Google Ads is a vast platform with seemingly unlimited optionality on how to achieve an advertising objective for your business. With more options comes more complexity. Ads can now be viewed on websites, applications, YouTube, and Gmail. This means new form factors, use cases, contexts, etc. 

However, as AI has become more prevalent, the platform has moved dynamically with the times. This has begun to reshape how businesses, specifically SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses), build their advertising campaigns. Since 2016, businesses have been able to create ads that are either responsive or non-responsive.

Responsive Display Ads

Google defines Responsive Display Ads (RDAs) as “Responsive display ads adjust their size, appearance, and format to fit just about any available ad space and improve performance.” This creates multiple benefits.

Benefits of Responsive Display Ads

• Saves time and effort by leveraging automation. 

Rather than having to handcraft the perfect headline, logo, image, or video (assets), Google will dynamically rotate through all provided assets to optimize the ad for the form factor, leveraging AI to find the best mix. This can save businesses immense amounts of time when building their campaign.

• Optimized for various devices and placements.

Building on the time-saving nature, Google will also have the ability to place your ad anywhere within its ad network due to the ad’s adaptability. This means the ad has the flexibility to appear on websites, apps, YouTube, and Gmail.  

• Ads will improve over time.

As assets are placed in different combinations Google collects data on each individual combination. This data can be reviewed by a business and changes can be implemented to create ads that can perform more effectively. 

Who Are Responsive Display Ads For? 

Responsive Ads are best suited for those businesses with minimal time, those that do not have internal expertise in marketing, advertising, or SEO, and those who do not have in-house creatives (design, photography, etc.). This will often include entrepreneurs or small to medium-sized businesses.  

Non-Responsive Display Ads

Google also offers the option to create your own display ad. This means you will be handcrafting your headline (and overall copy), and selecting how the ad displays concerning your company logo and other creative assets (photo, GIF, etc.). Whereas RDAs come with dynamic adjustments, reformats, and various placements, non-RDAs are standardized. However, there are two main types of Non-Responsive Display Ad types: Standard and Dynamic.

Standard Image Ads

Standard Image Ads are static or animated ads that come in predetermined sizes. Think billboards for the internet. These billboards are created and predetermined, they cannot be changed, but they are plastered on websites as traffic (users) scroll by. 

Benefits of Standard Image Ads

• Full creative control and direction.

Choosing to utilize a Standard Image Ad allows agencies, brands, and companies, total control over the advertisement. Whereas responsive ads would change based on a given format, situation, or other factors, these ads remain consistent. This enhances the ability to communicate a very specific message to consumers with no opportunity of it being changed or being contextually inaccurate. 

• Ensures consistency across platforms or placements. 

Tangentially related to having control is ensuring the consistency of your advertisement. This is bigger than just Google. As agencies or enterprises begin massive marketing campaigns it is imperative that the creative remains consistent across all platforms and occurrences. The Standard Image Ad guarantees this can happen. 

Who Are Standard Image Ads For? 

This style of ad is for the aforementioned parties: agencies, brands, and companies. This is because the level of investment and expertise needed in the creative, copy, asset building, and more, is extreme. 

Dynamic Display Ads

Dynamic Display Ads are personalized ads generated based on user behavior and actions. Apart of a larger dynamic remarketing integration these ads, “show customers personalized content (including ads of products they’ve viewed on your website or app) from a product feed you control and attach to your campaign.” 

Benefits of Dynamic Display Ads

• Personalized ads, improving engagement and conversion.

Have you ever shopped for a product and left the page, only to see an advertisement for that product later on that affirms your want or need for the product? If so, you have been remarketed. Google’s Dynamic Display Ads have access to your customers’ traffic and can remarket those who shopped for your product but did not purchase it. 

Who Are Dynamic Display Ads For? 

Dynamic Display Ads are best for those running e-commerce websites. More specifically, those sites that are looking to run remarketing campaigns.