Justin Golden
Updated July 2020
Ever wish you could combine your beautiful display artwork and savvy ad copy into one mind-blowing search ad? Me too!
Let me introduce you to one of the latest-and-greatest tools you can use: Google gallery ads. These are interactive search ads that sit at the top of the SERP. Similar to Facebook carousel ads they feature a text headline and swipeable image carousel underneath. Each image in the carousel can have its own call-to-action, and you can use four to eight images.
Advertisers get charged for gallery ad interactions in one of two ways: The traditional cost-per-click basis, when a user clicks on the headline to go to the advertiser’s website, or after the user swipes through at least three images in the gallery.
In beta testing, gallery ads showed a 25% higher engagement rate over traditional text search ads.
Gallery ads on Google allow you to showcase your brand with imagery and bring visual content forward to the results page, helping you connect with consumers before they visit your site. These are great ads for any product or service-based business that can showcase their offering through attention grabbing images. They effectively allow the advertiser to earn trust and showcase value before a click is even made. The ads also take up considerable real estate on top of the SERP, allowing for even more single focused attention from a would be buyer. Interested in Google gallery ad examples? Check out this one below, which demonstrates just how noticeable gallery ads are.
Advertisers should be excited for the roll out of Google gallery ads. Social Media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and LInkedIn have already proved that carousel ads are effective. It's about time Google adapts a similar format. Today's consumer responds more to visual advertising and also expects to have information at their fingertips. Gallery ads cover both bases in a simple format.
Gallery ads are currently only available on mobile searches and in the first ad position. This makes the coveted top ad position even more valuable. Image resolution, keyword quality scores and ad relevance will be important factors to consider when using these ads.
Incorporating imagery into the search ad experience feels like a logical evolution in the search ad world. Early adapters will benefit from low competition, so get those high quality images ready!
To learn more about what a PPC campaign could do for your business, contact us today!
