Many small business owners have tried Google Ads at some point in time. Some have had great results, others have spent more money than expected without much return. What often makes the difference isn’t the platform itself—it’s understanding how Google’s two main ad types work and what each is designed to do for your business.
Google Search Ads and Google Display Ads are distinctly different tools. They have the power to reach people at different moments and serve different purposes. When you understand their power, it becomes a lot easier to make them work together for your business.
Search Ads: Showing Up When It Counts
Google Search Ads appear when someone types a query into Google. For example, if a person searches “primary care physician near me” or “best accountants for small businesses austin,” and you’re running ads that target those search terms, your business has a shot at showing up at the top of the search results.
But, that timing matters. The person who is browsing is actively looking for an answer. They’ve decided what they want and they’re trying to find it now. The key with Google Search Ads is making your business visible when that decision is being made.
All in all, the quality of your ads matters a whole lot more than your budget. Google will evaluate your ads based on how relevant they are to the search and how useful the content is on your website. If you have a modest budget, but your ads are written in a way that best describes your business, your ads can potentially outperform a competitor with a larger budget.
Responsive search ads give you flexibility here. You provide multiple headlines and descriptions, and Google will test different combinations to find what resonates with your audience. Over time, the ads that drive results will rise to the top.
Choosing the Right Keywords
Keywords are the foundation for any search campaign. Your instinct may be to go broad and cast a wide net to reach as many people as possible, but broader isn’t always better—especially for small businesses.
Highly specific keywords for your business convert better because they reflect a more specific intent by potential customers. Someone who is searching for “same-day pest control austin” is much closer to making a call than someone who is just searching “pest control.” The more closely your keywords align with what your ideal customer would be searching for, the more likely your ad spend will turn into real business.
Display Ads: Staying Visible Before the Search Happens
While search ads catch people at the moment of decision, display ads build familiarity with your brand before someone ever types into Google. The Google Display Network spans hundreds of thousands of websites, from YouTube to Gmail. Display Ads are the visual banners and images that appear as people read the news, watch videos, or check their email. You’ve probably encountered dozens a day without even thinking twice about it.
For small businesses, this may feel out of reach, but building brand awareness is reserved for companies of all sizes and budgets. Display campaigns are designed to do most of the heavy lifting for you. You provide the building blocks: your logo, a few relevant images, headline, and description options. Then, Google will assemble and test combinations across different placements and sizes, adjusting automatically to fit whatever space is available.
Targeting has become much more sophisticated in recent years, allowing you to target Display Ads based on interests, browsing behavior, and whether they visited your website before. It lets you stay in front of people who have already shown interest in what you offer, reminding them that you exist as they browse elsewhere.
One of the most practical things about advertising on Google is the level of control it gives you over your budget. You set what you’re willing to spend and what you’re willing to pay per conversion, so you’re not committing to a fixed contract or minimum buy.
That said, setting up campaigns thoughtfully from the start makes a real difference in converting people who are ready to be customers but just need an extra push. If you’re curious about how paid search and display might fit into your marketing mix, we would love to talk.