When most people think of “Google Ads,” they think of one thing: the blue text links at the top of a search results page. This is “Search,” and it is the most powerful “intent-based” advertising on earth. You are capturing a user at the exact moment they are “raising their hand” for help.
But this is only one part of the Google Ads ecosystem.
A comprehensive strategy does not just focus on “capturing” demand; it also focuses on creating it. This is where the rest of the Google Network comes in. Understanding these other platforms is the key to building a full-funnel strategy that moves customers from “unaware” to “ready to buy.”
1. The “Search” Network (Bottom-of-Funnel)
- What It Is: These are the text ads on the Google search results page.
- The Goal: “Conversion.” This is for capturing high-intent users who are actively searching for your service right now. This is a “bottom-of-funnel” (BOFU) tool. It is expensive but delivers the highest quality leads.
2. The “Display” Network (Top-of-Funnel)
- What It Is: These are the visual, “banner” ads that follow you around the internet. They appear on millions of websites, news sites, and blogs (and even in Gmail).
- The Goal: “Awareness.” You are not capturing intent; you are generating it. This is a “top-of-funnel” (TOFU) tool. It is very cheap and is perfect for “retargeting” (showing your ad to people who have already visited your site) and for “brand awareness” (showing your ad to a new “In-Market Audience” that Google has identified as being interested in your services).
3. The “YouTube” Network (Full-Funnel)
- What It Is: These are the video ads that play before, during, or after a YouTube video (called “in-stream” ads) or appear as “thumbnail” ads in the search results.
- The Goal: “Consideration.” YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. You can target users based on what they are searching for or what videos they are watching. You can run a 6-second “bumper ad” for awareness, or a 1-minute “how-to” ad for consideration. It is an incredibly powerful, visual storytelling platform.
4. Performance Max (The “All-in-One” AI Campaign)
- What It Is: This is Google’s newest, “black box” campaign type. It is an AI-driven campaign where you “feed” the machine your assets: your headlines, your images, your videos, and your audience “signals.”
- The Goal: “All Goals.” Performance Max (PMax) will then automatically run your ads across all of Google’s networks (Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover) and will use its AI to find the cheapest path to conversion. It is incredibly powerful but requires careful setup and high-quality creative assets to work.
Why You Need a Manager for This The complexity here is obvious. A good strategy is not just “running Search ads.” A good strategy is a full-funnel ecosystem.
- You use Display and YouTube to introduce your brand to a new, cold audience (Awareness).
- You use Search to capture that audience when they finally search for your name or service (Conversion).
- You use Retargeting on Display to bring back the 98% of users who visited your site but did not convert.
This complex, multi-channel approach is the core function of professional Google Ads Management. It is about building a complete customer journey, not just buying a keyword.
