Dual-Network Strategy
While keeping campaigns separate is strategic, there’s undeniable value in leveraging both networks in a complimentary fashion:
- The Search Network captures those ready to act, making it essential for driving conversions.
- The Display Network nurtures potential customers through awareness and retargeting.
According to Erin Sagin at Unbounce, experts advise segmenting audiences accordingly: use Search campaigns to harvest demand and Display campaigns to generate it. SNDS may appeal to beginners for its simplicity but can hinder granular control and optimization over time.
Audience Overlap Management
One often-overlooked consideration when running both networks is audience overlap. I’ve observed that retargeting the same users across both networks without frequency caps or exclusion lists can lead to ad fatigue. For a regional home services client, we implemented a strategy where users who clicked on Search ads were temporarily excluded from high-frequency Display retargeting, resulting in a 15% improvement in overall conversion rate.
For home service professionals who want to enhance their online marketing effectiveness, integrating well-designed strategies alongside expert Top home services website design can produce superior lead flow and trust.
Case Study: Achieving Balance with Dual Networks
Consider a leading e-commerce company that integrated both networks strategically. They used the Search Network to capture high-intent shoppers searching for specific products, employing expanded text and dynamic search ads. Concurrently, their Display Network campaigns used responsive ads and retargeting techniques to re-engage website visitors and expose new audiences to their brand through visually compelling creatives.
This approach resulted in a substantial lift across the marketing funnel: a 25% increase in direct conversions from search ads, and a 40% boost in new user awareness driven by display ads, according to Workshop Digital’s case study, confirming the power of a well-segmented dual-network strategy. In this situation, Google Search Network vs Display Network resulted in a harmonious balance.
Multi-Location Business Example
For businesses with multiple locations, network strategy becomes even more nuanced. I worked with a physical therapy practice with 12 locations across three states. For them, we implemented:
- Location-specific Search campaigns targeting high-intent terms like “physical therapy near me” with location extensions
- Region-wide Display campaigns for brand awareness
- Location-specific Display campaigns for each clinic’s unique specialties
This multi-tiered approach allowed for both broad brand awareness and location-specific conversion tracking, increasing new patient appointments by 32% while maintaining the same overall marketing budget.
Policy Changes Affecting Network Selection (2025)
Recent Google Ads policy changes have impacted how advertisers should approach network selection:
- Enhanced Audience Protection: Google has implemented stricter privacy controls affecting audience targeting on the Display Network. Advertisers now need larger audience sizes to activate certain targeting options.
- First-Party Data Emphasis: With third-party cookie deprecation, advertisers with strong first-party data have advantages in Display Network targeting.
- AI-Driven Campaign Types: Performance Max campaigns now blend aspects of both networks, though I’ve found they work best for advertisers with extensive conversion history rather than newcomers.
What I’ve Learned From Campaign Failures
Not every campaign succeeds, and I’ve had my share of learning experiences. For a boutique fitness studio, I initially recommended an aggressive Display Network campaign to build awareness before their grand opening. The campaign generated thousands of impressions but few conversions.
The mistake? We didn’t establish brand credibility first. We pivoted to a limited Search campaign targeting only branded terms and competitor names, then expanded to Display once we had testimonials and social proof. The lesson: Display Network works better when there’s already some brand familiarity or when you have compelling visual assets that communicate your value proposition instantly.
