Google Ads is Google’s online advertising platform that lets businesses pay to show ads to people who are searching for products/services or browsing websites and apps.
For example, if you run a bakery and someone searches Google for “cake shop near me,” you can create a Google Ad that may appear near the top of the search results.
SEO vs. Google Ads
| SEO | Google Ads |
|---|---|
| Usually focuses on organic/free search traffic | You pay for advertising |
| Can take time to build results | Can start generating traffic quickly |
| You don’t pay Google for each organic click | Often pay when someone clicks your ad |
| Results can continue after optimization | Traffic generally stops when you stop the campaign |
How Google Ads works
- You choose what you want to advertise.
- You select keywords, audiences, locations, or other targeting.
- You create an advertisement.
- You set a budget.
- Google determines when and where your ad can appear.
- You pay according to the campaign’s bidding/pricing model.
There are several types of Google Ads, including Search, Display, Shopping, Video/YouTube, and app advertising.
Simple example:
Someone searches “dentist in Hyderabad.” A dental clinic running Google Search Ads can potentially have its advertisement displayed for that search. If the person clicks the ad, they can be taken to the clinic’s website or contact page.
