The Google Display Network (GDN) is often the most misunderstood—and sometimes disliked—aspect of Google Ads. While some advertisers view it as optional, others are forced to incorporate it into their campaigns due to how certain campaign types are structured.
At University of Digital Marketing (UODM), we believe understanding the Google Display Network explained thoroughly can help you make smarter media buying decisions and avoid wasting ad spend.
What is the Google Display Network?
The Google Display Network (GDN) is a massive ecosystem of over 2 million websites, apps, and platforms that show Google Ads. It includes everything from niche blogs and mobile apps to major publishers like CNN and YouTube.
Essentially, publishers and app developers make space for ads using tools like Google AdSense. When advertisers run display campaigns through Google Ads, their ads can appear on these spaces. Google pays a part of the advertiser’s budget to the publisher for every valid click or impression.
According to Google, the GDN reaches more than 90% of internet users worldwide—that’s even more than the Google Search Network.
What are Video Partners in Google Ads?
Video Partners are a specific subset of the Google Display Network. They refer to websites and apps that host video ad formats. These include interstitial video ads, in-stream placements, and out-stream videos across various platforms (outside of YouTube).
If you’re using video assets in your campaign and haven’t opted out of Video Partners, your ads may show up here by default.
How Different Google Ads Campaigns Use the Display Network
Here’s a breakdown of how different campaign types interact with the Display Network:
Display, Performance Max, and App Campaigns
- These campaigns are built to run on GDN.
- You cannot opt out of the Display Network.
- Video creatives may also appear on Video Partner sites.
Search Campaigns
- By default, Search campaigns have GDN enabled.
- Experts at University of Digital Marketing recommend turning this off to avoid budget dilution, as the user intent on Search and Display is vastly different.
Video Campaigns
- You can opt into Video Partners.
- However, we recommend sticking to YouTube placements unless testing specific strategies.
Demand Gen Campaigns
- Demand Gen campaigns allow more granular channel control.
- We advise running these campaigns on Google-owned properties like YouTube, Discover, and Gmail for better targeting and performance.
Shopping Campaigns
- Shopping campaigns don’t run on GDN directly.
- However, if you use your Google Merchant Center product feed in a Display or Performance Max campaign, your products can show across the Display Network.
How to Monitor Your Display Network Performance
To ensure you’re getting ROI from GDN, it’s essential to monitor its performance closely. Here’s how:
1. Segment by Network
- Add a “Network” segment in Google Ads reports.
- Useful for identifying if you’re unintentionally spending on GDN via a Search campaign.
2. Channel Performance Report (Performance Max)
- Find this report under “Insights” in your campaign.
- Shows how much performance is driven by GDN placements.
3. Where Ads Showed (Placements Report)
- Go to Reports > Where ads showed.
- Review every site, app, or YouTube channel your ad was displayed on.
- Exclude low-quality placements at the ad group, campaign, or account level.
How You Can Target Ads on the Display Network
There are two main targeting options on the GDN:
Audience Targeting
Targets users based on who they are. Examples include:
- Demographics
- Affinity (interests)
- In-market behavior
- Custom segments
- Remarketing audiences
E.g., target users who have visited your website in the past 30 days or are actively researching digital marketing courses.
Content Targeting
Targets users based on what they’re viewing:
- Display keywords
- Topics
- Placements on specific websites, apps, or videos
E.g., placing your ad on your competitor’s YouTube channel or targeting mobile game apps.
Should You Run Ads on the Google Display Network?
Here’s the truth: Many advertisers, including those at University of Digital Marketing, don’t love GDN. Here’s why:
- Traffic quality is often lower: Unlike Search or YouTube (where users are logged in), the GDN often lacks user-identifying signals.
- High risk of budget wastage: Unmonitored GDN campaigns can drain budgets fast with poor placements and accidental clicks.
- Spammy placements: A large portion of GDN inventory can include irrelevant or low-quality sites.
However, There Are Benefits:
- Massive reach: 90%+ global internet users.
- Cheap CPCs compared to Search.
- Dynamic remarketing: Only available via Display and Performance Max.
- Combined audience segments: Only usable in Search and Display campaigns.
💡 Tip from UODM experts: Always use Smart Bidding strategies like Maximize Conversions or Target CPA to help Google optimize delivery on GDN. Also, routinely check your placements report and exclude poor performers.
Final Thoughts: Google Display Network Explained for Advertisers
To wrap up, here’s the Google Display Network explained in one line:
“GDN offers scale and flexibility, but without strategy and oversight, it can easily become a budget black hole.”
At University of Digital Marketing, we recommend treating GDN as a secondary tool—use it when:
- You’re running retargeting campaigns.
- You want brand awareness at scale.
- You have a low CPC budget and time to refine placements.
Use the Google Display Network explained knowledge wisely, and you can extract real performance even from this often-overlooked Google Ads network.
