If you're a major film studio looking to promote your new releases, Google just gave you a new option. With Media Ads for AdWords, you can capture a searcher's attention like never before. But how well will this expand to other industries?
First, let me give you a quick explanation of how it works. Google determined that most searchers who look for the title of a movie want to see a trailer, so it now features AdWords text-based ads at the top of its results that include a thumbnail video player on the left. When clicked, the video expands and dims out everything else on the computer screen, thanks to the search engine's new Lightbox video player.
If you're interested in buying one of these ads and concerned about bidding, don't worry: unlike other AdWords ads, you get these for a flat rate per click. Google eliminated the auction by targeting these ads automatically, using its algorithm. Google AdWords product marketing manager Dan Friedman explained that When someone enters a search on Google.com that our algorithms determine is directly related to your movie title (most commonly the title and variations on it), we automatically display your Media Ad at the top of the search results page.
The flat rate per click should be a big help to those trying to plan their advertising campaigns. Users should find it easier to estimate how much they'll be spending, since the cost per click won't change. While that's great news for those who can use the new Media Ads, where does that leave the rest of us you know, the vast majority of online advertisers and retailers who AREN'T currently trying to promote a movie?
Google says that they do plan to roll this ad option out to other industries in the future, but you can expect them to do so slowly and it's entirely possible that Media Ads will never be available for some sectors. It's easy to imagine this kind of ad being used by the television industry, of course. The travel and tourism industry could also make use of it when searchers hunt for particular hotels or vacation spots.
The rest of us will probably need to be a bit more creative. Do you offer classes or webinars online? Media Ads might work for you in the future. How about the automotive industry? TV commercials for cars already work on selling the experience, so this would just be an extension of that. Does your site focus on how-to videos? A short Media Ad might work here as well something that's just long enough to get a viewer excited about learning that new skill or making that cool gadget.
If you put together any video content online, you might want to think about making trailers for it in the future. This may seem a little silly, especially since there's no telling when or if Google will expand Media Ads into your industry. If and when they do, though, you'll look back on it as a useful exercise. At the very least, if you haven't been optimizing the title tags of your videos for SEO, start doing it now; that will put you in a better position to take advantage of Media Ads in the future.
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