Google offers paid ads that appear in search results on google.com along with Google ads, or ads that appear on other sites through the Google Display Network and AdSense program. Below is an example of a Google search results page (SERP). Sponsored results, such as ads, are labeled “Advertising.” Google paid ads contain two sections, one at the top of the “natural” or organic results page and the other at the bottom of the results page.

Learn what Google ads are, how Google ads work, and why you need to run your own Google ads.

Google performs 63,000 searches every second, and most search results pages contain Google ads. Google-paid ads can be a much more effective way to bring relevant and qualified traffic to your site, just as people look for the types of products or services your business offers.

What is Google Ad?

Google offers paid ads that appear in search results on google.com along with Google ads, or ads that appear on other sites through the Google Display Network and AdSense program. Below is an example of a Google search results page (SERP). Sponsored results, such as ads, are labeled “Advertising.” Google paid ads contain two sections, one at the top of the “natural” or organic results page and the other at the bottom of the results page.

Google Ads at the top of SERP:

Google Ads at the bottom of the SERP:

Google also offers image ads that can be found on the Google Display Network. The Display Network is a comprehensive set of external third-party websites that have partnered with Google to agree to run Google ads. Google ads on the Display Network can be in text, image, video, or rich media format and can be targeted differently. This includes remarketing and banner ads.

Why Google ads appear:

The Google Ads auction focuses on keywords – advertisers choose a list of keywords to target that are relevant to their business offer, words that people are likely to use when searching for specific products. They then bid on those keywords, basing each bid on how much Google users are willing to pay for a click on their ad. This bid, combined with the Quality Score assigned by Google based on the quality of your proposed ad, determines which Google ads will appear in the SERP. When users click on the ads, the advertiser pays a certain amount (cost-per-click or CPC).

Google Ads Auctions

For a complete overview, see our latest episode, How Google Ads Works? A complete, visual guide.

Google Ads runs on an auction system that occurs every time a user searches for a keyword.

How Google ads work – Google ads auction infographics

The complete infographic of the auction can be found here. To “win” Google Ads search and show Google ads on relevant keywords, you’ll need to optimize your Quality Score and bid. The higher your Quality Score combined with your bid, the better your ad will be ranked. The following factors (among others) affect your Quality Score:

• The relevance of your Google ad to the search query
• The relevance of the Google keyword to your ad group
• The relevance of your ad to its landing page
• The historical clickthrough rate (CTR) of the ad and its ad group
• General historical presentation of the account

A high Quality Score also has general benefits:

Low cost – Google rewards advertisers for high Quality Scores by lowering their cost-per-clicks (CPCs), which helps improve their ROI.

Higher exposure – If you have a high Quality Score, your ads will show more often in better SERPs – at the top than at the bottom of the page. This will allow you to get more clicks and conversions without raising your bids.

Check out this infographic for more information to better understand how the Google Ads auction works.

Google Ads cost

Google Ads costs will vary depending on a number of factors, including how competitive your keywords and industries are, your geographic location, the quality of your ad campaigns, and more.

In the U.S., the average cost-per-click for a Google search ad in any industry is $ 2.32. In other countries, the average cost of Google Ads is always lower. Google Ads Performance Grader: Check your Google Ads account for free
Please! Google Ads, explained.

To maximize the impact of your Google Ads ads and campaigns, you need to know which campaigns will work for your business and where you can improve them – the Google Ads Performance Grader on eWeb can help.

Google Ads Performance Grader is the most comprehensive free tool of its kind. In 60 seconds or less, the Google Ads Performance Grader performs an in-depth review of your Google Ads account, identifies areas for improvement, and highlights your account’s successful areas and compares them to competing benchmarks in your sector.

Try eWeb Google Ads Performance Grader for free today.