About Display Expansion on Search campaigns

Display Expansion on Search campaigns can help you get additional conversions on the Google Display Network using unspent Search budgets at similar cost per conversion as Search. This article explains the basics of how this expansion option works and how it can help you get better results.

How it works

You can enable Display Expansion for your Search campaigns by checking the "Display Network" option in the "Network" settings card. The settings for your Search campaign will be observed in the Display Expansion, including:

  • Bidding and targeting.
  • The overall budget cap will be observed and use of Display Expansion will not affect your spend on Search. Only unspent Search budget will be used.
  • Cost per conversion on Display will be similar, or less than spend on Search.
  • Ads will be automatically created based on your Search ads, although you will have the option to easily create image ads in the "Ads and Extensions" tab of your Google Ads account.

Your ads can appear when people search for terms on Google Search and search partner sites that match your keywords, and they can also appear on relevant pages across the web on the Google Display Network. By carefully monitoring Search performance, Google can selectively show ads on the Display Network while maintaining on average the same performance. Search campaigns that have spare search budgets and are opted into display expansion deliver up to 15% more conversions at similar CPA to Search.

Find the right audience

A Search Network campaign with Display Expansion increases your reach with no additional setup, and can help you find the right audience at the right place and the right time.

  • Additional impressions and conversions: Search campaigns that are opted into Display Expansion will only serve on Display if there is an unutilized Search budget and no other Display or Universal campaigns of yours are competing for the same impressions.
  • Performance: Search campaigns opted into Display expansion and that have spare Search budget can deliver up to 15% more conversions at similar CPA as the current campaign's CPA.
  • Grow your potential audience: By adding the Display Network, your ads can appear on the Google Display Network, allowing you to reach potential customers who browse or research similar products on various websites, a collection of more than 3 million websites, videos, and apps.
  • Be strategic with little extra work: Since the Display Expansion is fully automated, your ads will be optimized to target across the Display Network with no additional setup.

Use responsive ads to reach more people

To expand your reach even further and help improve your performance, create a responsive ad for your Search Network campaign with Display Expansion. Responsive ads are a convenient, all-in-one format that serve across the entire Display Network. Using the assets that you enter—including headlines, images, and your landing page—responsive ads automatically adjust their size, appearance, and format to fit just about any available ad space. By creating one ad that fits almost any ad space on Display, a responsive ad can increase your reach and impact while also saving you time. Learn more about responsive ads

Keep in mind

If you've been running Search Network campaigns and then expanding to Display, you may notice an increase in conversions and thus, an increase in daily spend. On average, your cost per conversion on the Display Network should be similar to that on the Search Network.

Create a Search Network campaign with Display Expansion

  1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
  2. In the page menu along the left, click Campaigns.
  3. Click the plus button , then select New campaign.
  4. Select a goal for your campaign, or if none of the goals fit what you're looking for, select Create a campaign without a goal's guidance.
    • If this step doesn't reflect what you're seeing in your account, select a campaign type first then select a goal. Learn more about goals
  5. Select the Search campaign type.
  6. Click Continue.
  7. In the "Networks" section, select the "Display Network" option.
  8. Select your remaining campaign settings. Learn about each setting
  9. Click Save and continue.

Upgrade a Search Network campaign

  1. Sign in to your Google Ads account.
  2. In the page menu along the left, click Settings.
  3. Select the Search campaign you'd like to upgrade.
  4. Click to expand the "Networks" section.
  5. Select the "Display Network" option.
  6. Click Save.

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