Network Google

After getting a degree in Physics, Andy has become a data wizard which means he
splits his time between researching for us and min-maxing World of Warcraft.

No matter if you’re practising for an AdWords exam, or you’ve just started

using Google Ads for the very first time, understanding Google’s pay per
click service is essential.

With so many different options and features to explore, getting to grips with
how everything works and what it means can be very confusing. Without
knowing what everything does, you could be missing out on a vast amount
of sales by not utilising a specific feature in your campaign.

One of the most common confusing aspects of Google’s paid search

service is their range of networks available. We’ll dive deeper into what
networks they have later, but for now, all you need to know is: there is a
big difference between them.

To help you understand what the Google network is and how it can
significantly affect your ad’s success, we’re taking a closer look at these
important networks.

Understanding Google’s Networks

Ever since Google’s launch back in the ’90s, the company has been
continually expanding and growing its services. With the introduction of
AdWords and AdSense in the early 2000s, Google’s advertising networks
have exploded in size and can now reach over 90% of all online users.

It’s this network that advertisers pay a pretty price to advertise their
products and services to millions (possibly billions) of users online.
Currently, there are 2 main Google networks which advertisers choose to
use; these are the Google search network and the display network.

Google Search Network

The first and most popular network Google has in its arsenal is the Google
search network. This network is the one you’re probably the most familiar
with and use on your own Google Ads campaigns.

The Google search network includes every search engine results page
under Google’s control. This means that any search term you type in
Google, that search engine results page is part of Google’s search engine
network. Considering there are an unlimited amount of phrases that people
can search for, that’s a pretty big network!

If you use Google frequently (without AdBlocker), then you’ve probably

noticed the sponsored results at the top of every search you make. All of
these adverts are using the Google search network to maximise their
visibility. Depending on what settings the ads are using, this means the ads
will display for a range of keywords including exact match phrases, phrase
matches and broad matches.

With billions of users making Google searches every day, there are plenty
of opportunities for advertisers to advertise their products to millions of
people.

Google Display Network

The second most popular Google network that advertisers use is the
display network. Introduced in 2003 through Google’s AdSense program,
the network allows Google to take advantage of 3rd party partner sites.
User’s simply apply to the network with an application form, and if they’re
successful, they will be able to display Google’s ads on their website. For
every click they receive on their ads, the webmaster will receive a
commission from Google based on the average cost per click. This gives
webmasters an incentive to apply to the network, and it allows Google to
increase the size of the advertising network. It’s a win-win!

The main purpose of the display network is that it allows advertisers to

target users without them having to visit one of Google’s domains (Google
USA, UK etc). It can also be used for more advanced forms of advertising,
such as remarketing once a user has already visited a website in the past.
The Difference Between The Networks
Now you understand the two different networks, how do they compare
when they go head to head?

To help you understand the main difference between them and which one
you should be using on your campaign. Here’s a handy comparison table.

Search Network Display Network

Over 2 million 3rd

Limited to Google’s search party websites
Reach
engine only covering 90% of
online users

Much cheaper clicks

From 50 cents to 100 dollars
Cost from 1 cent to 50
plus per click
cents

Focuses on keywords, exact

Audience interests
Targeting match, phrase match and
and specific sites
Options broad match as well as
targeting
countries

Highly targeted clicks from Vague targeting

Effectiveness users related to the target which results in less
keyword targeted users

As you can see from the table above, the main difference is the price that
advertisers pay per click. When it comes to the search network, advertisers
almost always get better quality traffic, but have to pay more money per
click. Traffic from the display network, on the other hand, is a lot cheaper
per click, but the targeting is nowhere near as precise.

In some cases, the low cost per click from the display network can outweigh
the low conversion rate and interest. But in most cases, advertisers always
want the most targeted users to click on their ads and land on their pages.
Protect Yourself On The Google
Network
No matter what Google network you decide to run your ads on, make sure
you’re protected from competitors and fraudulent clicks.

Like running ads on Google isn’t expensive enough already, fraudulent

clicks can seriously artificially inflate the price you pay for clicks. With 1 in
5 clicks currently being fraudulent, you could be losing a large amount of
your budget every month to click fraud.

To see how much you could save with PPC Protect, sign up to our free 30-
day trial below. With installation taking just a few minutes, you can wave
bye bye to any fraudulent clicks and reclaim your advertising budget.