Google AdWords Learning Center

So far, we've been talking about text ads — Google's most traditional and popular ad format. In addition to creating text ads, you might also have the option to create the following types of ads:

Image (and animated) ads

Video ads

Local business ads

Mobile ads

Some of the above formats are only available in certain locations. If available, they'll appear in your Ad Group Details table — via the Ad Variations tab. (Sign in to your account > Click the appropriate campaign name > Click the ad group name > Click the Ad Variations tab).

You can include one or more different ad formats per ad group. Overall, we suggest that each ad group contains at least one text ad. If you have multiple ad formats per ad group, Google displays the most relevant one on a search or content page.

Make sure your ad closely relates to the product and service offered and describes what you expect a user to do on your page. Visit the Writing Targeted Ad Text topic to find out about common best practices.

Take a quick glimpse at how ad formats vary in the chart below.

	Content sites	Search sites	Placement-targeted campaigns	Keyword-targeted campaigns	Text-based	Graphics-based
Text Ads	X	X	X	X	X
Image ads	X		X	X		X
Video ads	X		X	X		X
Local business ads		X		X	X
Mobile ads		X		X	X

At times, your text ad might expand to fill an entire ad position (the area on a webpage dedicated to ad space). This is called an expanded text ad. Rather than being grouped with other text ads, the expanded text ad fills the entire ad space by itself.

An expanded text ad contains the same number of characters and the same editorial guidelines as a regular text ad, but the font and layout are increased to fill the entire banner, box, skyscraper, or position space.

Any text ad can run as an expanded text ad on the Google content network only (not on search results pages). No special arrangements are needed. A text ad is expanded automatically whenever the AdWords system determines that its price, relevance, and other competitive conditions make it a good candidate to take the entire space itself.