Google Ads
Adwords first began in 2000 and was exclusively a platform for running text ads on Desktop Search. It then went on to become Google’s main source of revenue, offering advertisers the chance to quickly build and execute online ads that were easily measurable and met their goals and budget. As expected, over the years AdWords changed and so did online marketing as a whole.
To keep up with the plethora of changes more features and formats were added to AdWords, such as text, shopping, video, and app install. These new formats were also visible beyond Search and appeared in other products such as Gmail, Maps, and partner sites or apps. The name AdWords didn’t really suit the newer versions of this platform and so it was decided that Google Ads would be a more appropriate fit and would give less confusion. The new and improved Google Ads essentially allows businesses to direct users to a desired web page using a pay-per-click (PPC) system. Google Ads is great for retail businesses or those wishing to advertise a specific product or service.
Google Ad Manager
In comparison to Google Ads, Google Ad Manager caters to the Publisher end of the online marketing and advertising ecosystem. DoubleClick was initially created in 1995 as a system to display banner ads across a network of websites, which could also be monitored for performance. Google purchased DoubleClick in 2007 and later launched DoubleClick Ad Exchange which allowed large publishers to sell ad inventory in real time and DoubleClick for Publishers, which allowed publishers to sell and manage their own ads.
By merging these two products, Google has made reaching customers on different platforms a more seamless process. Google Ads Manager helps companies to track and earn money in a more efficient way, allowing them to increase ad revenue whilst protecting their brand. Google Ad Manager also included some new features which allowed publishers to monetise on other platforms such as YouTube, live streams, and more.
Google Marketing Platform
Google Marketing Platform is host to Google Analytics 360 Suite and DoubleClick advertiser products. Whilst Google Ads Manager does include two core DoubleClick products, there are some that are featured in the Google Marketing Platform instead. These DoubleClick products are DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM), DoubleClick Campaign Manager, DoubleClick Studio, Search Ads 360, and Google Audience Center 360.
On their website, Google claims that Google Marketing Platform “helps you deliver more relevant and effective marketing, while ensuring that you respect your customers’ privacy and give them control over their data.” Essentially, Google has given advertisers (mainly large enterprise advertisers) a single place that brings together planning, buying, measuring, and optimising digital media into one platform.
As a summary, Google Ads is ideal for those looking to advertise products or services on the web using PPC advertising and keyword targeting. Publishers will want to steer more towards Google Ads Manager as this will allow them to run adverts across a range of platforms and can help them track their ads more efficiently. Google Marketing Platform is more of a platform than a product and is ideal for larger businesses who will benefit from the advanced features and want to oversee campaigns for a range of ad types.
