13 Display Ad Best Practices for Visibility & Performance

Google Display ads are a part of the Google Display Network, which spans over two million websites and apps that show ads. These are paid ads that typically appear as banners within websites, mobile apps, social media, and other platforms.

Here’s an example of a display ad on a media site:

Display ads reach the vast majority of people on the Internet. And thanks to laser-focused targeting, you know exactly the type of audience that will see them.

Following display ads best practices can bring a massive ROI for your paid campaigns.

To make sure you get the most out of your display ads, we’ve prepared some tips to help you generate better results from your campaigns.

Display Ad Design and Visuals

To communicate clearly with potential customers, focus on optimizing the design and visual elements of your ads.

Improving the design can also combat what is known as “banner blindness.” This is when users simply ignore banners or display ads altogether.

One study from 2023 found that banner blindness occurred in 7% to 32% of experiments.

In other words, a significant portion of the audience exposed to your banner ads may never notice the ad at all. If they don’t notice the ad, then there’s a low probability that they’ll click on it or convert.

How can you make sure your ads grab their attention?

Keep Designs Simple

Stay away from busy display ads with complex graphics.

Research from Microsoft Canada found that between 2000 and 2015, the average human attention span dropped from...