What is display advertising and how does it work?
Display advertising is a form of online advertising that uses visual banners, images, video and interactive elements to promote a product or service across a network of websites. Unlike search ads, which appear when someone searches for a keyword, display ads reach people while they browse news sites, blogs, social platforms and apps.
Display advertising works on a simple model: advertisers pay to place visual ads on websites their target audience visits. The most common network is the Google Display Network (GDN), which reaches over 90% of internet users across millions of websites, videos and apps.
How display advertising differs from search ads
Search ads target people actively looking for something. Someone types "SEO agency Devon" and sees your ad because they are searching for it. Display ads work differently: they target people based on who they are (demographics, interests, past visits to your site) rather than what they are searching for right now.
This makes display advertising a top-of-funnel channel. It builds awareness and keeps your brand in front of potential customers so that when they are ready to buy, they think of you first.
The main targeting options
Remarketing. This is the most powerful use of display for most businesses. You show ads to people who have already visited your website. They browsed, left without buying, and now see your banners on other sites as a reminder. Remarketing typically delivers the highest click-through rates and conversion rates of any display strategy.
Demographic targeting. Reach people by age, gender, parental status or household income. Useful for products or services that appeal to a specific life stage.
Interest-based targeting. Google categorises users by their browsing habits: people interested in travel, home improvement, technology and hundreds of other segments. Your ad appears to an audience that matches your customer profile.
Placement targeting. You choose the specific websites or categories where your ads appear. A care home marketer might place ads on retirement and lifestyle sites; a software company might target technology review pages.
Common display ad formats
Banner ads. Rectangle and leaderboard images in standard sizes (300x250, 728x90, 160x600). The classic format, still the most widely used.
Responsive display ads. You upload headlines, descriptions, images and logos; Google automatically mixes them into the right sizes and formats for every placement. These are now the default for most campaigns because they work everywhere without extra design work.
Video ads. Short pre-roll or in-stream video clips that play before or during YouTube and partner content. The Google Display Network includes YouTube, giving video ads the same reach as static banners.
Native ads. Ads that match the look and feel of the site they appear on. Google's native formats blend into editorial content, which can improve engagement and reduce banner blindness.
When display advertising makes sense for your business
Display is not always the right answer. It tends to produce lower click-through rates than search ads because people are not actively looking. But it excels at three things:
Building brand awareness at scale. If your goal is to put your name in front of thousands of potential customers and build recognition over weeks and months, display is one of the most cost-effective channels.
Retargeting warm traffic. The people who visited your site but did not enquire are your most valuable audience. Display remarketing brings them back at a fraction of the cost of acquiring a brand-new visitor.
Supporting seasonal campaigns. If you run a limited-time offer, Christmas promotion or event, display ads amplify reach far beyond what search alone can deliver.
Victory Digital plans and manages display campaigns as part of our broader digital marketing services. Our digital marketing packages start at GBP 849 per month and include campaign setup, ongoing management and performance reporting. To discuss whether display advertising fits your business, book a discovery call at https://victory.digital/book/discovery-call.
What are your Feelings?
Share your reaction
Click a reaction to share how useful this article was.