How to Design a Google Ad

Designing a Google Ad that actually gets clicks isn't about having flashy graphics or being a pro copywriter, it's about clarity, relevance, and speaking directly to your audience's needs. Whether you're working with a few lines of text or a full-blown banner, the principles are the same. This guide will walk you through how to design effective Google Ads for both the Search and Display networks, covering everything from writing compelling copy to choosing the right visuals.

Understanding the Ad Canvas: Search vs. Display

Before you design anything, you need to know where your ad will appear. Google Ads are primarily split into two networks: the Search Network and the Display Network. Each one has a different purpose and requires a distinct design approach.

• Search Network Ads: These are the text-based ads you see at the top of Google's search results pages. Here, "design" is all about the words you choose. You’re replying to someone's direct query, so your primary goal is to provide a relevant, persuasive answer in the form of headlines and descriptions.
• Display Network Ads: These are the visual ads (images, banners, videos) that appear across millions of websites, apps, and Google properties like YouTube and Gmail. Here, your goal is to grab the attention of people who aren’t actively searching for your product and entice them to click. The design is much more about visual appeal, branding, and a strong call to action.

How to Design Winning Google Search Ads

Since Search ads are entirely text-based, your design choices come down to copywriting and structure. Let's break down how to create text ads that users can't help but click.

The Anatomy of a Modern Text Ad

Modern "Responsive Search Ads" are made of several assets that Google's algorithm mixes and matches to find the best combination for each user. You provide the ingredients, and Google does the cooking.

• Headlines (up to 15, max 30 characters each): Up to three headlines can show at once. This is your primary real estate for grabbing attention and including your main keywords.
• Descriptions (up to 4, max 90 characters each): Up to two descriptions can appear below the headlines. This is where you elaborate on your offer, list benefits, and explain why someone should choose you.
• Display Path (2 fields, max 15 characters each): This is the customizable "friendly" URL that appears in your ad. You can use it to reinforce your keywords, like www.yourstore.com/Mens-Shoes rather than a messy tracking URL.

Best Practices for Writing High-Converting Headlines

Your headlines are the most important part of your ad. They need to instantly connect with the person's search and promise a solution.

• Mirror the User's Search Term: The most vital rule. If someone searches for "emergency plumber in Brooklyn," a headline like "Emergency Plumber in Brooklyn" is a direct match. This improves relevance and your Quality Score.
• Ask a Question: Engage the searcher directly. A headline like "Need a Reliable Plumber?" speaks to their problem and pulls them in.
• Highlight Benefits and Solutions: Don't just list features, explain what's in it for the customer. Instead of "We Use Advanced Tools," try "Get Your Pipes Fixed Fast."
• Incorporate Numbers and Urgency: Specificity builds credibility and creates urgency. "50% Off Spring Sale" or "Same-Day Service Available" are much more compelling than generic statements.
• Include a Clear Call to Action (CTA): Tell people exactly what you want them to do. "Shop Our Sale," "Get a Free Quote," or "Download Now" are clear directives.

Headline Example: Let's say you sell running shoes.
Poor: Running Shoes for Sale
Good: Shop Lightweight Running Shoes | 30-Day Free Returns
Great: The #1 Running Shoe for 2024 | Free Shipping & Easy Returns

Crafting Descriptions That Drive Action

The description is your space to seal the deal. Here, you expand on the promises made in your headlines and give searchers every reason to click.

• Reinforce Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP): What makes you better than the competition? Is it free shipping, 24/7 customer support, a 10-year warranty, or being family-owned? Put it in the description.
• Build Trust and Credibility: Use elements of social proof. Phrases like "Trusted By 10,000+ Customers" or "5-Star Rated Service" can significantly increase confidence.
• Be Specific: Instead of vague promises, use concrete details. "Get Your Quote in 60 Seconds" beats "Fast Quotes."

Enhance Your Ad Design with Assets (Formerly Extensions)

Ad assets are extra snippets of information that "extend" your text ad, making it larger, more informative, and more eye-catching. Adding them is one of the easiest ways to improve your ad's design and performance.

• Image Assets: These allow you to add a small, relevant image next to your text ads, turning them into a hybrid format. It’s a powerful way to stand out on the search results page.
• Sitelink Assets: Add direct links to specific pages on your website, like "Men's Shoes," "Women's Sale," or "Contact Us." This helps users navigate directly to what they want.
• Callout Assets: Short, punchy text snippets to highlight key benefits. Think "Free Shipping," "24/7 Support," or "Eco-Friendly." No links here, just quick hits of info.
• Structured Snippets: Showcase specific aspects of your products or services in a structured way. For example: "Types: Running Shoes, Hiking Boots, Sandals."

Using these assets effectively transforms a basic text ad into a rich, informative answer to a user's query, dramatically improving its "design."

How to Design Attention-Grabbing Google Display Ads

With Display ads, you shift from a copywriter's mindset to a visual designer's. Your goal is to create something that stands out on a busy webpage and aligns with your brand.

Getting Started with an Easy Win: Responsive Display Ads

For most advertisers, Responsive Display Ads are the place to start. You don't need a graphic designer to create them. You simply upload a collection of creative "assets," and Google's AI automatically assembles them into ads that fit perfectly into any available ad space.

Here are the assets you'll need to create:

• Images (up to 15): Use high-quality, vibrant images that clearly show your product or service in action. Avoid busy backgrounds or images cluttered with text. Let the photo do the talking.
• Logos (up to 5): Provide clear versions of your logo. Google will place this on the ad to build brand recognition.
• Headlines (up to 5): Short (30 characters) and punchy. Focus on grabbing a person's attention in a split second.
• Long Headline (1): A 90-character headline for larger ad formats.
• Descriptions (up to 5): A bit more space (90 characters) to encourage a click.

The key here is providing high-quality ingredients. Google's AI can't turn a bad photo into a good ad. Use simple, bold, and focused imagery.

Best Practices for Custom Image Ads

If you have design skills or a graphic designer on your team, you can upload your own custom image ads. This gives you complete creative control but also means you're responsible for the entire design.

1. Follow a Clear Visual Hierarchy

A good display ad guides the viewer’s eye through the content in a specific order. Your design should have three main components:

• The Value Proposition: The main message or offer. This should be the most dominant element, like a special offer "50% Off" or a product benefit.
• The Visual: A compelling image of the product, service, or desired outcome.
• The Call to Action (CTA): A button or text that clearly tells the user what to do next.

2. Unify with Strong Branding

Your display ads are an extension of your brand. Use your brand colors, fonts, and logo consistently. Even if a user doesn't click, every impression helps build brand recognition.

3. Make Your CTA Pop

The Call to Action button should be the final focal point. Use a contrasting color to make it stand out from the rest of the ad. Use action-oriented text like "Shop Now," "Learn More," or "Get Your Free Trial." Don't make people guess what happens when they click.

4. Keep It Simple

A crowded ad is an ineffective ad. You have about two seconds to capture someone's attention. Don't try to cram too much information in. Stick to one clear benefit, one compelling image, and one strong call to action.

5. Design for Popular Ad Sizes

To maximize your reach, create your ads in the most common dimensions. Top-performing sizes often include:

• 300 x 250 (Medium Rectangle)
• 336 x 280 (Large Rectangle)
• 728 x 90 (Leaderboard)
• 160 x 600 (Wide Skyscraper)
• 320 x 50 (Mobile Leaderboard)

The Golden Rule: Always Be Testing

No ad designer, no matter how skilled, gets it perfect on the first try. The key to great ad design is continuous improvement through A/B testing.

• For Search Ads: Write at least three distinct ad variations for each ad group. Test different headlines: try a question in one, a benefit in another, and a specific number in a third. Let them run, and after you have enough data, pause the worst-performing ad and write a new one to compete against your current winner.
• For Display Ads: Test different visuals, colors, and CTA button text. Does a picture of your product perform better than a lifestyle photo? Does a blue button get more clicks than a green one? Let the data be your guide.

Focus on key metrics like Click-Through Rate (CTR) and Conversion Rate to determine which designs are most effective at not just getting clicks, but driving actual business results.

Final Thoughts

Designing an effective Google Ad all comes down to aligning your message and visuals with your audience's intent. For search, that means crafting clear, relevant copy that directly answers a user’s query. For display, it’s about creating clean, bold, brand-aligned visuals that grab attention and drive curiosity. In both cases, the secret to long-term success is a commitment to testing and iterating based on what the data tells you.

Of course, understanding which ads perform best requires digging into the data from Google Ads, Google Analytics, and maybe even your sales platform to see the full story. Manually creating these cross-platform reports week after week can be exhausting. To solve this, we built Graphed . It seamlessly connects all your marketing and sales sources in one place, allowing you to ask questions like, "Show me which Google Ad campaigns drove the most revenue on a bar chart" and get a real-time answer in seconds. It helps you see what's really working so you can double down on your best designs without spending hours in spreadsheets.