apps.

Let’s have a look at each and every type of Google Ad format. 

1 – Text-Only Ads

As the name suggests, this Google ad format consists of only texts. You get to write two headlines and one short description of 90 words. 

These ads usually appear with the two headlines side by side, with a description line, as shown below. 

Text-only ads are easy to set up, maintain, and work with as there isn’t much to optimize. These PPC ads are great for selling basic goods and services that consumers buy on a regular basis. 

2 – Responsive Search Ads

Responsive search ads are an automated version of text-only ads. When creating responsive search ads, you can enter multiple headlines and descriptions. And, over time, Google will automatically test different copies based on best-expected performance. 

To get the most out of PPC responsive search ads, add at least five unique headlines and leverage the feedback from Ad Strength to improve the effectiveness of your ad. 

Also, ensure that the variables you use will make sense irrespective of the order they’re served in. This helps in making your ad relevant for various search queries. 

3 – App Download Ads

App download ads enable you to advertise your app to mobile and tablet users. Google detects the users’ platform automatically and redirects them to Google Play or the App Store accordingly. 

However, your app needs to be live in either the App Store or Google Play. App download ads can appear at multiple places, including the SERP, mobile web, and the Play Store. 

Like responsive search ads, app download ads contain a variety of elements that are shuffled based on what Google expects will perform the best. 

You can even include things like video snippets, images, or HTML5 assets in this type of Google ad format. 

4 – Ad Extensions

Ad extensions are not exactly an ad format. But, they help you make your ads more effective. They allow you to add extra information to your ad copies. This gives your potential customers an additional reason to choose your business. 

You can add a link to a particular page, location, phone number, physical product, or rating of the product. However, these extensions won’t show up with your ad all the time. It is displayed when Google expects it will improve your ad’s performance. 

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Another advantage of ad extensions is that it occupies more space on the SERPs, thereby capturing users’ attention. 

5 – Google Maps Ads

Google Maps ads are powered by location extensions. When someone searches for businesses on Google Maps, sponsored ads will appear on the top of map search results. Unlike other Google ad formats where you bid for keywords, in Google Maps ads, you bid by location. 

When searching on Google Maps on desktop, the ad shows two options: directions and website, whereas when searching it on a mobile device, it allows the user to call the business directly. 

However, you must have your Google My Business set up to run ads on Google Maps. 

6 – Call-Only Ads

Call-only ads are displayed solely to mobile users. In call-only ads, as soon as a user clicks on it, the ad places a call to you from your device. 

You can even turn on call reporting using Google’s call tracking tool. You’ll be given a GFN (Google forwarding number), and you can then see the details of the calls you received. 

To create call-only ads, you will be asked to enter two headlines (optional), your business name, phone number, description (two lines), and a verification URL (the URL of a web page that contains your business phone number). 

7 – Hotel Ads

Hotel ads let you showcase your hotel details (name, price, and unique benefits of booking with you) on the SERPs, Maps, and Assistants. 

To launch hotel ads, you’ll need to provide (or work with an integration partner who provides) the following details:

• A hotel list feed (it consists of hotels that you want to advertise).
• An up-to-date price feed (set of prices for different itineraries).
• A point-of-sale configuration (a landing page where users arrive at when clicking on your ads). 

The two biggest advantages of Google hotel ad formats are:

• You can allow them to book your hotel directly on Google (you can send them to your website if you have one).  
• You get the option to pay for an ad only when someone books a hotel. Other bidding options available include pay per stay and fixed (pay-per-click). 

8 – Local Service Ads

Google introduced local services ads recently. As of now, local services ads are available only to a few verticals and markets, including:

• Locksmiths.
• Plumbers.
• Electricians.
• HVAC.
• Garage door services.
• Appliance repair services.
• Carpet cleaning services.
• Estate lawyer services.
• Immigration lawyer services.
• Financial planning services.
• Movers.
• Pest Control.
• Roofers.
• Water damage services.
• Window cleaning services.

The local services ads appear when someone searches for the services that you offer in your area. The ad will be displayed with a Google Guaranteed badge. 

Unlike other Google ad formats, these ads are pay-per-lead and not pay-per-click. You can’t add descriptions or headlines in these ads. It only displays your business name, rating, location, working hours, and phone number. 

Potential customers can either call or message you directly through the ad. However, to respond to the messages and track your leads, you need to download the app (Android and iOS). 

Note: As of today, local services ads are available only in the U.S and Canada. 

9 – Showcase Shopping Ads

Shopping ads are one of the best ways to appear on top of commerce-driven searches. 

Showcase shopping ads allow you to group together a selection of related products and display them together to introduce your brand. These ads are triggered mostly for general terms, such as “shoes” or “backpacks”. 

Use showcase shopping ads to target people using generic search terms or highlight your best sellers. You can customize the images you want to display by uploading a custom header image. 

You can also track engagements and conversions coming from Showcase shopping ads in real-time. 

10 – Product Shopping Ads

If you want to advertise individual products, then the product shopping ad is an ideal option for you. In product shopping ads, you can show users a photo of your product, a title, price, store name, and more details about the product. 

However, to create PPC shopping ads, you will need to set up accounts with Google Merchant Center and Google Ads and link them together. 

Also, you’ll need to send up-to-date data (such as price) about your products to Google every 30 days. 

11 – Local Inventory Ads

Local inventory ads are similar to showcase shopping ads. But, unlike showcase shopping ads, which are for ecommerce retailers, local inventory ads are for physical stores. 

These Google ad formats allow you to showcase your products and business information (such as phone number, opening hours, and address) to nearby users searching with Google. 

When someone clicks on your ad, they are taken to a Google-hosted page for your shop, known as the local storefront. This is where users can view in-store inventory, timing, and find directions.

The biggest advantage of local inventory ads is that it allows local retailers to showcase the items they have to nearby people searching in Google, without having to create a website or a landing page on their own. 

12 – Gallery Ads (Beta)

Gallery PPC ads are the new kids on the block. 

Google says, “Did you know that 75% of smartphone users expect to get immediate information while using their smartphone? To help you keep pace with today’s impatient consumers, we announced the beta for gallery ads”. 

Gallery ads are much like Instagram carousels, meaning they are swipeable, image-based ad formats. It helps provide customers the information about your product and services right at the top of the SERPs. 

13 – Responsive Display Ads

Responsive display ads have replaced responsive ads as the default ad type for the display network. To launch a responsive display Google ad format, all you need to do is upload your assets (headlines, descriptions, images, logos, and videos). Google will automatically generate ads and display them on its network. 

Google uses machine learning and your past performance history to determine the optimal combination of assets for each ad slot. 

The biggest advantage of these type of Google ad formats ads is that Google adjusts the size, appearance, and format of your ads based on the space available. For example, a responsive display ad might appear as a banner on one website and a dynamic text ad on the other. 

14 – Image Ads

Image ads allow you to advertise your business in a visually-appealing way. You can use a static image, animated image, or flash format. 

It’s best to upload the images in as many sizes as possible. This is because your ads can be shown on any site and to any device. It also helps in coping with small ad spaces. When someone clicks on the image, they’ll be taken to your website.

15 – Gmail Ads

Gmail ads appear on the top of inbox tabs (both on desktop and the mobile app). Gmail ads are powered by the audience and interest targeting and hence are not shown to everyone. 

These PPC ads are expandable. When someone clicks on your ad, it will expand into an email-sized window with images and videos. 

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You can create the Customer Match Audiences list using the emails you have of your existing shoppers to target the right audiences. Google also allows you to use a similar audience targeting based on your Customer Match Audience list. Other targeting options include remarketing, affinity, audience keywords, and demographics. 

You’ll be charged on a pay-per-open basis. This means an engagement doesn’t necessarily mean the user visited your site (or performed any of your desired action). 

16 – Lightbox Ads

Lightbox PPC ads are made up of cards, which contain images or videos. Users can interact with your ad either in an invitation state or in an expanded canvas. This means people can tap or click on the advertisement to enlarge it. 

Lightbox ads automatically resize to fit standard IAB-sized (Interactive Advertising Bureau) ad spaces. This automatic resizing helps in reaching a wider audience across the Google network. 

You pay only when a user expands your ad and keeps it open for three seconds or more. Like Gmail ads, you can use targeting methods, such as affinity audiences, to reach the right people. 

17 – Dynamic Remarketing Ads

Remarketing PPC ads help target your previous site visitors. Users see the same products they browsed on your website as an ad everywhere they go on the web. 

All you need to do is upload a .csv, .tsv, .xls feed (that contains a list of products and services you offer) to your Google Ads account. 

The Google Ads product recommendation engine will automatically pull products from your feed based on what the user viewed on your site. 

Google uses machine learning to predict the platform and the dynamic layout, which is likely to perform the best for an individual and then shows the ad. 

18 – Outstream Ads

Outstream ads are mobile-only ads and appear on Google partner websites & apps. These ads autoplay with the sound off, but viewers can tap on the video to unmute it. 

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There are different placements for outstream ads. They appear as banners on mobile websites. When it comes to apps, outstream ads can appear in banners, interstitials, in-feed, native, as well as in both portrait and fullscreen modes. 

In this type of Google ad format, you will be charged per thousand impression basis. An impression is counted when a user sees your video play for two seconds or more. 

On YouTube

YouTube has more than two billion monthly active users (as of May 2019). 90% of ads on YouTube drive a lift in brand recall. 

19 – In-Stream Ads

In-stream ads appear before, during, or after other videos on YouTube. There are two types of in-stream ads: skippable and non-skippable. 

In skippable in-stream ads, the viewer gets the option to skip the ad after five seconds. 

Non-skippable ads are 15 seconds or shorter but don’t allow the users to skip it.  

In-stream ads are sometimes accompanied by optional companion banner at the top right of the video along with a call-to-action button. 

In skippable in-stream ads, you will be charged only when a user views at least 30 seconds of your video (or the full duration, if your ad is shorter than 30 seconds). On the other hand, in non-skippable in-stream ads, you have to pay based on impressions (CPM). 

20 – Bumper Ads

Bumper ads are unskippable formats of in-stream ads. They are six seconds (or shorter) long. Bumper ads are perfect for you if you want to share a short, memorable message with your target audience. 

Bumper ads are an efficient way for video advertising without having to invest lots of money in a long-form commercial. These Google ad formats appear on both YouTube and across Google partner websites. 

21 – TrueView For Shopping

Shoppable videos or TrueView for shopping are a mix of in-stream ads and Google Shopping ads. 

If you are looking for a more direct conversion action, then these ads are an ideal choice. 

Just like PPC shopping ads, you must link your Google Ads account to your Google Merchant Center to run TrueView for shopping. 

It uses your existing Merchant Center product data to generate shopping cards that appear on a video (up to six cards can be seen at a time). You can also select specific products to limit which ones show on your video ads. 

22 – TrueView Discovery Ads

Use TrueView discovery ads to promote your video in multiple places within YouTube, including YouTube search results, alongside related videos tab, or on the YouTube homepage. 

You’ll have to create a 25 character headline, two lines of description (up to 35 characters each), and pick one from four auto-generated thumbnails. 

These Google ad formats consist of a thumbnail image (that you choose) with some text. However, the exact appearance may vary depending on where it appears. You’ll have to pay only when someone clicks on the thumbnail to watch your ad. 

What’s Next?

All the 22 Google ad formats serve different purposes. It is crucial to check if the PPC ad format you choose supports your advertising goal. Google keeps on introducing new formats. You might see new formats in the coming months. 

How many of the PPC ad formats have you already tried? Which of the format you are going to try now? Let us know in the comments.