What Is Google Search Network? Digital Marketing Explained

What is the Google Search Network?

The Google Search Network is one of Google’s main advertising networks. Companies often utilize the Google Search Network for AdWords campaigns showing different advertisements across the network. The Network consists of search-related websites and applications where your specific advertisement can appear. Examples include Google Partners such as Google Search, Google Maps, Google Shopping, and other partner websites that match the specific search criteria for AdWords campaigns. The Search Network is an excellent tool to reach customers explicitly searching for your product or service.

Ad Placement in The Search Network

Keywords are used to determine where your advertisements appear on the Search Network. When someone searches for terms similar to your keywords, your ads can appear alongside the search results on the Google search partner network. These keywords are very important because they help calculate the cost. Each unique keyword has a specific cost per click maximum bid amount. Knowing keywords bid prices allows you to better plan your strategy as well as help you stay within a specific budget.

Search Ad Formats on the Google Search Network

The Google Search Network supports multiple types of advertisements. They include text ads, ad extensions, shopping ads, and call-only ads. Google Search Network partners can also host image and video advertisements.

• Text Ads – simple ad consisting of a headline, web address display URL, and a brief description of the product or service
• Ad Extensions – enhancements to search ads the contain more information about your business including phone numbers, location, or links to relevant content located deep within your website
• Shopping Ads – ads that display and link to certain products for sale
• Call-Only Ads – contact numbers that appear on devices that can make phone calls, and are designed to encourage people to call.
• Image and Video Ads on partner sites  – other websites on the Google partner network can also display image and video ads

Example: Your business offers face painting services at parties for kids and teenagers. If you add the word “children face painting” to your ad group in AdWords and include Search Partners in the parameters, then your ads can appear on Google  partners’ website search results when someone looks for “face painting.”

It is also important to note that when you create new campaigns on the Search Network, you can also choose to include or exclude search partners to better control ad positioning.