Google introduced image ads to search, with its new Gallery Ads format in May 2019, and if you’re not using it yet for PPC, you may want to get on that right away. The newly introduced Gallery ads are making a huge splash, and they can be used in addition to text ads in search campaigns.

What are Gallery Ads?

So what are they exactly? Gallery ads appear at the top of search results and are a series of images that searchers can swipe through. This is great for your business, as you can now showcase products or services visually by uploading a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 Adsaimages. Each image can have its own unique caption, and you can also include a call-to-action button at the end of the gallery.

Images have more impact

Google has found that gallery ads drive 25% more engagement than standard text ads. Basically a picture is truly worth a thousand words, as people are drawn to and respond quickly to images. In fact, science shows the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text. Isn’t it better to see a high definition photo of a shiny new cherry red BMW-5 series rather than read about it? People also remember 80% of what they see versus 20% of what they read. You’ve probably heard the term “you can’t unsee that?” right?

More eye-catching than text!

Furthermore, a user is more likely to swipe through a series of eye-catching photos than scan and click a text advert. And searchers can cycle through gallery ads, allowing them to click on an ad and expand it into a vertical view. They also have access to more information about the ad’s content. Gallery ads can help introduce a new product line as well as promoting products. They can also be used to tell your brand story. Advertisers are charged in two ways –cost per click –the standard way advertisers are charged, paying every time a user clicks their ad. And then there’s the cost per swipe –if a user doesn’t click the ad but swipes through three images the advertiser will be charged. Gallery Ads are a unique ad format, combining the power of search with the potential of image ads, giving businesses and advertisers a huge advantage.