It's an open secret that Google Ads can deliver impressive results in online marketing. Nonetheless, you must have realised that some ads are just too small that you don't even dare to look at them when browsing.Others are relatively optimally sized, so they tend to capture your attention that you cannot just pass by without clicking.This brings us to the million-dollar question, does size matter? In Google Ads, of course. Get your head out of the gutter.Well, to the inexperienced online marketer, any size is just okay. But you are no ordinary online marketer – you’ve got Local Digital expertise at your fingertips! If you are keen on improving conversion for your online marketing campaign, you can’t afford to go wrong with Google display ad sizes.Not to worry – we’ve got you covered.Our guide will give a lengthy elucidation (yep, we use fancy words here) of Google display ad specs. It'll also touch on other critical insights regarding how digital marketers can improve their conversion by selecting the correct Google ad sizes.Let's get started!
The must-knows about display ad sizes
Below, we've summarised the essential info to wrap your head around all the different display ad sizes.
Large vs small
Our debate continues. Do larger Ads outperform the smaller ones? Logically speaking, a relatively large ad should fare better as it is more alluring. Primarily, a big ad will occupy a large surface area that you cannot afford to ignore while browsing, drawing the eyes of your desired audience.Essentially, this is the aim of any conventional advert, to draw your attention and prompt you to interact with the product.There is another key upside to a relatively large ad – it has quite a higher click-through rate than a smaller one. In addition, the ad will have a somewhat higher conversion than a smaller one.
Large isn't all that
From the insights above, it sounds like all you need is to choose the largest Google Ad possible, post it, then sit back and wait for a flurry of conversions.Well, we have bad news for you. It's not what it actually looks like. A large ad is not all practical and can be counterproductive to some extent for certain ads.Google Ads has an inventory system to determine the space available for posting ads. However, this system tends to favour small and medium ads. Therefore, there is quite a limited inventory space for larger Ads, and that's so for a reason.You can't be bombarding readers with gigantic ads all over the place. It'll definitely be annoying, and Google has to control that.Hence, the trade-off is that with large ads, an advertiser will have a high click-through rate (CTR) but lesser reach and placement diversity.
The solution
Every digital marketer aims to maximise the reach of the display ads. Thus, there's a pertinent need to find a blend of the best plus the most popular ads while paying keen attention to optimising the available inventory space.Therefore, our next sections will highlight the most preferred Google display Ad sizes.
Top 10 Most Popular Google Display Ad Sizes
250 x 250 - Square
The size is imperative for text and ads display on PCs and mobile devices. Also, it's arguably among the most preferred display sizes for many digital marketers. Nonetheless, according to Google, its inventory is quite limited.Therefore, ads displayed on this dimension don't fare too well. Also noteworthy is that these ads are quite relatively small. Thus, they cant compete effectively with larger ads. This is because rectangular ads are pretty appealing to readers than square ads.
200 x 200 - Small Square
This little guy is similar to the square ad, but it's a relatively smaller and more compact version. Also, you can use it for text and image displays both on a mobile and a PC interface. Nonetheless, there's an inventory shortage of this Ad size. Subsequently, this leads to poor performance primarily because the ad is relatively tiny.
468 x 60 - Banner
It's the conventional banner advertisement you have probably seen on top of web pages. It's one of the most common and popular ad sizes, but its performance has declined over the years. At first, it was popular for users on small screens when the resolution was quite low.
728 x 90 - Leaderboard Banner
It's quite large, and its performance is also exemplary. This ad size has replaced the aforementioned 468 x 60- Banner. Thus, this is arguably the best size for a high-performing top-of-page advertisement.Nonetheless, you must ensure that if you choose to use this banner, you select the above page slots instead of the bottom. Essentially, this is because most people barely check out bottom-of-page ads.
300 x 250 - Inline Rectangle
You'll find this ad size in the middle of pages, where it is primarily valuable for breaking text. It's pretty high-performing and ranks among the best ad sizes.
336 x 280 - Large Rectangle
It is also a relatively great performer in a PPC campaign. Nonetheless, it doesn't fare better than the aforementioned inline rectangle. Primarily, this is because there's considerably limited inventory for the large rectangle.
120 x 600 - Skyscraper
What does the name tell you? It is tall and slim, right? You've got it. This ad size ensures that the reader interacts with the content as they scroll downwards. How about its popularity? It was popular in the past, but new entrants are performing better, wide skyscrapers and large skyscrapers.
160 x 600 - Wide Skyscraper
It's wider than the conventional skyscraper format. Thus, there will be relatively higher visibility and CTC, resulting in more conversions and sales. Regarding inventory, Google has plenty to host this. Therefore, you can make quite a number without exhausting your space.Nonetheless, it's imperative to design display and text options to boost performance.
300 x 600 - Large Skyscraper
Compared to other skyscraper versions, this one is a behemoth. It will occupy up to 180,000 pixels of the reader's screen, thus the name half-page ad. Due to the enormous size, you can be sure it'll always grab the user's attention.
970 x 90 - Large Leaderboard
What you see first is not all there is to see. This seems to be the underlying principle behind the design of this ad, as it keeps expanding as you scroll downwards. It's pretty captivating, but unfortunately, many marketers are not using it as effectively as they should.
That can't be it, right?
Don’t give in to evil Kermit – mix it up. There are other sizes, but the aforementioned are the top performers. Nonetheless, as you choose the best size, you must know the limitations. For instance, all image ads should have a maximum size of 150kbs.Also, there is a limitation for high-resolution display devices. As a result, the Google AdWords Editor won't support double-size ads for these devices.As you plan on your online marketing strategy, make sure to put these insights into consideration. Otherwise, you've got all you need to be successful. Grab this chance and let your customers see you as much as possible by choosing the best ad size. Or, you know, grab a free proposal with us, and let Local Digital put in the hard yards for you.
