Does Google Display Network Work? 10 Tips
As is revealed in discussions on the same over at runrex.com, PPC advertising is one of the most popular online marketing strategies out there. This is in no small part thanks to Google and its powerful Google Ads platform which has made it possible for advertisers to reach millions of users worldwide. In 2003, Google introduced a new feature known as the Google Display Network which became a huge hit with advertisers because of its ability to reach millions of additional users for a much lower cost as covered over at guttulus.com. However, if it is as good as people make it out to be, why is everyone not using it? You have some experts who tell you to use while others are adamant that you should avoid it, so, who should you listen to? Does the Google Display Network work? This article, through the following 10 tips will look to answer this question by highlighting its pros and cons while also helping you understand what it is about and how it works.
What is the Google Display Network?
As already mentioned, and covered in detail over at runrex.com, the Google Display Network was launched in 2003 as an extension to the existing AdWords (now Google Ads) platform. When AdWords was launched back in the year 2000, it could only display ads on Google’s own search engine, which meant that to view ads from Google, you had to visit their website and conduct a search for a particular keyword. This is when Google decided to launch the display network, a new system that allowed Google to display its ads on external third-party websites as captured over at guttulus.com. Bu giving publishers a cut of the average cost per click, publishers had an incentive to put ads on their websites while Google vastly increased its user reach.
How can you sign up for Google’s display network?
As explained over at runrex.com, today, users can sign up for Google’s display network partnership through the AdSense program. You will need to meet certain criteria after which webmasters can start showing Google’s ads on your website in only a matter of days. Currently, the network has over 2 million participants and boasts reaching 90% of people on the internet.
The benefits of the Google Display Network
Now that you have a decent understanding of how the display network works, we should now look at the various benefits that come with using it. According to the gurus over at guttulus.com, the main benefits include:
A larger audience reach, with over 2 million websites in its display network.
Cheaper costs per click compared to the default Google search platform.
Different pricing models over and above the usual pay per click, including CPM (cost per mile).
It allows you to use visual ads which are more engaging, unlike the standard Google search ads which are entirely text.
Remarketing ads.
The disadvantages of the Google Display Network
While the Google display network has got lots of benefits, it also has several drawbacks as articulated over at runrex.com. They include:
No control of ad display – you won’t have control over which websites display your ads which means that sometimes your ads can appear on inappropriate websites.
Ads might not be relevant to the website.
You can’t fine-tune your audience as it is much harder to target specific users as compared to the search network.
The main issue with the Google Display Network
While the above disadvantages may be off-putting, advertisers can be able to live with them. The main issue with the display network, one that costs advertisers billions every year as covered over at guttulus.com, is the issue of click fraud. You have been a victim of this issue if you have noticed a sharp rise in your click-through rate, yet conversions have stayed the same.
How the click fraud occurs
Although the majority of users that click your adverts will have the intention of learning more about what you have to offer, some users can be malicious. These malicious users, as explained over at runrex.com, will purposely click your ads to drain your budget, ramp up advertising costs, and create a financial loss. This is one of the main reasons why some believe that the Google display network is not worth it and it doesn’t work.
Why is this type of fraud exceptionally high on the Google Display Network?
As the experts over at guttulus.com point out, while this type of fraud is common across various PPC networks, it is exceptionally high on the Google display network. This is because, webmasters, who display Google’s ads on their websites, earn a percentage of the ad revenue every click. Fraudulent clicks by webmasters themselves as well as the fact that your competitors may also be clicking on your ads to cause you losses, you can see why this type of fraud is rampant on the Google display network.
The solution to this problem
The obvious solution to the issue caused by click fraud is to ditch the display network altogether and only focus on high-quality traffic. As explained over at runrex.com, not only is the display network the primary reason for most of the fraud one has to suffer, but the quality of traffic is far better on the organic search results when you compare the two. This is a solution many have taken up, which is why there are lots of industry experts out there who believe that the Google display network doesn’t work.
What if you want to continue using the Google Display Network?
If quitting isn’t an option for you and you would still like to continue using the display network, then the subject matter experts over at guttulus.com recommend that you use it for remarketing. This is because remarketing is considerably cheaper than paying for normal placements, even though you will still benefit from using large visual ads that grab the user’s attention. This is something the normal search network can’t be able to do for you, and will probably never be able to.
What to do for brand new traffic
If you are looking for brand new traffic to your website, then you should probably stick to the Google organic search as covered over at runrex.com. While you might end up paying a bit more per click compared to the display network, the traffic will be of higher quality and will result in more conversions, giving you the most bang for your back. You will also suffer less from click fraud, which will save you from making huge losses.
Whether or not the Google display network works will depend on your specific situation, although the above discussion should help you decided whether you should try it out or not. For more on this and other related topics, don’t forget to check out the top-rated runrex.com and guttulus.com.