ADVERTISING
Google Ads
Paid links. We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes our ranking — see how we rank.
Pricing
We do not reprint prices. They change too often for that to be honest, and a number on our page with no date is worse than sending you to the source.
How we rated it
What it is
Google's advertising platform: search, display, shopping, video and app campaigns, increasingly automated through its AI-driven campaign types.
Who it is for
Almost any business whose customers search for what it sells.
Where it is strongest
Capturing existing demand. Someone searching for what you sell is the highest-intent traffic available anywhere, and this is the only way to reach them at that moment.
Where it falls short
The automated campaign types hide where your money goes, and asking for that detail is increasingly refused. Costs rise as competitors bid. And it punishes inattention — a misconfigured campaign spends happily for weeks.
Our verdict
Recommended where search demand exists. Budget for the attention it needs: this is not a channel you set up and leave.
Editorial assessment. We earn a commission on some links; it does not change the ranking.