Google Display Network placement targeting: generate leads on the sites your buyers visit

What placement targeting is

The Google Display Network (GDN) is the set of websites, apps and videos where Google can show display ads. You can target it in several ways, such as by audience or by topic.

Placement targeting is the direct option. You tell Google the websites or page URLs where you want your ads to show. Only people on those pages see them.

The idea is simple: find the pages your buyers already visit, then show your ads there. It takes three steps.

Step 1: find your buying-intent keywords

Before you pick pages, you need the keywords your buyers use. These tools help:

• SEMrush and SpyFu (paid): keyword volume, related keywords, and the pages that rank for each keyword. The two tools can have data on different sites, so it can help to check both.
• Google Keyword Planner (free with a Google Ads account): keyword ideas and search volume. Depending on your account's activity, it may show volume as a range instead of an exact number.
• Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools (free): the searches your site already shows up for. You need them set up on your site, and some time for data to build.
• The Google results page (free): search a keyword and look at the related searches near the bottom for more ideas.

Then sort the list by intent. Take a destination wedding planner in Bermuda. "Bermuda destination wedding" and "Bermuda wedding venue" point to someone planning a wedding. "Bermuda wedding traditions" points to someone reading. Your knowledge of your buyers decides which is which.

Step 2: collect the pages and check for Google ads

Search each buying-intent keyword and collect the pages that rank. In SEMrush or SpyFu you can also look at what else those pages rank for, and find more pages from there.

• Paste every page URL into a sheet, not just the domain. You are targeting pages, so two pages from the same site are two rows.
• Open each URL and look for ads with Google's AdChoices icon in the corner. Click it to see who serves the ad.
• Mark each row Yes or No for Google ads.
• Keep the Yes rows. Those are your placements.

Step 3: create the ad and add your placements

A good placement does not help a weak ad. Use a clear image, readable text and one strong call to action. In Google Ads you can build responsive display ads from your images, logo, headlines and descriptions, or upload your own image ads.

Then add the pages. In your display campaign, open the content targeting settings for placements, choose the campaign and ad group, and paste in your URLs. Google Ads moves its menus from time to time, so if you cannot find it, search the Google Ads help for "add placements".

Repeat the three steps for each keyword group and campaign you want to run.

Send the clicks to a page that converts

Placement traffic lands on your site cold. Send it to a landing page that matches the ad and makes the next step easy: a short form, a click-to-call number, or a chat.

Make sure every form, call and chat on that page reaches your CRM with the source attached. Otherwise you cannot tell which placement brought which lead.

Judge placements on qualified leads, not clicks

A placement can get plenty of clicks and no customers. Another can get few clicks and real sales. Google Ads only sees the click and the form fill unless you tell it what happened next.

• Store the click ID (GCLID) and the landing page on every lead in your CRM.
• Track calls from the ads with a call tracking tool and log them in the CRM too.
• When a lead becomes qualified or buys, send that event back to Google Ads as an offline conversion.
• Compare placements on cost per qualified lead and cost per sale, then drop the ones that do not bring buyers.

This is the part we set up: CRM fields for the source and click ID, call tracking, and offline conversions back to Google Ads. If you want your display results tied to real sales, book a free call.