What Are Google Discovery Ads

Another day, another new Google product to discover. That’s an appropriate word for this because Google’s newest product is called Google Discovery Ads. We know, we know Google comes out with new stuff all the time so what is different here?

Google Discovery Ads are a type of ad format that appear more seamlessly throughout Google’s various platforms, such as the Discover feed, YouTube, and gMail promotions tab. These ads are dynamic meaning that they are based on users preferences. We also know…. This sounds overly similar to that other newer product by Google, Performance Max.

Our goal below is to help you learn more about what Discovery Ads are and how to use them. We also will share how they differentiate themselves from Google’s other dynamically generated ad products.

Google Discovery Ads vs. Performance Max

Google Discovery Ads are visually engaging and appear seamlessly within the user’s browsing experience, blending in with the content to provide a more native and personalized advertising experience. They use machine learning algorithms to deliver relevant ads to users based on their interests, behaviors, and past interactions. Advertisers can showcase their products, services, or brand in a visually appealing and immersive way, increasing the chances of capturing the attention of potential customers.

How does Performance Max differ from Discovery Ads?  Performance Max is another ad format offered by Google, but it differs from Google Discovery Ads in several ways. 

Performance Max is focused on maximizing performance and driving conversions, whereas Google Discovery Ads aim to provide a more native and personalized advertising experience. Performance Max uses machine learning algorithms to optimize ad placement and bidding strategies to achieve the best possible results for advertisers.

Secondly, Performance Max ads can appear across a wider range of Google properties, including Search, Display, YouTube, and Discover, while Google Discovery Ads are primarily shown in the Discover feed, YouTube, and the Gmail promotions tab.

Lastly, Performance Max allows advertisers to use a single campaign to reach multiple goals, such as driving website visits, app installs, or generating leads. On the other hand, Google Discovery Ads are specifically designed for brand awareness and engagement.

While both Google Discovery Ads and Performance Max utilize machine learning algorithms and aim to deliver relevant ads to users, they have different objectives and placements. 

Google Discovery Ads focus on providing a visually appealing and immersive advertising experience, while Performance Max is geared towards maximizing performance and achieving specific campaign goals across a wider range of Google properties.

Google Discovery Ads goal is to capture the attention of potential customers and increase the likelihood of them taking action, such as clicking on the ad or making a purchase. The visual appeal combined with the machine learning algorithms allows these ads to be a very cost-effective advertising option. Like many of the other ad types that Google offers, advertisers only pay when users engage with the ad, such as clicking on it or taking a specific action. This means that advertisers can optimize their budget and ensure that they are getting a good return on investment. 

Discovery ads on Google are targeted towards specific audiences rather than keywords. Advertisers can choose from various audience options such as remarketing, detailed demographics, in-market audiences, life events, and affinity and custom intent. However, there are limitations to campaign settings for Google Discovery ads. Manual bid strategies, contextual targeting, placement targeting, device targeting, ad rotation, frequency capping, and delivery method cannot be adjusted. Additionally, the Discover feed in the Google App is not available to consumers in Germany, Australia, and France. Therefore, if you plan to target these countries, your ads will be limited to the YouTube home feed and the Gmail feed.

Overall, Google Discovery Ads offer a range of benefits for advertisers, including increased reach, a native and personalized experience, visual appeal, cost-effectiveness, and easy setup and management. By leveraging these ad formats, advertisers can effectively reach and engage potential customers and drive desired actions.

Native Ads Across Multiple Platforms

Google’s new native product places ads Discovery Ads on multiple Google platforms. Let’s take a look at how different your ad may look within Gmail vs. YouTube.

Gmail Feed
You can find discovery ads in your Gmail. If you click on the “Social” or “Promotions” tabs you will notice the promotions like this. After you click on the ads, it will open similar to an email and provide more details on the offer.

Google App Discover
Those who have the Google app on their phone will see Discovery Ads on their feed if they have the “Discover” feature turned on. The Discover feed provides personalized content to its users based on their interests, web history, and even saved items.

YouTube Home Feed
YouTube is also a platform where you can see Discovery Ads. Scrolling on the “Home” tab, you will find ads that highlighted in yellow on the bottom left of the video.

How To Set Up Google Discovery Ads

Setting up and managing Google Discovery Ads is relatively easy, thanks to Google’s user-friendly advertising platform. Advertisers can easily create and customize their ads, target specific audiences, and track the performance of their campaigns, making it convenient and efficient to run successful ad campaigns.

To use Google Discovery Ads, follow these steps:

1. Set up a Google Ads account: If you don’t already have a Google Ads account, create one by visiting the Google Ads website and signing up.
2. Create a new campaign: Once you’re logged into your Google Ads account, navigate to the campaigns section and click on the “+” button to create a new campaign.
3. Select your campaign goal: Choose the campaign goal that aligns with your advertising objectives. For example, if you want to drive website traffic, select the “Website traffic” goal.
4. Choose your campaign type: In the campaign creation process, select “Discovery” as your campaign type.
5. Set your targeting options: Define your target audience by selecting their demographics, interests, and behaviors. You can also choose specific placements where you want your ads to appear, such as the Discover feed, YouTube, or Gmail promotions tab.
6. Create your ad: Design an engaging and visually appealing ad that will capture the attention of your target audience. You can include images, headlines, descriptions, and a call-to-action to encourage users to take action.
7. Set your budget and bidding strategy: Determine how much you want to spend on your campaign and choose a bidding strategy that aligns with your goals, such as maximizing clicks or conversions.
8. Launch your campaign: Review your campaign settings, ad creatives, and targeting options before launching your campaign. Once you’re ready, click on the “Launch” button to start running your Google Discovery Ads.
9. Monitor and optimize your campaign: Regularly monitor the performance of your ads and make adjustments as needed. Use the data and insights provided by Google Ads to optimize your targeting, ad creatives, and bidding strategy to maximize your campaign’s effectiveness.

By following these steps, you can start using Google Discovery Ads to reach potential customers and promote your products, services, or brand in a visually appealing and personalized way.

Tips For High Performing Google Discovery Ads

Use high-quality visuals: Visuals play a crucial role in capturing the attention of users. Make sure to use high-resolution images or videos that are visually appealing and relevant to your ad’s message.

Craft compelling headlines: Your ad’s headline should be attention-grabbing and concise. It should clearly communicate the value proposition or key message of your ad.

Write engaging descriptions: Use the description section to provide additional information about your product, service, or brand. Focus on highlighting the unique features or benefits that make your offering stand out.

Include a clear call-to-action (CTA): A strong CTA encourages users to take action, such as visiting your website, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter. Make sure your CTA is clear, compelling, and aligned with your campaign goals.

Test different variations: Experiment with different ad variations to see which ones perform the best. Test different headlines, visuals, and CTAs to find the winning combination that resonates with your target audience.

Optimize for mobile: Google Discovery Ads are designed to be mobile-friendly, so make sure your ad looks great and functions well on mobile devices. Test your ad on different screen sizes and optimize it for a seamless mobile experience.

Leverage machine learning: Google Discovery Ads use machine learning algorithms to deliver relevant ads to users. Take advantage of this technology by allowing Google to optimize your ads based on user behavior and performance data.

Always Keep Testing

With any campaign, you will need to continuously monitor and make adjustments. Analyze metrics such as click-through rates, conversions, and cost per acquisition to identify areas for improvement. Advertising is an iterative process, so don’t be afraid to experiment and try new strategies. Continuously test different targeting options, ad formats, and messaging to find what works best for your business.

Google’s ad platform is constantly evolving, so it’s important to stay updated with the latest best practices and features. Follow Google’s blog, attend webinars, and join industry forums to stay informed about new opportunities and strategies for optimizing your Google Discovery Ads.

Here at Cordelia Labs we are all about testing, evolving, and optimizing. It’s what we do best. Our team learns your audience, your services, and your goals to deliver the best performance possible. Send us a message and let’s get started. We will be waiting.