If you’re just starting out with Google Ads, selecting the right campaign objective and campaign type from the variety of options can feel overwhelming. But don’t worry! In this blog, we’ll break down the six different types of Google Ads objectives and campaign types in detail.
By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear understanding of each option, know which objectives and campaign types to prioritise, and which to avoid. Choosing the wrong one can drain your budget fast.
What Are Google Ads Objectives?
Google Ads offers various objectives that help advertisers tailor their campaigns toward specific goals. Let’s go through each one to help you decide which suits your business.
1. Sales Objective
The Sales objective is best suited for businesses aiming to directly sell products online. It helps optimise your campaigns for driving conversions on your website, think of it as setting your ad campaign to go straight for the sale.
With tools like conversion tracking and remarketing, this objective works to streamline the buying process. It ensures that clicks on your ads translate into actual purchases, maximising your revenue. If your primary goal is to make sales, the Sales objective should be your go-to.
2. Leads Objective
If you run a service-based business, the Leads objective is perfect for you. This option helps in gathering customer information or generating leads through a call-to-action.
For example, you might direct users to sign-up forms or prompt them to call you directly. So, if your goal is to increase inquiries or generate interest in your services, the Leads objective will help you attract those potential customers to your website or landing page.
3. Website Clicks Objective
While Website Clicks may sound appealing, but it’s not focused on driving conversions or sales. This objective simply brings more visitors to your site but doesn’t optimise for actions like purchases or lead generation.
For businesses focused on revenue generation, this objective is not ideal. In fact, many digital marketers advise steering clear of it unless you have a specific use case in mind, like increasing traffic for awareness or engagement purposes. For most businesses, especially if you’re looking for direct leads or sales, this is not the best fit.
4. Brand Awareness and Reach Objective
The Brand Awareness and Reach objective is suitable for large companies or brands with significant advertising budgets. This option is similar to traditional media advertising—like billboards, TV, or newspaper ads—focused solely on making sure your brand is seen by as many people as possible.
If you’re a smaller business, this may not be for you. It’s great for big brands whose goal is continuous visibility, but it doesn’t directly drive sales or lead generation. Smaller businesses with limited ad budgets should skip this option in favour of more targeted objectives like Leads or Sales.
5. App Promotion Objective
The App Promotion objective is specialised for businesses with mobile apps. It helps you drive more installs, increase in-app engagement, or boost specific in-app actions.
However, for most traditional businesses, this won’t be necessary unless you’re actively promoting an app as part of your offerings. If you don’t have an app, you can safely skip this objective.
6. Store Visits Objective
If your goal is to drive foot traffic to a physical store, then the Store Visits objective is ideal. It helps boost the number of customers visiting your location, making it suitable for brick-and-mortar shops.
For service-based businesses or those without physical retail locations, this objective isn’t relevant. However, if you sell tangible products and want to increase in-store sales, the Store Visits option can help bring customers through your doors.
Check the video below for detailed understanding –
Exploring Google Ads Campaign Types
Now that you know the different objectives, it’s time to look at the six main Google Ads campaign types. Each serves a unique purpose depending on your advertising goals.
1. Search Campaigns
Search campaigns are essentially the digital version of a billboard. Your ads appear when people search for specific keywords related to your product or service. For instance, if you’re a plumber and someone searches “plumber near me,” your ad will show up in the search results.
These campaigns are great for service-based businesses like local landscapers, roofers, or other trades where customers are actively searching for solutions. If you want to be seen by people already looking for what you offer, this is the campaign type to choose.
2. Performance Max Campaigns
Performance Max campaigns are a powerhouse, offering the ability to create multiple ad formats—such as search, YouTube, display, and shopping ads—within a single campaign. Google uses its algorithm to determine the best spots for your ads, constantly optimising performance based on incoming data.
This campaign type is perfect for businesses looking for a comprehensive approach that touches multiple platforms, giving them maximum reach with minimal manual optimisation.
3. Display Campaigns
Display campaigns allow you to use visually appealing ads like images or videos to reach your target audience. These ads appear on various websites that your target customers typically visit, which makes them excellent for retargeting or increasing brand awareness.
If your goal is to remind potential customers of your brand or build recognition, Display campaigns are an excellent option. They aren’t as direct for sales, but they do play a crucial role in the customer journey.
4. Shopping Campaigns
Shopping campaigns are the digital equivalent of an online storefront. These campaigns are perfect for eCommerce businesses selling physical products like clothing or electronics.
Your product image and price will appear in search results when potential customers search for related products. Shopping campaigns offer a visually appealing, straightforward way to present your products, making it easy for customers to click through and make a purchase.
5. Video Ad Campaigns
Video ad campaigns allow you to reach customers on YouTube, a highly engaging platform for video content. These campaigns are particularly useful for retargeting people who have already visited your website but haven’t completed a purchase.
It’s recommended to create unique videos specifically for these campaigns, rather than repurposing long-form YouTube videos. By tailoring your video content for ads, you increase the chances of converting potential customers without impacting your organic YouTube performance.
6. Demand Gen Campaigns
Demand Gen campaigns are one of Google’s newest offerings. They focus on top-of-funnel traffic through image and video ads. These ads aim to generate interest in your products and services across platforms like Gmail, YouTube Shorts, and YouTube In-Stream.
Because YouTube Shorts is relatively new and not heavily monetised, it offers low-cost-per-click (CPC) and high conversion rates. However, to see meaningful results, you’ll need a solid video production and ad strategy in place.
Select the Right Campaign Type
Selecting the right Google Ads objective and campaign type is crucial to getting the best return on your investment. For local service businesses, the Leads objective combined with a Search campaign is a winning combination. If you’re in eCommerce or selling products online, focus on Sales objectives and Shopping campaigns.
Leave the more complex options like Brand Awareness and Demand Gen to larger companies with bigger budgets and the resources to test and refine their campaigns. Understanding the nuances of each objective and campaign type will help you optimise your Google Ads performance, ensuring you don’t waste your hard-earned money on the wrong choices.
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