Display network
Why it matters
Display is cheap for its reach, which is why it is tempting. Cost per thousand impressions is usually low, but most people who see a banner were not looking for anything, so most impressions do nothing. Used loosely, display spends budget on placements nobody notices.
Used to stay visible to people who already showed interest, it earns its keep. Someone who read your pricing page last week and sees a clear, relevant reminder is much closer to a decision than a stranger on a news site.
For a B2B company, display is a support channel for awareness and re-engagement. A deal rarely starts there, so judge it by whether the people it reaches go on to book calls, not by how many clicked.
How to apply it
- Point it at people who already know you. A retargeting list of recent visitors converts far better than a broad cold audience.
- Choose placements deliberately. Exclude apps and sites that clearly do not carry your buyer.
- Judge it on assisted outcomes, not clicks alone. A display ad often nudges someone who later converts through search or direct.
- Keep the budget modest compared with search or outbound.
- Refresh the creative regularly. The same banner shown to the same list for months stops working.
- Check consent rules. Retargeting relies on cookies, and in the EU that needs visitor consent.
What it is
Search ads appear when someone types a query. Display ads appear around other content: a banner on a news site, an image in a mobile app, a slot beside a video. The best-known example is the Google Display Network. An advertiser chooses who should see the ads, by audience, topic, placement or past visits, and the platform finds the space.
Display buys attention, not intent. The person was not looking for you, so the advert has to earn a glance in the middle of something else.
Common mistakes
- Counting "view-through" conversions, where someone merely saw an ad, as proof it worked.
- Accepting the platform's default reach, which includes low-quality sites.
