Types of Google Ads campaigns – which one to choose for your business?

Choosing the type of campaign in Google Ads is one of those moments that determine the success or burned budget. If you want to hit specific people with your ads, at the right time and place – pay a lot of attention to this aspect.

Not every campaign works the same way. You promote an online store differently, a local service differently, and a mobile app or a new brand differently, and each format has its own rules.

In this article we will go through the most important types of Google Ads campaigns. I’ll show you when it’s worth reaching for them, what to expect from them and how to match the format to the target.

What will you learn from this article?

• Learn the basic types of Google Ads campaigns and their uses.
• How to match the type of Google Ads campaign to your business goals (sales, leads, brand awareness, local promotion).
• What the cost of advertising in Google Ads depends on and how to measure its effectiveness (CPC, ROAS).
• When to run campaigns yourself and when to use an agency.
• Why you should combine different types of campaigns for maximum results.

What are Google Ads campaigns and why should you invest in them?

Google Ads campaigns are paid marketing activities that increase a company’s visibility in Google search results and ad networks (e.g. YouTube, Gmail, various websites and applications). They allow you to reach potential customers when they are actively searching for your products or services.

This is one of the most effective tools for gaining customers. Ads give you full control over your budget. What’s more, you decide who you show the ad to and when, and the results come very quickly. Google Ads allows you to precisely target your ads, test different versions and optimize your campaigns on an ongoing basis to achieve the best results.

How does Google’s ad system work? Key Concepts

Google Ads works on the principle of an auction. When someone types a phrase into a search engine, the system triggers a bidding war – whoever pays more and has a better quality ad, that one has a better chance of appearing higher.

The position of an ad is affected by three things:

• rate (how much you’re willing to pay per click),
• quality score (Quality Score – based on, among other things, the relevance and speed of the landing page),
• the relevance of the ad to the query.

Key terms you should know:

• keywords – phrases typed in by users,
• CPC (Cost-per-Click) – cost per click,
• CTR (Click-Through Rate) – percentage of people who click on an ad,
• conversion – desired action, such as. purchase or form submission.

Main Benefits of Google Ads for Your Business

Google Ads is one of the fastest ways to start selling more – without waiting months for SEO results. You can start with a small budget, test different audiences and develop a campaign that actually works.

Advertising on Google allows you to:

• reach people who are already searching for your offer,
• increase sales, inquiries or website traffic,
• build brand awareness among new audiences,
• control every penny spent on advertising.

With detailed analytics, you can see what’s working, what needs to be improved, and what’s worth turning off. You can measure the number of conversions, customer acquisition cost (CPA) and return on investment (ROAS). It’s advertising whose effects can be counted.

Google Ads campaign types – an overview of available formats

Google Ads offers different campaign types, tailored to specific goals and stages of the purchase path. You can display ads in search results, on partner sites, in mobile apps, on YouTube, in Gmail or Google Discover.

Choosing the right format determines whether your ad reaches the right people at the right time. Google gives you Search, Display, Shopping, Video, App, Performance Max and Demand Gen campaigns, among others. Each has a different application and optimization method.

I discuss them in more detail below.

Campaigns on the Search Network (Search)

This is text ads displayed on Google search. This is the best choice when you want to reach people who are already searching for a specific offer – such as „online psychologist free” or „bike store”.

They work based on keyword matching. You have control over which phrases activate the ad and which pages you direct traffic to. It’s a format that generates quality clicks and good conversion rates, especially for services and products with a specific purchase intent.

Campaigns in the ad network (Display)

This is graphic, text and video ads that appear on sites belonging to Google’s ad network – that’s more than 2 million sites and apps.

They’re great for building brand awareness and reminding people who’ve already been to a site but didn’t complete a purchase (remarketing). You can target ads based on interests, behavior, location or demographics.

👉 Learn more about display ads.

Product Campaigns (Shopping)

Product ads display in Google search and include an image of a particular product, its title, price and store name. The user sees a specific offer even before he clicks, which increases the chance of a sale.

They work based on the product feed uploaded to Google Merchant Center. A well-structured data file, up-to-date pricing and optimization of titles and images are very important here. These are campaigns that generate high ROAS rates, as long as they are well managed and segmented by product type or margin.

👉 Learn more about product campaigns.

Video Campaigns (YouTube)

These are video ads that appear on YouTube and Google’s video partner apps. It is a good choice when you want to tell a brand story, show a product in use or reach your audience in a less intrusive way.

Various formats are available, such as In-Stream (can be skipped), Bumper Ads (short, 6-second spots) or In-Feed (thumbnails in YouTube search results).

They will work well in outreach, branding and new product launch support campaigns.

👉 Learn more about video ads on Google Ads.

Performance Max Campaigns

Performance Max (PMax) is a automated campaign type that allows you to display ads across all Google channels simultaneously: Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Maps and Discover.

How does it work?

The advertiser provides content (text, graphics, video) and signals about the target audience, and Google’s system optimizes everything with AI, maximizing the number of conversions at a set budget.

Performance Max campaigns work especially well for e-commerce, lead generation and scale-oriented campaigns. Note: PMax campaigns can take over some traffic from Search campaigns – so they need to be monitored carefully and prioritized accordingly.

👉 Learn more about Performance Max.

Demand Gen campaigns

Demand Gen is a new type of campaign focused on generating interest and engaging users. It replaces Discovery campaigns, but with a greater emphasis on video and native formats.

Adverts appear in Google Discover, Gmail and YouTube Shorts -i.e., where the user is not looking for a product, but can be interested. It’s a format ideal for increasing awareness, inspiring purchases and working on conversions at the top of the funnel.

Google selects ad placements and forms on its own, but you still have a say in the target audience and campaign objective.

👉 Learn more about Demand Gen campaigns.

App Promotion Campaigns

If you have a mobile app, you can promote it across the entire Google ecosystem – from the Google Play store and search engine, to Display and YouTube, to Gmail.

All you have to do is provide some text, graphics and a link to the app – and Google itself will prepare ad combinations and optimize them for your chosen target (installation or in-app action). It’s a quick way to get new users and improve retention rates.

👉 Check out more information about app promotion campaigns.

What Google Ads campaign to choose? Matching your business goals

The type of Google Ads campaign should stem directly from what you want to achieve. Each format works differently – some will work better for selling products, others for acquiring leads or building brand awareness.

See below for a breakdown of the most common goals and best-fit campaigns.

Objective: Maximize online store sales

If you’re running an online store, go for product (Google Shopping) and Performance Max campaigns. These are the ones that best expose your offer in search results, while shortening the purchase path.

These are complemented by text campaigns for product phrases and remarketing in the ad network. These will help you reach both those ready to buy and those who have abandoned the shopping cart.

Purpose: Generate inquiries (leads) for service and B2B companies

The best choice is campaigns on the search network. They allow you to reach people actively searching for specific services, such as. „laptop repair Poznan” or „business consulting for IT companies”.

Direct traffic to a well-designed landing page with a form or phone number. Ensure clear CTAs and test different text versions. Use remarketing – remind people who visited the site but didn’t fill out the form.

Objective: Build brand awareness and reach

This is where campaigns like Display and YouTube ads – that is, graphic and video creatives that display on Google’s ad network as well as on YouTube and Gmail – work best.

You can target broad audiences (based on interests or demographics, for example) or specific remarketing segments.

The Demand Gen campaigns also work great – especially on YouTube Shorts and Discover, where the user isn’t actively searching for a product, but may be interested in it.

Objective: Promote your local business and increase traffic to your outlet

If you’re running a stationary outlet, choose local campaigns or geographically restricted Search campaigns. This way, your ad will only reach people in your area of operation and will only be seen by people who may be potentially interested in, for example, hairdressing services in Gdynia.

You will show up in Google Maps, local search results and even Gmail.

How much does it cost to advertise in Google Ads? Budget planning

The cost of a Google Ads campaign consists of two elements: the advertising budget and the campaign management fee (if you use an agency or freelancer).

Advertising budget is the amount spent on clicks – you can set it daily (e.g., £50) or monthly (e.g., £1,500). Google does not spend more than you set yourself. Campaign management fee is the cost of service – e.g. 500-1500 PLN per month – depending on the scope of activities, type of campaign and experience of the specialist.

You can start with a budget as low as 500-1000 PLN if you have well-chosen keywords and a well-thought-out offer. And if you have a new account, you’ll often get a Google Ads promotional coupon – e.g. £1,200 for spending the first £1,200.

What makes up the cost of a campaign?

The final cost of the campaign is influenced by:

• advertising budget – spending on ad clicks, controlled from your Google Ads account,
• management fee – that is, compensation for setup, A/B testing, optimization and reporting,
• click cost per click (CPC) – varies depending on the industry, competition and relevance of the ad.

It is worth remembering that Google Ads does not have a fixed price per click. One click may cost 0.50 PLN (for example, in the DIY industry) or 20 PLN (in legal services). That’s why it’s so important to optimize to get the most out of each click.

What does cost-per-click (CPC) depend on and how do you measure return on investment (ROAS)?

Cost per click (CPC) in Google Ads mainly depends on:

• competition for a given keyword – the more companies bid on „mortgage”, the more expensive it is,
• quality of the ad (Quality Score) – better-written ads and more relevant landing pages lower the rate,
• targeting – advertising to a precise group may cost more, but more often results in a conversion.

And how to evaluate whether it pays off?”

Check ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) – that is, return on investment. If you spend £1,000 and the campaign generates £5,000 in revenue, you have a ROAS of 5:1. A good result depends on the margin – in e-commerce it’s usually a minimum of 3:1, in services even 10:1.

👉 Read also, how to lower the cost of conversion in Google Ads.

Carrying out Google Ads campaigns – on your own or with the help of an agency?

You can run Google Ads campaigns on your own or outsource it to an agency. Both approaches have their advantages. The question is how much time, expertise and budget you have?

Self-operating Google Ads means more flexibility and no campaign maintenance costs. But also the need to learn, test and optimize regularly. For small campaigns – e.g., for a local company – it can be worth it, provided you have at least basic experience.

Working with a Google Ads agency means access to specialists, Google Partners, who know how to lower CPCs, increase ROAS and squeeze the maximum out of your campaigns. It also saves you time and ensures that your ads will work effectively from the first days.

When is it worth running campaigns yourself?

• You have a low budget and want to avoid additional handling costs.
• You know the basics of Google Ads and can create ads, analyze data and optimize campaigns.
• You want to test, learn and have full control over your ad account.

You must, however, expect that inexperience can lead to budget burnout – for example, through inappropriate keywords, incorrect campaign settings or overly broad targeting.

Benefits of working with a Google Ads agency

When is it better to bet on a Google Ads agency?

• Your campaign has a larger budget and you want maximum ROAS.
• You don’t have time to study, test and optimize.
• You want the support of certified specialists and access to advanced tools.

Agency will take care of campaign structure, keyword selection, rate strategy, A/B testing, remarketing and reports. Often, the cost of the service more than pays for itself, because the ads deliver results faster.

👉 If you are interested in working with a Google Ads agency, contact us now!

Frequent questions about Google Ads campaigns (FAQ)

Have questions about Google Ads campaigns? Rightfully so – without a solid foundation, it’s easy to burn through your budget. Below you’ll find answers to our customers’ most common concerns.

What type of Google Ads campaign will work best to get you started?

For starters, a search network campaign works best – especially if you want to attract customers with a specific buying intent. These are the people who themselves type into Google phrases like „women’s raincoat,” „Ursynów plumber,” or „online English course.”

It’s worth starting with long tail keywords -they’re cheaper, less competitive, and more relevant. And if you care about sales, also add remarketing – a reminder of your offer to those who have already visited the site but haven’t completed the goal.

Is it worth combining different types of campaigns?

Decidedly yes. Combining different types of Google Ads campaigns is a proven strategy that increases reach and effectiveness. A search engine campaign works on users with a specific intent. An ad network campaign builds awareness. Remarketing reminds people of your offer. And YouTube and Demand Gen can attract those who don’t yet know they need you.

This synergy allows you to reach customers at every stage of the purchase path.

Performance Max or search network – which to choose?

If you care about automation and want to achieve the highest possible ROI with minimal intervention, Performance Max would be a good choice. This is an AI-based campaign that works across all Google channels – search, YouTube, Gmail or maps. The system selects formats, keywords and audience groups on its own.

But if you prefer more control, better keyword analysis and full decision-making, bet on a campaign on the search network.

And the best possible option would be to use both types simultaneously. Performance Max can work extensively in the background, and a search engine campaign can focus on specific sales phrases.

When do you see the first effects of a Google Ads campaign?

Google Ads works instantly. First clicks and traffic may appear as early as a few hours after launching the campaign, but don’t confuse this with business results.

For real results, i.e. sales, inquiries, ROAS, it’s worth waiting at least 2-4 weeks. Optimization, testing and keyword matching take time. That’s why it’s best to plan for a minimum of 3 months to be able to evaluate the effectiveness and draw accurate conclusions.