DemandGen format in Google ads
Google recently canceled the Discovery advertising format, replacing it with Demand Gen, a new format aimed at creating demand. In fact, DemandGen is an improved version of Discovery with additional features and enhancements for advertisers. The placements for placing ads in Demand Gen are similar to Discovery (Youtube, Gmail, Discover), but now it is possible to promote in Youtube Shorts. In this article, we will look at what this new format is and how arbitrageurs and other advertisers can use it.
Demand Gen what is it
DemandGen is one of the most effective advertising solutions for those who do not want to waste time collecting semantics, as in search advertising, or excluding irrelevant sites, which is typical for CMS. In this format, ads can be promoted using banners and/or videos. Demand Gen offers webmasters extensive testing opportunities, including ad impressions based on:
1. Interests;
2. Key Queries;
3. Application Users;
4. Competing sites, etc.
However, it is worth considering an important nuance of this format: more than 90% of all traffic comes from mobile device users. This means that mobile users will prevail, even if traffic from other types of devices is not taken into account.
Demand Gen has a number of key advantages that make it attractive among other advertising formats:
1. High volume and high quality of traffic;
2. Easy to set up;
3. Extensive opportunities for launching and testing offers.
Which verticals are better to look at
At the time of writing, messages on forums and in specialized chat rooms confirm that arbitrageurs most often use this format to attract traffic in the following verticals:
1. Pharmaceuticals (interior) / gray goods; Financial services;
2. Gambling and betting;
3. Cryptocurrencies;
4. Rating;
5. Information products;
6. News storefronts.
In addition, traffic from this format is also redirected to Telegram channels intended for circuit traffic.
How to run with Demand Gen
Next, we will discuss in stages how to launch traffic from Google Ads using the DemandGen format. We will look at the key points that webmasters should consider and not ignore when launching an advertising campaign.
Creating an advertising campaign
Select the type of Demand Gen campaign in the Google Ads advertising account. Then we create a conversion goal, if this was not done before the start of the build of the advertising campaign.
Next, select the goal of the campaign. If the webmaster doubts the correctness of the target selection, it is important to remember that in practice the "For conversions" option gives traffic with the best conversion, even without the conversion tag.
Since affiliates rarely need simple clicks to the landing page and they are usually aimed at other actions from the target audience, for example, making a deposit, the preferred format for choosing is "Clicks". This is especially true if the audience is small, but its needs must be met as much as possible.
Conversion cost and daily budget
Experienced webmasters who use this type of RC recommend setting the exact value of the conversion rate. If you leave this window empty, the algorithm automatically targets the campaign to get the maximum number of conversions, and this does not always mean more leads at a low price. Most likely, the effect will be the opposite.
The webmaster needs to set the lowest possible rate at which ads will be displayed to the audience, and the daily budget will be spent in full.
It is also important to take into account that the rate directly depends on the geographical region with which the media buyer works. If necessary, you can set a separate bid for each ad group.
When it comes to the budget, it is not worth taking risks and allocating too large amounts during testing. This can be explained by two reasons:
1. In practice, in 99% of cases, Google spends twice the amount planned on the first day.
2. Large budgets are not required for conducting tests.
Target devices
Since DemandGen initially gives preference to mobile devices, at the stage of selecting target gadgets, it makes sense to select only mobile devices, disabling the other categories.
In certain cases, depending on the specifics of the industry and the requirements of the offer (for example, antivirus programs for personal computers based on the Windows operating system), it is also possible to choose targeting desktop devices.
Detailed settings allow webmasters to target their ads to specific categories of users, depending on the operating system, device type, and even the carrier.
Creating ad groups
At the stage of creating ad groups, you need to select the target geo for which ads will be shown to users. In the Advanced search window, you can add or exclude locales.
Then we specify the language that the potential target audience uses. For example, if a webmaster is promoting an offer in Canada, it is better to specify two languages at once: French and English.
Creating an audience
The next step in setting up an advertising campaign in DemandGen is to create an audience that will be as relevant as possible from the media buyer's point of view.
In the special segments section, you can customize the display of ads to users with specific queries by entering selected keywords, as well as promising interests of the target audience that complement these keywords.
Important! When using this type of advertising, low-frequency queries should not be used, as this will negatively affect the coverage and volume of traffic.
In the same tab, you can specify competitor sites and applications or resources related to related topics where, in the opinion of the webmaster, the target audience of the offer spends its time.
In the "Your data" tab, you can set up retargeting, similar audiences, etc., by uploading the appropriate list of users or selecting those who watched videos on the Youtube channel
In the Interests section, we set up interests depending on the specifics of the offer and other variables. In this case, Google gives a huge scope for experimentation.
It is recommended to disable unknown gender and age in the demographic settings at the initial stage of the RC. This will help to avoid unnecessary irrelevant traffic, because if Google does not know these parameters, then the probability of conversion will be low.
Also, experienced webmasters recommend putting each segment of a potential target audience in a separate facet. This will help you find conversion bundles faster with minimal bids. In addition, they note that it is better to disable optimized targeting at the test stage in order to get the most up-to-date data.
Creating ads
DemandGen provides the opportunity to promote offers using 3 ad formats: images (up to 20 pieces), carousel and video.
It is enough for the webmaster to choose the appropriate ad format, depending on the characteristics of the offer, geographical region and placement. However, practice shows that the most suitable version of ads can only be determined through testing.
Important! To add a creative video, you must first upload it to Youtube.
Next, it remains to prescribe headers with trigger "hooks", descriptions, CTA and specify a link to the landing page.
Conclusion
Demand Gen is a relatively simple, convenient and effective format for uploading advertising campaigns to Google Ads, offering a wide range of targeting variables aimed at attracting the most relevant traffic. However, trusting your advertising budget even to such an advanced format, it is important to study the needs and requests of the target audience in advance so as not to spend large amounts at the start when there are no leads yet.