The objective of the Google Display Network is simple. It is to bring your marketing message, service or product to exactly the right consumers no matter where they are on the web.

Google is taking a hint from Facebook’s and restructuring Display campaigns around digital marketing goals. While this change has been happening for a while now, many companies seem to be taken by surprise. Trust us when we say, this one is absolutely for the better.

Below is what you need to know about the Google Display Network and how to run campaigns (as well as retargeting) in addition to the key takeaways to consider when creating new digital advertising campaigns on the Google Display Network.

Contextual Targeting

Keyword contextual targeting displays ads on sites related to your SEO targeted keywords and distributes applicable ad/digital messages to users based on the type of content they often consume. Your digital ads can connect with interested customers the moment they’re actively engaged in relevant content across the entire Google Display Network.

Keyword level contextual targeting permits users to find consumers who are interested in what they sell. This means your company can use keyword-level targeting and bidding to reach your most qualified leads. You are now able to add an extra kick to your digital campaign with remarketing, frequency capping, exclusion controls and other digital targeting tools.

Placement Targeting

Placement targeting allows you to show digital ads on specific websites that you choose, and on YouTube videos, RSS feeds, and mobile websites.

Your company is also able to choose a whole website or just specific pages where you want your digital ad to get the impression. This would also be a good time to also use placement and contextual targeting together. If you sell tomato seeds for example, you can choose a website about gardening, and then use AdWords contextual targeting to automatically find the pages on that website that talks about tomatoes.

Remarketing

Remarketing allows you to bring previous visitors back to your website. Individuals who have already visited your website are shown your digital ads as they look through other websites on the Google Display Network.

For instance, with digital remarketing your company could create an audience around “fish bait” that targets users of pages with “fish bait” in the URL. Guests will then see custom messages on other websites about your company’s great deals on fish bait. You can even show them digital ads for the fish bait they viewed on your website (active remarketing).

Interest Categories

To be plain and simple, you can show digital ads based upon consumer interests. Such as, sports ads for sporting fans. This form of targeting allows you to focus on users whose web behaviors show they share a common interest, like sports or travel. Then you can show them relevant digital ads as they intermingle on the web.

Topic Targeting

Topic targeting is carefully linked to interest categories, but based on websites rather than viewers. You are able to show digital ads on pages about precise subjects. Pick a topic like tourism or health, and Google will show your digital ads on approved websites that relate to that topic. This digital strategy is a stress-free way to get exposure on relevant websites, without having to target them one at a time.

We are still only seeing the beginning of what the Google Display Network can do. Let us help you in finding your path to success with GDN.