Programmatic Advertising Vs Google Display Network: Which is the Best Choice?

Programmatic Advertising and Google Display Network are two ultimate game changers for any digital ad strategy. While both these digital advertising mediums have raving reviews and triumphant performances, it indeed puts us in sheer obfuscation as to which one is “the best choice”. Now don’t say, we read your mind! Yep! It’s a common question which needs to be addressed by a reliable resource as advertising on the internet is a different ball game and only expert digital agencies can be relied on. Yowza! This is where the award-winning digital marketing agency - Adomantra steps in for the rescue. 

We bring to you a complete insight into both these digital advertising mediums, Programmatic Advertising vs Google Display Network and which is the better choice. We know, it’s going to be neck to neck! So read through the pros and cons mentioned below which might prove essential in making a mindful decision! 

Quick Overview of Programmatic Advertising and Google Display Network

What Are Programmatic Ads?

Programmatic Advertising

#Programmatic Advertising. The use of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to buy advertising in real time is known as Programmatic Advertising. Amplifying it further, Programmatic digital display advertising is transacted via automation and standardized real-time bidding technology which includes native ads and ads running on social networks such as Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram etc.

Inventory acquisition in the programmatic ecosystem is done through open auctions, private exchanges, preferred deals, and programmatic guaranteed deals which ensures complete transparency between bidders and clients.  

What are Google Display Ads?

Google Display Network

#Google Display Network. The Google Display Network is an assemblage of over 200 million sites, apps, and videos where ads appear. These ads are commonly termed Google Display Ads or GDN. With a staggering reach of 90% of global internet users, Google Display Network seems an alluring proposition for digital advertising. In fact, if your objective is to build brand awareness, GDN serves as the most cost-effective medium.

Inventory acquisition in GDN is nothing but the designated space on websites and apps on Google where ads can be displayed. This space on websites and apps is sold to advertisers or buyers through Ad Manager which is represented by ad units. 

Google display network ads and Programmatic advertising explained! Hope this simplified things and gave you a broader picture in little words. Well, here is something more you need to know before freezing your digital ad strategy.

Comparison Between Programmatic Advertising and Google Display Ads

Digital advertising has a diverse landscape where both, Programmatic Ads and Google Display Ads have many things in common and also something unique to offer. Here is a comparative analysis of both these digital advertising mediums that will help you make the right choice according to your advertising budget and objectives.
 

Competition Benchmarks

       Programmatic Ads

                       Google Ads

 

Basics

 

Follow the basic principle of purchasing and placing ads.

The focus is on the format of ads and their appearance on a network of websites.

 

Inventory Accessibility

Gives access to Google Display Ads and also takes you way beyond a single platform.

Gives access to all the pages that are present in their ecosystem which is indeed larger than your imagination.

 

Technology Used in Tracking

Uses algorithmic software to track the sale and placement of digital ad impressions via ad exchange platforms.

 

Uses data and cookies from users to track their searches.

 

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

 

CTR for Programmatic advertising is 0.08.

 

CTR for GDN is 0.46%.

 

Formats

Video ads, text ads, html5 ads, rich media, app ads, screening and native advertising

Video ads, text ads, html5 ads, rich media and app ads.

 

Time for Tracking Campaigns

 

Real-time bidding in Programmatic advertising allows tracking results within minutes.

Google ads give statistics regarding the running campaigns which take a few hours and sometimes even a day. 

 

Settlement Model

 

Very flexible due to fixed fees for CPM, CPA, and CPC.

CPM is the only settlement mode wherein each view can have a different fee. However, you are allowed to optimise expenses which can minimise CPA or CPC rate. 


Programmatic vs GDN

#1. Programmatic advertising follows the basic principle of purchasing and placing ads while Google Display Network focuses on the format of ads and their appearance on a network of websites.

#2. Programmatic advertising offers access to Google Display Ads and also takes you way beyond a single platform while Google ads, on the other hand, offer you access to all the pages that are present in their ecosystem which is indeed larger than your imagination.

#3. Programmatic advertising use algorithmic software to track the sale and placement of digital ad impressions via ad exchange platforms while Google Display Ads in contrast use data and cookies from users to track their searches.

#4. The average Click Through Rate (CTR) for Programmatic advertising is 0.08% while Google Display Ads shows an average CTR of 0.46% which clearly draws both the mediums too close to call in their success rate.

#5. Video ads, text ads, html5 ads, rich media and app ads are the available formats in Google Ads while Programmatic advertising takes a lead with screening and native advertising.

# 6. Real-time bidding in Programmatic advertising allows tracking results within minutes while Google ads give statistics regarding the running campaigns which take a few hours and sometimes even a day. The catch here is effective optimization of the campaigns which is fairly quicker in  Programmatic. 

#7. In Google Ads, the settlement model is quite flexible due to fixed fees for CPM, CPA, and CPC. However, in Programmatic advertising CPM is the settlement mode where each view can have a different fee as impressions are bid separately. A key takeaway of Programmatic is that you are allowed to optimise expenses which can minimise CPA or CPC rate. 

Conclusion

Both Programmatic and Google display network ads are preferred mediums, however, programmatic advertising takes lead in reach, range of ad formats, and the number of deal-making options. GDN on the other hand is simpler and cost-effective as launching ad campaigns with programmatic advertising can be daunting for the unversed. 

With a subtle phasing out of third-party identifiers, Programmatic Advertising seems a safe bet at the moment. However, Google Ads like always is a preferred medium when it comes to brand awareness in a cost-effective manner. 

We know, it’s a tough choice but the final decision is yours now that you are aware of how to leverage these digital advertising mediums.

Whom to Contact for Your Next Digital Advertisements?

With a solid team of over 50+ Digital Experts, Adomantra is definitely the go-to-digital agency for every brand that wishes to create an impact on digital mediums. 

You can Visit www.adomantra.com or Call Us at 011- 40108586 or Drop an Email at connect@adomantra.com for receiving quick answers to all your queries related to digital marketing and advertising. 

We will be happy to serve you with our premium services that ensure an impactful digital presence!

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