Guide to B2B Targeting in the Google Display Network

With access to millions of websites and approximately 2.5 billion users per month, the Google Display Network is a must-have for anyone looking to sell their B2B solutions.

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However, the effectiveness of your campaign depends on your ability to place your ads in front of the right people. It’s what determines who sees your ads and how much of your budget is spent on converting potential leads into paying customers. Do it well, and you’ll enjoy a ton of new business at a low cost—do it poorly, and you’ll get a ton of worthless clicks and impressions that deplete your ad spend. 

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In this article, we walk you through the basics of the Google Display Network, explain what makes it so powerful for B2B advertising, and highlight strategies to target high-intent audiences. 

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Types of Display Ads on the Google Display Network

When it comes to display ads, the Google Display Network offers a variety of formats. Each type has its own strengths, letting you tailor your campaign to your audience’s needs.

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Responsive Display Ads

Responsive display ads automatically adjust their size, appearance, and format to fit any available ad space across websites, apps, YouTube, and Gmail. You just need to upload various assets—images, headlines, logos, videos, and descriptions—into Google Ads. Then, Google’s machine learning takes over. It tests different combinations and automatically selects the optimal mix for each placement, ensuring your ad always looks its best.

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Responsive display ads aren’t just about adaptability. They can be interactive, too. For example, HTML5 ads can bring images to life by reacting to your mouse cursor, making your creative more engaging. Plus, you can add clickable links to guide your audience to specific pages on your site.

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HTML5 Ad

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These ads blend seamlessly with the content on the publisher’s site, appearing as native ads that feel like a natural part of the page. 

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Single Image Ads

Single image ads are your classic banner ads that can come in various forms—a fixed image, an animated image, or even a GIF. Their versatility lies in the ability to create multiple size variations, ensuring that your ad appears in a wide range of placements across the Google Display Network. This makes them ideal when you have a strong visual message that can capture attention without relying on interactivity.

GDN Ad Placements and Networks

The Google Display Network (GDN) is enormous, spanning over two million websites, apps, and platforms. This gives you a massive digital stage to showcase your brand in contexts that matter most to your target audience.

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What’s In The Google Display Network, And Does It Offer B2B Sites?

Your ads can appear on a wide variety of high-traffic and niche sites. Some top-performing websites on Google Display Network include: 

• Gmail
• YouTube
• Blogger
• Google Finance & Google News

Beyond these core properties, the GDN partners with a wide array of third-party sites—many of them relating to B2B. Recognizable names like Quora, CNN, Forbes, and TSN offer premium placements that can significantly boost your brand’s credibility. 

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Placement Exclusions

Important Note: The Google Display Network is vast, and not every placement will align with your brand values. So it’s crucial that you double-check—and, if necessary, exclude—your ad placements. It’s possible that they appear on irrelevant sites, foreign language pages, or polarizing political websites. 

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The screenshot above is a placement exclusion list (with over 12,000 placements) we’ve built over the last five years while working with our clients. 

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What Makes B2B Google Display Ads Effective?

Cost-Effective Brand Awareness

Generally speaking, the Google Display Network tends to offer significantly cheaper cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-lead (CPL) than other formats, such as the Google Search Network. According to WordStream’s benchmark data, the average cost-per-click on the Google Display Network for B2B-related searches is around $0.79, compared to approximately $3.33 on the Search Network. 

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The lower costs on the Google Display Network result from less competition. Because Display Network users are passively browsing rather than actively searching for solutions, advertisers aren’t bidding on high-intent search queries. Instead, they compete for ad placements based on audience targeting and contextual relevance. This lower competition for placement leads to lower cost-per-click (CPC) and cost-per-lead (CPL) compared to the Search Network.

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GDN Makes It Easy to Target High-Intent Audiences

The Google Display Network allows you to refine your targeting further by segmenting your audience using various options. 

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Here’s a quick rundown:

• In-Market Audiences: Focus on users actively looking for products or services.
• Affinity Audiences: Target users based on interests, hobbies, and daily activities.
• Demographic Audiences: Reach users according to characteristics like age, gender, and parental status.
• Remarketing Audiences: Re-engage users who have previously visited your website or interacted with your ads.
• Custom Audiences: Build audiences based on user behavior and in-market signals. 
  
  • For instance, you can create a list of users who’ve searched for “employee scheduling software” or “enterprise project management.

The Google Display Network also allows you to segment audiences by device. In our experience, tailoring your ads for desktop leads to better-performing campaigns. Why? B2B solutions tend to be more expensive and complex. So, Prospects take more time and research a lot more before committing. You can adjust your bids to favor desktop over mobile placements to optimize your ad spend. 

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Target High-Intent Audiences in High-Intent Placements

The Google Display Network gives you precise targeting tools, enabling you to zero in on very high-intent audiences. 

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Your target options fall into two main categories:

• Topic Targeting: topic targeting allows you to display your ads on a variety of websites that are generally related to a specific topic you choose. Your ads will appear on pages with content that falls under that theme rather than targeting individual users based on their specific interests.
  
  • For instance, If you’re targeting people in the market, such as “employee scheduling software,” you’d want to focus on websites covering workforce management, HR technology, or business efficiency.
• Keyword Targeting: Google’s search engine relies heavily on search queries (what people type into the search bar). You can also target people based on the keywords search when using Google. 
  
  • For example, a B2B software company might use keywords like “employee scheduling software” or “enterprise project management.”

Keyword targeting also plays a central role in putting your search ads in front of the right people—we cover this in detail in our blog, “Guide to B2B Targeting for Google Search Ads”.

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Taking a targeted approach ensures your ads appear alongside content that speaks directly to your industry’s needs, making them highly relevant to your prospects. 

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B2B Advertising Strategies For The Google Display Network

Running a successful campaign—one that leads to conversions—requires a layered approach. This is essential for B2B advertisers. Because B2B marketers tend to sell very specific, high-ticket solutions, the whole sales process is longer and more elaborate.

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So, you want to reach out to your audiences at different levels of the sales funnel and create content that provides value where and when they need it.

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Below are some tips you can use to enhance your Google Display Network ad campaign’s performance.

Top-of-Funnel (ToFu) Strategies

At the top of the funnel, your goal is simple: introduce your brand to potential B2B clients in a way that resonates with their professional interests. This stage is all about building awareness and laying a strong foundation. Here’s how you can do it:

Ad Placement

Focus your ads on websites and platforms that cover business services. Instead of casting a wide net, narrow your focus to trusted sources—think industry news sites, management blogs, or professional forums—where your target audience already spends their time. For instance, if your product is designed for enterprise solutions, target placements that discuss management trends or business efficiency.

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Audience Creation

You’ll want to build custom search audiences in Google based on specific keywords. If you offer something like employee scheduling software, create an audience around that term. Then, layer in in-market signals to refine this group further. This combined approach reaches people who have searched for your keywords at some point and are actively in the market for business software. Essentially, the more recent and intent-driven the search behavior, the higher the likelihood you’re capturing a qualified lead.

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These TOF strategies ensure your brand appears in the right places and to the right people from the very start. They set the stage for moving potential clients further down the funnel.

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Bottom-of-Funnel (BOF) Strategies: Retargeting

Once you’ve captured interest at the top of the funnel, it’s time to convert that interest into action. At this stage, your audience is warmer—they’ve already interacted with your brand, making retargeting the key strategy.

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Retargeting

Retargeting lets you re-engage visitors who have shown strong interest. For example, those who visited your pricing or product details pages signal readiness to learn more or buy. By showing targeted ads to these high-intent visitors, you keep your message top-of-mind, which can dramatically boost conversion rates and lower your CPCs and CPLs. You should also focus on more recent website visitors—say, those who have been on your site in the past 7 days. This ensures your ad reaches prospects while your brand is still fresh in their minds.

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P.S. We talk all about retargeting in our article, “Guide to Retargeting Campaigns in Google Ads”. 

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High-Intent Audiences

Use your existing data to segment and identify users who have engaged with key conversion pages, such as those who downloaded a whitepaper or signed up for a demo. Then, tailor your messaging based on these insights. When your ads speak directly to the specific needs and behaviors of these high-intent prospects, you increase the chances of conversion.

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Ad Placement

Ad placement remains crucial even at the bottom of the funnel. Choose placements that align with a purchasing mindset—sites where leads are finalizing research or ready to make a decision. Focus on premium, professional environments that reinforce your credibility. Be sure to exclude placements that don’t fit your brand’s image or where prospects may not be ready to convert.

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Bottom-of-funnel strategies are all about reinforcement and precision. By retargeting and focusing on high-intent prospects, you give your brand that final push toward conversion, turning interested leads into loyal customers.

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Need help with your B2B Display Ads?

Advertising on the Google Display Network is a cost-effective way to target high-quality leads. By carefully segmenting your audience and choosing the right placements, you ensure your ads reach the right professionals who are searching for B2B solutions like yours. 

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However, every business is unique and requires a tailored approach to effectively reach its target audience. While it’s possible to manage a campaign independently, running an effective one often demands full attention, which can be unrealistic if you’re focusing on your business. 

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Having a B2B display advertising expert on your side can make all the difference. At InterTeam Marketing, we have a deep understanding of advertising strategies and know how to implement them effectively. 

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If you need help setting up your campaign or are curious about any optimizations, we’d love to help. Book a Free Ads Strategy Call to see if advertising on the Google Display Network makes sense for you.

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