How To Target Your Display Ads For Success? — Part 3

Published in

Inside Revenue

13 min readNov 20, 2018

The Advanced Guide

In the Intermediate guide we spoke around two platforms that you can use to advertise on Display Networks. This showed you their targeting options that are available, and how you are able to use them to your advantage. If you need a refresher on the topics discussed in this article, click here to read “How To Target Your Display Ads For Success? — Part 2 (The Intermediate Guide)”.

Advertising on Display is arguably one of the most effective ways to market your business. And if you’re not using the Google Display Network, you’re missing out on a valuable way to expose your brand. In this article I will give you some tips and best practices for using the Adroll and Adwords Display advertising platforms.

“Your competitors will not wait for you. If your customers are active on social, then you can bet that they are listening to or talking to someone, let’s make sure it’s you” — Kevin Thomas Tully ( CEO/CSO/CMO | @CreationAgency) @kevinttully

What Should I Watch Out For When Targeting Audiences On Display Networks?

In this article I will cover:

#1 Strategies For Success On The Google Display Network

#2 Adroll Best Practices

So let’s move along…

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#1 Strategies For Success On The Google Display Network

1.Get Familiar With the Targeting Options

Your success on the Display Network will likely come down to how well you can target your audience.

The Methods Include:

Keyword Targeting — You choose to target broad keywords (often long-tail); your ads will then appear on websites containing content that matches those keywords.
Placement Targeting –The advertiser selects the domain names they wish for their ads to appear on. So if you run a business in the wedding industry, you could include any domains related to wedding planning, wedding photography, wedding catering, etc. Keep in mind that choosing a particular domain name does not guarantee that your ad will run there. It will depend on a variety of factors, such as if the website allows ads to run on their website, if you win the ad auction, etc.
Interest Targeting — Select an interest group based on predefined groups from Google. Users are placed into groups based on their browsing behavior, and is broken down into “in-market” and “affinity” groups. In-market groups are considered “in the market” and therefore closer to an actual purchase; you can choose which audience and interest best fits your goals
Audience Targeting — This targeting option will be based on pre-built audiences you’ve created in Google — generally those that have visited your site in the past (remarketing, which we’ll cover in-depth shortly).
Topic Targeting — This allows advertisers to select a group of websites based on particular topics. Rather than individual users interests (as seen in interest targeting), this targets websites based on their overall theme.
Demographic Targeting — This one is perhaps the most straightforward targeting option; it allows you to target users based on age, gender, marital status, etc.

The number of options can easily become overwhelming, which is why Googlecreated the display planner to help you determine which best fits your business’s needs.

Remember, the first step in any successful campaign is determining what you ultimately want to achieve.

The best way to determine which targeting method is right for you is to experiment. Try them all if you can, to determine which best suits your business.

2. Run Remarketing Ads On The Google Display Network

If you’ve been using the internet, you’ve been a target of a remarketing ad. It’s that simple. Remarketing ads are the ones that pop up on seemingly every site you visit, advertising a website you’ve recently visited.

They’re so effective, that website visitors who are retargeted with display ads are 70% more likely to convert on your site.They work because the people you’re showing them to an audience that already has an interest in your brand, so much so that they’ve visited your website.

It’s especially helpful on the Google Display Network (GDN). One of the biggest drawbacks of the GDN is the worry that you’re showing ads to people who aren’t technically looking for them, and could therefore be put off by “pushy” advertiser behavior. But using remarketing, you’re showing them to people who already know you. And oftentimes, that goes over much better with visitors.

3. Exclude Sites That Are Off Topic in the Google Display Network

The last thing you want is to advertise your product or service on a completely unrelated website. Luckily, with the GDN you don’t have to. You are able to exclude off-topic sites in the Google Display Network

Remember placement targeting? While it lets you choose specific domains you’d like to display your ad on, it also works in reverse. Google allows you to exclude certain sites or pages that you feel are inappropriate for your product. Or, if you find that your ads aren’t performing well on a certain page, you can then exclude it from appearing there again.

4. Use The Managed Placements Option

If you want the most control over where your ad is placed, use the Managed Placements targeting option. The other methods — topics, keyword, etc. — give Google the power to choose which sites are best for your ad.

While you control which specific interests or topics to target, Google then decides — based on predetermined lists and algorithms — the sites which best fit those particular topics. That isn’t always ideal, and even Google makes mistakes.

If you’re more comfortable taking the guesswork out, you can manage the placements yourself by choosing which websites you would like your ad to appear on. If you need ideas about which sites to add, think of it in terms of your target audience. What kind of websites are they most likely to visit?

5. Use The Similar Audience Feature On The Google Display Network

Using the Similar Audience feature is another way to hone in on those most likely to show interest in your ad. It’s based on your remarketing audience (so if you haven’t already, you’ll want to enable remarketing ads).

Based on that list, the feature helps find and target people who share characteristics with those who have visited your site. To make it work, Google AdWords uses the browsing history over the last 30 days to match shared interests. When Google finds visitors who have visited sites similar to those on your remarketing list, it automatically ads them to your Similar Audience.

6. Use Display Select Keyword Targeting

If you’re at all familiar with advertising on Google, or SEO in general, you’re familiar with the importance of keywords. You may be less familiar with Google’s latest Display Select Keywords.

Normally, keywords target sites that your audience visits. But Display Select Keywords (which were formerly known as Search Companion Marketing) will show up on sites that offer complementary or related products and services. The overall aim is to target users based on search intent. Google will match the keywords in your display ad campaign to highly relevant pages with proven high conversion rates (based on Google’s algorithms and analytics).

Because they are currently searching for related items, searchers will find ads more relevant and be more likely to convert. This can be beneficial to your campaign for many reasons. First of all, by targeting indirectly your still reaching those that are interested in similar content and services, meaning they will likely be interested in your service as well.

Beyond that, it exposes you to a whole new audience, relevant audience.

7. Make Your Google Display Network Ads Visual and Appealing

One of the GDN’s biggest advantages over search ads is its ability to incorporate visuals into your ad.

Some The Ad Types Available Are:

Responsive Ads — These automatically adjust to fit size, appearance and format to fit different ad spaces (and are required over plain text ads as of February 2017).
Upload Image Ads — You can upload your own image ads to the network.
Engagement Ads — Visually rich, immersive ad experience.
Gmail Ads — Show ads on the top tabs of people’s inbox.

Ad sizes range from small to large banners, so you can choose how much real estate you want to work with. Generally speaking, images attract more attention, so choose an ad size that works for your brand while still able to incorporate some visual appeal. Also pay attention to your messaging. Keep it short and simple (especially if using a visual ad; it’s often best to let the images do the talking). And always include some kind of Call-To-Action.

8. Adjust Your Google Display Network Ad For Time Of Day

This is an easy yet often overlooked feature. With all Google ads, you have the option to set schedules (specific days, time of day, etc.) The most obvious target to keep in mind is time zone. Specifically, if you have a local or regional audience, you’ll want to set your time parameters around your particular time zone. Otherwise, you’re simply wasting money running an ad that your audience won’t see.

Google also allows you to monitor how your ad performs throughout the day so you can hone in on your best-performing times. Then, you can increase your bid on certain keywords during those times or schedule them to appear more on certain days based on ad performance.

9. Run Google Display Network Ads In Conjunction With Search Ads

As we covered earlier, search and display ads achieve different goals. Yet the compliment each other by targeting different users. Users response to your ad will have a lot to do with where they are in the sales funnel.

So if you have the resources, why not cover all your bases? Run both campaigns to achieve the most widespread results.

10. Use The Gmail Sponsored Promotions On The Google Display Network

These hit users where they’re most likely to be — their email inbox. Gmail ads look just like normal emails and are delivered only to personal inboxes. When clicked on, will pull up your ad.

To make them most effective, you should approach them like you would any other email marketing campaign. That means catchy, curiosity-inducing subject lines. Your “subject line” is the teaser text (which is limited to 25 characters). It will appear as any other email would in an inbox, and a click on the teaser will take them to what appears to be a normal email with your ad inside.

Like other AdWords formats, advertisers are charged per click, not per impression. If someone opens your ad, you’ll the incur a charge. As with the other ad options available, Gmail Sponsored Promotions target inboxes based on selected keywords, topics, remarketing lists, etc.Keep in mind this format requires two ad version — one full, expandable ad and the collapsed version that will appear in inboxes.

11. Use Google’s Contextual Targeting Tool For the Google Display Network

This particular tool allows you to quickly create relevant keyword lists to run on the GDN. The more targeted keywords you have, the better your targeting will ultimately be in your ads. Which means building relevant keyword lists is crucial to a successful campaign.

It can also be time-consuming. Which is why Google introduced the Contextual Targeting Tool, which does a majority of the work for you by pulling its own list of keywords related to your ad. You can use it on existing campaigns or brand new ones. Simply enter in a keyword that describes what you’re advertising (the more specific the better).

Google will then pull up a list of relevant keywords to add to your ad groups. It will sort the keywords into groups and even suggest max CPC bids. From there, you can edit the ad group ad you would like based on Google’s recommendations.

12. Monitor And Test Your Ad’s Performance

The only way to really know how well your ad works is to monitor and test it over time. Monitor its performance — is it reaching the goals you outlined in beginning? Whether you wanted improved ROI, more website traffic or anything in between, your ad isn’t doing you any favors if it isn’t achieving what you set out to do.

If you find your campaign isn’t performing as you had hoped, test different features. Start with your targeting options — run different ad groups based on topics, keywords, etc. to see which performs best. Try out remarketing ads vs. similar audiences. Which is producing the best return?

You can measure your ads performance right in Google through various reports, and connect it to your Google Analytics to see how your website traffic and conversion have been affected.

#2 Adroll Best Practices

Adroll has grown a lot since it was launched in 2007. It has become a platform that is user-friendly, and used by many people and agencies across the globe. They have created a couple of audience and ad best practices to help guide advertisers to new heights on the platform — which I will go over below.

Audience Best Practices

Recommended B2C Audience Types
The following audience types represent different areas of the purchase funnel. We recommend that you create each of these before you launch your campaign. We also recommend a cookie duration of 30 days for these audiences, but note that your duration should match your sales cycle.

Visitors to Unsegmented Pages
We automatically create an audience that includes everyone who visits your homepage. Targeting all visitors lets you engage consumers who show the low intent, and ultimately bring them down the conversion funnel.
Product-Based Audience
Visitors who have gone to a specific product page belong in a product segment. Targeting a product segment lets you engage middle-of-the-funnel users who have shown some interest in products. This audience allows you to use unique ads, tailored to the product viewed.
Cart-Based Audience
People who have visited your cart page are high-intent audience. This audience is essential to a B2C Adroll Convert campaign.
Conversion Audience
Visitors who have made a purchase and reached a Thank You page belong in a conversion audience. This lets you target them for loyalty programs or exclude them from campaigns designed to convert first-time purchasers.

Recommended B2B Audience Types
There are three crucial audiences to build that should be the core of any B2B campaign. Typical cookie duration for this type of campaign is around 60–90 days.

Visitors To Unsegmented Pages
We automatically create an audience that includes everyone who visits your homepage. Targeting all visitors lets you engage consumers who show the low intent, and ultimately bring them down the conversion funnel.
Pricing Page Audience
Visitors who view pricing information tend to have a higher interest in your product. Create an audience for this mid-intent group.
Free Trial Request Audience
Visitors who request a free trial or more info are typically equivalent to a conversion audience. These visitors show the highest intent by requesting for a trial. You may want to exclude this audience from Adroll Convert campaigns designed to convert casual browsers.

Ad Best Practices

Ads have a huge impact on how your audience engages with your brand, which is why our creative team is constantly improving the ads that we make. Here are some tips for creating effective ads.

Know Your Audience
Approach your audience with an open mind and constantly evolve your strategy. Continue to try new strategies with your ads to understand your audience better (what works? what doesn’t work?) and to maintain high campaign performance over time. Take the time to get to know your customers. Figure out what they value.

Here’s some framework for a successful ad campaign:

Refine the visitor’s understanding of your business.
Remind the visitor of their interest.
Justify the value of your offering.
Highlight a product or feature that they may have missed the first time they visited your website.
Provide additional incentive to convert.

Create Engaging Ads

Simple
When creating web ads, think simple. The web is a busy place, so keep your image and message clean to draw your visitors’ attention. Your ad should be a balance of image and text. Identify your strongest selling point, and be concise. Any messaging should be reinforced by images used to compel that click.
Bold
Your ad is competing not only with other ads, but also website content. Use bold typography and strong, relevant images to make your ad pop. Typically, white backgrounds rarely stand out.
Your Logo
Clicks may be the strongest indicator of ad engagement, but brand exposure can have a huge impact on keeping your company top-of-mind. Place your logo prominently and use contrasting background colors to help it stand out.
Promotions
If you want to get clicks, give your visitors incentive to follow through. Promotions such as exclusive discounts or free shipping are small tactics that go a long way to compel that click, get that customer back to your website, and drive conversions.
Call-To-Action
You’ve caught your visitors’ attention — now let them know what you want them to do. A strong call to action helps give visitors that extra little push they need to click your ad.

Variety Is Key

The three most popular web ad sizes (300x250, 160x600, and 728x90) represent the majority of available inventory — make sure you have them. Upload ads in as many sizes as you can. You don’t want to miss out on a potential high-value impression because you didn’t have an ad in that size.

Finally, it’s important to consider variety in the long run. To combat the onset of banner fatigue (diminishing impact each time you see an ad), make sure that you update your campaign creative periodically so your audience isn’t stuck seeing the same ad.

“People share interactive content about twice as much as passive content. Interactive content opens up a new opportunity between free open content and traditional gated content.” — Scott Brinker ( VP platform ecosystem at HubSpot) @chiefmartec

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Display advertising is a key advantage that all marketers should use to ensure their brand is visible everywhere that their customers are. It is for this reason that I created this article set to help you with your display targeting success.

We are working to bring you more guides on Display marketing strategies to help you improve on your marketing efforts and drive increased revenue, so come back and visit our publication, Inside Revenue, for the release of these articles and more.