Google Gallery Ads lets creativity prevail

Until recently Facebook and Instagram set the tone for gallery ads. But then Google showed up with you guessed it ... Gallery Ads: from now on search results on mobile can just as quickly show dynamic photo galleries. A warmly received new tool within the advertising power of Google. At Grava, we took it for a spin.

Imagine you have the choice: or you write attractive copy with a beautiful photo or you show a picture-rich story with a strong supporting baseline.

Besides, you know that you only have a few milliseconds to charm the searching soul, and that the mind attaches itself 60,000 times(!) faster to images than words.

In short: you go for the second option. Until a few months ago, Google could not add swipe-friendly image galleries, but that's now a thing of the past. Since a few weeks, Google Gallery Ads is available in beta. And we at Grava are loving it!

Gallery Ads were announced in May during Google Marketing Live, and since August we have been able to put some of our customers to the test. And we're very excited about the impact and possibilities of this new tool.

How to create a Gallery ad for search?

Take four to eight images. Choose 'landscape', because that works best. Use your creativity because images create opportunities. Pictures speak a universal language that doesn't need translation: no atmosphere remains out of harm's way. You can also add a tagline to each image. That way your brand is still recognisable while your picture is telling an appealing story. Check!

Use Google Gallery Ads for different target groups

Do you immediately think B2C? Understandable, because it's the most obvious. Your narrative, recruiting and image want to arouse interest. Fine! But the possibilities are endless when it comes to B2B. Show the process that supports your customer and attracts happy customers. Because that's what we're all about in both cases: using advertising power to help searching consumers find the right product. No more, no less.

How do I use Gallery ads strategically?

The cost? As an advertiser, you pay per click on the ad or from 3 swipes in the gallery. This is slightly different from the standard search ads, where you only pay for a click on the ad or ad extension. Is it worth it? Yes, it is. As always, complementarity is essential. The fundamental question remains: how are we going to use all these different tools and what do we want to achieve? If you know the answer to those 2 questions, you can determine your strategy. Google Gallery Ads will definitely be part of the mix from now on.