No Banner Ads? No Problem: 3 AdWords Image Ad Tools

In my last post I outlined three tips for targeting on GDN that some advertisers many not know about. Not only is targeting essential in getting results, the creative plays a critical part in overall performance.

Some advertisers find creating image ads a barrier to entry in the GDN because they have limited resources to creative numerous graphic banner ads. Limited resources doesn’t have to limit your opportunity!

Adwords Ad Gallery, previously called display ad builder, allows advertisers to create ads quickly and in different layouts and dimensions.

Creating Image Ads Using Your Website

Google uses a variety of ad templates, images from your website, and cues from text ads, to create several ad design ideas. Advertisers can customize ad elements from the auto-generated ideas.

In scanning my website, Adwords offered eight different design ideas.

Design ideas can be further reviewed by clicking on “see all variations” which shows the same design in various banner dimensions.

Rolling over an ad preview gives you the options to customize it the ad editors for elements like colors, images, and copy. Once an ad is “selected” it can be saved.

To find this feature, in any display campaign, select “+ ad”, then “display ad”. Enter or confirm the URL in the next screen.

AdWords Ad Gallery

There is a different option to create an ad from the Ad Gallery. Once selecting the type of ad, you are presented with several templates: Dynamic, social ads, lightbox ads, video ads, general purpose ads.

After an ad type is selected, AdWords provides a template and/or form to enter in information about the ad you want to create.

To find this feature, in any display campaign, select “+ ad”, then select “ad gallery”.

Dyamic display ads

For advertisers with a product feed, there is a feature to create dynamic display ads of products. Advertisers can designate a preference for a specific ad layout or or a preferred layout. The preferred layout allows different feature to be turned on and off in the ad. For example, you can turn on or off star ratings or mobile.

AdWords will serve and create ads dynamically based on their prediction of which layouts that are likely to perform best, placements, and platforms where ads are served.

To find this feature, in any display campaign, select “+ ad”, then select “ad gallery”, select the first option “dynamic ads”.

Have you used these tools and found them useful? Let us know by posting in the comments or tweeting us @TheSEMPost  and @LisaRocksSEM

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Lisa Raehsler

Owner at Big Click Co.

Lisa Raehsler is the founder and principal strategist at Big Click Co., an online advertising company and Google AdWords Partner, specializing in strategy and management of SEM and PPC for search engines, display, retargeting, and social media ad campaigns. Lisa has led strategy on hundreds of PPC accounts and puts her experience into practice every day as a thought leader in integrating clients' search campaigns across earned, owned, and other paid media.

Latest posts by Lisa Raehsler (see all)

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• Google AdWords Upgrades Dynamic Search Ads - July 30, 2015
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