Google Display Network &
Remarketing Management
96% of visitors leave without converting. Our remarketing campaign management brings them back with precision audience segmentation, dynamic product ads, and brand-safe placements. No wasted spend on mobile game spam.
2026 Platform Expertise
Customer Match Lists • Similar Audiences • View-Through Attribution • Frequency Capping
What is Google Display Network?
The Google Display Network (GDN) is the largest display advertising network in the world, reaching over 90% of internet users across 2 million+ websites, videos, and mobile apps.
How Google Display Network Works
1. Ad Creation: You create visual ads (banners, images, videos) using responsive display ads or uploaded creatives.
2. Targeting Selection: Choose who sees your ads based on demographics, interests, website placements, or remarketing lists.
3. Automated Placement: Google's algorithm automatically shows your ads on relevant websites, YouTube videos, Gmail, and mobile apps within the GDN.
4. Performance Tracking: Track impressions, clicks, and view-through conversions to measure brand awareness and assisted conversions.
Where Your Ads Appear
Display Network vs Search Network
Display Network (This Page)
- Where: 2M+ websites, YouTube, apps, Gmail
- Format: Visual (banners, images, videos)
- User Intent: Low (browsing, not searching)
- Best For: Brand awareness, remarketing, visual products
- Avg CPC: $0.25 - $1.00 (lower)
Search Network
- Where: Google search results only
- Format: Text (headlines + descriptions)
- User Intent: High (actively searching)
- Best For: Direct response, lead generation
- Avg CPC: $2 - $50+ (higher)
Pro Tip: Display works best for remarketing and brand awareness. Search works best for direct response. Use both for full-funnel coverage.
Full-Funnel Strategy GuideWhy Most Display Campaigns Fail
The Google Display Network reaches 90% of internet users, but it's full of traps. Without proper management, your budget bleeds on low-quality traffic.
Mobile Game Spam
Ever clicked an ad by accident while playing a mobile game? Your customers do too. These accidental clicks waste 30-50% of Display budgets. We exclude 140+ mobile app categories to stop this bleed.
The "Creepy" Factor
Showing the same remarketing ad 50 times a day doesn't increase conversions — it annoys users and damages your brand. We use strict frequency capping (3-5 impressions/day) to stay helpful, not haunting.
Generic "All Visitors" Targeting
Targeting "All Website Visitors" wastes money on people who bounced in 5 seconds. We segment audiences by engagement level — cart abandoners get different ads than homepage bouncers.
Audience Strategy →Brand Safety Ignored
Your ads might appear on controversial blogs, clickbait sites, or politically charged content. We manually review placement reports weekly and exclude sensitive categories to protect your reputation.
Static Ads (No Personalization)
Generic "Come back to our site!" ads convert poorly. For ecommerce, we set up dynamic remarketing that shows the exact products users viewed, increasing CTR by 2-3x.
Only Tracking Clicks
Display ads often assist conversions without direct clicks (user sees ad → searches brand later → converts). Without view-through conversion tracking, you're undervaluing Display by 40-60%.
Cost of Poor Display Campaign Management
Remarketing vs Prospecting vs Cold Display
Not all Display campaigns are created equal. Here's when to use each type and how to budget between them.
| Feature | Remarketing | Prospecting | Cold Display |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who You Target | Past website visitors | Similar to your customers | Anyone in target demo |
| Conversion Rate | 2-5% | 0.5-1% | 0.1-0.3% |
| Avg CPC | $0.50 - $1.50 | $0.30 - $0.80 | $0.25 - $0.60 |
| Best For |
|
|
|
| Budget Allocation | 60-70% | 20-30% | 10-15% |
| Minimum Requirements | 1,000+ site visitors | 100+ conversions | None |
Our Display Budget Allocation Strategy
Most businesses waste budget on cold Display (0.1% conversion rate). We prioritize remarketing where intent already exists, then expand to prospecting only after proving the model works.
Priority 1: Remarketing
60-70% of budget — highest ROI, targets warm traffic
Priority 2: Prospecting
20-30% of budget — find new customers similar to converters
Priority 3: Cold Display
10-15% of budget — brand awareness only (test cautiously)
7-Tier Remarketing Audience Strategy
Not all website visitors are equal. We segment by engagement level and show different ads with different bids for each tier. This is how you maximize ROAS from remarketing.
Cart Abandoners (HOT)
Users who added products to cart but didn't complete checkout. Highest intent — they were seconds away from buying.
Checkout Initiators (WARM)
Started checkout process but didn't add to cart. Likely price shopping or abandoned due to shipping costs.
Product Page Viewers (INTERESTED)
Viewed specific product pages. Actively considering purchase but need more convincing.
Category Browsers (EXPLORERS)
Browsed category pages but didn't click into specific products. Early research phase.
Homepage Visitors (COOL)
Landed on homepage but bounced quickly. Low intent but may have brand awareness value.
Past Purchasers (LOYALTY)
Already bought from you. Target with cross-sells, upsells, and new product launches.
Engaged Visitors 30-90 Days (COLD)
Visited 30-90 days ago. May have forgotten about you. Use for brand recall campaigns only.
Critical: Audience Exclusions
Just as important as who you target is who you exclude. This prevents budget waste and improves user experience.
Exclude Recent Converters
Don't show ads to people who bought in last 7-14 days. They already converted — let them enjoy their purchase.
Exclude Current Customers (Prospecting)
When running acquisition campaigns, exclude existing customers to avoid paying for clicks from people who already know you.
Exclude Low-Intent Pages
Don't remarket to people who only visited Contact/Careers/About pages. Focus on product/service page viewers.
Dynamic Remarketing: Show Products They Actually Viewed
For ecommerce, dynamic remarketing automatically creates personalized ads showing the exact products users viewed on your site. This increases CTR by 2-3x compared to generic remarketing.
How Dynamic Remarketing Works
Connect your Google Merchant Center product feed to Display campaigns. This contains product IDs, images, prices, and titles.
Add dynamic remarketing event tracking to your site: view_item, view_item_list, add_to_cart, purchase. This tells Google which products each user interacted with.
Google automatically creates ads with product carousels showing 3-5 items the user viewed, complete with images, prices, and "Shop Now" buttons.
When prices or availability change in your feed, ads update automatically. No manual work required.
Example: User viewed 3 products, ad shows those exact items
Dynamic Remarketing Requirements
Technical Setup:
- Google Merchant Center account with approved product feed
- Dynamic remarketing tag with event tracking (view_item, add_to_cart, purchase)
- Product IDs on your website must match IDs in your feed
- Google Tag Manager for easier event tracking
Business Requirements:
- Minimum 100 active products in catalog
- At least 1,000 website visitors per month
- Product images must be high quality (800x800px minimum)
- eCommerce business (not for service businesses)
GDN Placement Strategy & Brand Safety Controls
With 2 million+ websites in the Display Network, where your ads appear matters as much as who sees them. We manually curate placements to maximize quality and protect your brand.
Managed Placements (Whitelist)
We identify high-performing websites and apps where your target audience spends time, then manually add them to your campaigns.
Automatic Placements (Algorithm)
Let Google's algorithm find placements based on targeting (audiences, topics, keywords). Requires aggressive negative placement lists.
140+ Categories We Automatically Exclude (Negative Placements)
The most important Display optimization isn't what you target — it's what you exclude. We maintain a master negative placement list updated weekly.
Mobile Games & Apps (70+ categories)
Sensitive Content (30+ categories)
Low-Quality Sites (40+ categories)
Result: This negative placement list alone saves clients 30-50% of their Display budget by eliminating accidental clicks and low-quality traffic.
Our Weekly Placement Review Process
Export Placement Report
Download all placements where ads appeared in last 7 days
Flag Low Performers
CTR < 0.1% or CPA > 3x target = exclude
Manual Site Review
Visit suspicious sites to check content quality and brand safety
Update Exclusions
Add bad placements to negative list, scale winners
View-Through Conversions: The Display Metric Everyone Ignores
Tracking only clicks undervalues Display by 40-60%. View-through conversions measure users who saw your ad but didn't click, then converted later. This is critical for understanding Display's true impact.
What Are View-Through Conversions?
A view-through conversion (VTC) happens when someone sees your Display ad, doesn't click it, but later visits your site through another channel (organic search, direct, email) and converts within a specific time window.
Example Scenario:
Why View-Through Conversions Matter
Users rarely click Display ads (avg CTR: 0.1-0.3%) but they see them, remember your brand, and search for you later. Without VTC tracking, you'd think Display "doesn't work."
Most customers need 7-10 touchpoints before buying. Display ads are often the first or middle touchpoint, not the last click. VTC tracking gives Display credit for its role in the journey.
Without VTC tracking, Display looks expensive (high CPA based on clicks only). With VTC tracking, you see the full picture: Display assists 40-60% more conversions than clicks alone suggest.
View-Through Conversion Attribution Windows
The attribution window is how long after seeing an ad a conversion still counts as "view-through." Default is 1 day, but you can extend it based on your sales cycle.
How to Set Up View-Through Conversion Tracking
Technical Requirements:
- Google Ads conversion tracking tag on all pages
- Conversion actions created in Google Ads (purchase, signup, lead)
- VTC attribution window configured (default 1 day → change to 7+ days)
- Google Tag Manager for easier implementation
Where to View VTC Data:
- Campaigns Tab: "View-through conv." column (enable in column settings)
- Attribution Report: See full conversion path across channels
- Conversions Tab: Compare click conversions vs view-through
- Performance Max: Includes VTC by default in reporting
View-through conversions are counted separately from click conversions. A user can only have ONE view-through conversion per impression, and VTCs never override click conversions (clicks always get priority in attribution).
Responsive Display Ads: Creative Best Practices
Display ads are visual. Bad creative = wasted budget. We design responsive display ads that automatically adjust to any ad slot, maximizing reach while maintaining brand consistency.
Required Image Sizes for Responsive Display Ads
Landscape (1.91:1)
RequiredSquare (1:1)
RequiredLogo
OptionalPortrait (4:5)
OptionalVideo (Optional)
BonusFile Requirements
Do These (Best Practices)
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High-Contrast Colors: Bright, eye-catching colors that stand out. Avoid white/grey backgrounds that blend into websites.
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Single Clear CTA: One button: "Shop Now," "Get 20% Off," "Learn More." Don't overwhelm with multiple options.
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Product Focus: Show the actual product clearly. For services, show the outcome/benefit visually.
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Minimal Text: Headlines should be 5-10 words max. Let the image do most of the talking.
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Mobile-First Design: 70% of Display impressions are mobile. Text must be readable on small screens.
Avoid These (Common Mistakes)
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Too Much Text: Google limits text to <20% of image. Heavy text looks spammy and gets disapproved.
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Low-Resolution Images: Blurry, pixelated images scream "unprofessional." Use high-res photos only.
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Generic Stock Photos: Avoid the "businessman shaking hands" cliché. Use real product photos or authentic lifestyle shots.
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White/Light Backgrounds: Blends into websites. Use colored or textured backgrounds.
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No Brand Logo: Users won't remember who advertised. Always include your logo.
Ad Copy Best Practices for Display
Headlines (5 required)
- • Max 30 characters each
- • Lead with benefit, not feature
- • Include numbers/percentages
- • Test urgency vs value
Bad: "High-Quality Products"
Descriptions (5 required)
- • Max 90 characters each
- • One key benefit per description
- • Include social proof when possible
- • End with CTA
Bad: "We offer a wide variety of products for everyone."
Business Name
- • Max 25 characters
- • Match your brand exactly
- • Appears at top of ad
- • Build brand recognition
What We Manage for You
Beyond basic banner ads. We deploy advanced display advertising strategies that most agencies skip.
Dynamic Remarketing
For eCommerce. Ads automatically populate with products users viewed. Connects to your Merchant Center feed for real-time pricing and availability.
Remarketing GuideCustom Intent Audiences
Target people who recently searched for your competitor keywords on Google but didn't click your Search ads. Capture them on Display instead.
Audience TargetingCustomer Match Lists
Upload your email list (CRM, newsletter subscribers) to Google. Target existing customers with special offers or exclude them from prospecting campaigns. Requires 1,000+ emails.
Customer Match SetupResponsive Display Ads
We design assets that automatically adjust to fit any ad slot (banner, sidebar, mobile native). One creative set = 1,000+ size combinations. Maximizes reach without manual work.
Creative TestingSimilar Audiences
Google's version of lookalikes. We find new users who share browsing patterns with your best customers. Requires 100+ conversions to build audience. Ideal for scaling.
Scaling DisplayBrand Safety Controls
Manual review of placement reports weekly. We exclude political, sensitive, or low-quality sites. Plus our master 140+ negative placement list to block mobile game spam.
View-Through Conversion Tracking
Track users who saw your ad but converted later through another channel. Captures 40-60% of Display's true value that click-only tracking misses.
Attribution GuideFrequency Capping Strategy
Set impression limits (3-5 per day) to avoid annoying users. Different caps for each audience tier — hot leads see ads more often than cold traffic.
Creative Design Services
Don't have display ads? We design responsive display ads for you: all required sizes, brand-compliant, optimized for CTR. Includes 2 rounds of revisions.
Cross-Channel Integration
Display works best as part of a full-funnel strategy. We coordinate with your:
Conversion Rate Optimization
Display drives traffic, but your landing page converts it. We work with your CRO team to ensure:
- Page speed under 3 seconds
- Mobile-optimized experience
- Clear CTAs that match ad message
From 0.2% CTR to 1.8% CTR in 60 Days
How we saved an eCommerce brand 60% on Display costs while 10xing their remarketing conversions with strategic audience segmentation.
The Problem
Previous agency used automatic placements with no negative list. Ads appeared on toddler games, casino apps, and parked domains.
One audience for everyone who visited the site (even 5-second bouncers). No segmentation by engagement level or behavior.
Generic "Come back!" ads instead of showing the exact products users viewed. Missing 70% of remarketing potential.
Display looked "unprofitable" because view-through conversions weren't tracked. Undervalued channel by 50%.
Before Our Takeover
The Solution
Blocked all mobile game ad networks, parked domains, and low-quality sites. Budget waste dropped from 30% to 5%.
Cart abandoners got +150% bid modifier and daily ads. Cold traffic got -25% bids and weekly frequency cap.
Connected Merchant Center feed. Ads now show the exact products viewed with real-time pricing. CTR jumped 6x.
Revealed Display was assisting 45% more conversions than click-only tracking showed. Budget increased 40%.
After 60 Days
"We were about to shut down Display completely until VJ showed us we were tracking it wrong. After implementing their 7-tier strategy and dynamic remarketing, Display became our #2 acquisition channel. ROI went from -20% to +340%."
Display & Remarketing Management Pricing
Transparent month-to-month pricing. No setup fees, no contracts, no hidden costs.
Starter
- Remarketing campaign setup & management
- 3-tier audience segmentation
- Responsive display ads (1 creative set)
- 140+ negative placement list
- Monthly performance reports
Growth
- Everything in Starter, plus:
- 7-tier audience segmentation
- Dynamic remarketing setup
- Custom Intent audiences
- View-through conversion tracking
- Weekly placement review
- Bi-weekly strategy calls
Scale
- Everything in Growth, plus:
- Dedicated account manager
- Customer Match list uploads
- Similar audience expansion
- Weekly strategy calls
- Slack/email priority support
Included in All Plans
4-Week Onboarding Timeline
Add-On: Creative Design Services
Don't have display ads? We design responsive display ads for you: all required sizes (landscape, square, logo), 2 rounds of revisions, brand-compliant.
Display & Remarketing FAQ
Everything you need to know about Google Display Network and remarketing campaigns.
Why are Display Ads cheaper than Search Ads?
Do I need images for Display Ads?
What is dynamic remarketing and do I need it?
How do frequency caps work and why do they matter?
Can you target people who visited my competitors' websites?
What are view-through conversions and why should I track them?
How long does Display campaign setup take?
Do you provide creative design services?
What industries work best with Display advertising?
How do you exclude junk mobile apps and games?
What's the minimum budget for Display campaigns?
How do you measure Display success if CTR is low?
Still have questions?
Schedule Free ConsultationTurn 96% of Bounces into Buyers
Get a free remarketing audit of your Display campaigns. We'll identify wasted spend, low-performing placements, and show you exactly how to lower CPA by 40-60% — in 48 hours or less.
Free Audit Includes:
Common Display Issues We Fix: