Google Ads and AdWords refer to the same advertising platform provided by Google. However, there has been a shift in terminology, and as of July 2018, the platform was officially renamed from Google AdWords to Google Ads. Despite the name change, the core functionality and purpose of the platform remain the same.
Google Ads (formerly known as AdWords) is an online advertising platform that allows businesses and individuals to create and manage ads that appear on Google's search engine results pages (SERPs) and its advertising network, which includes various websites, mobile apps, and videos. The platform uses a pay-per-click (PPC) model, where advertisers bid on specific keywords and pay when users click on their ads.
Google Ads offers various ad formats, including text ads, image ads, video ads, shopping ads, and more. Advertisers can target their ads based on factors such as keywords, location, demographics, interests, and device types, ensuring that their ads reach the most relevant audience.
The transition from AdWords to Google Ads brought about some changes and additional features to the platform, including:
1. Smart campaigns: This feature allows small businesses to create ads quickly and easily using automated targeting and ad creation.
2. Enhanced campaigns: With enhanced campaigns, advertisers can manage bids across different devices (desktops, mobiles, tablets) from a single campaign.
3. Ad suggestions: Google Ads now provides ad suggestions to help improve ad performance. Advertisers can review and approve the suggestions before they go live.
4. Integration with other Google products: Google Ads is now tightly integrated with other Google services like Google Analytics, making it easier for advertisers to track and analyze the performance of their ads.
In summary, Google Ads and AdWords are essentially the same platform, with Google Ads being the updated name. It remains a powerful tool for online advertising, allowing businesses to reach their target audience effectively through a variety of ad formats and targeting options.
