11 Google Ads examples and strategies

I don’t need to convince you of the power of a Google Search ad. The SERP is dominated by ads, and Google Ads even appear above AI overviews in a lot of cases.

Unfortunately, Google Ads can get really expensive if your strategy stinks. And over the years, I’ve had dozens of clients ask why their ads aren’t driving revenue. 

The truth is, there’s no silver bullet for Google Ads success. That’s why I think the best way to come up with a strategy is to see what other folks are doing. I’ve gathered my favorite Google Ads of late—ones I’ve seen in the wild—and I’ll share how you can steal those same strategies to get high-quality leads and drive conversions.

Table of contents:

What are Google Ads?

Google Ads are the digital ads within Google’s network—they run a full gamut of formats, and you’ll see them all over the web in different places, including videos and shopping listings. You can learn more about all the different formats in this guide to Google Ads types.

Here, I’ll be focusing only on ads that appear in Google Search results.

What are Google Search ads?

Search ads are the bread and butter of Google’s advertising program. These text-based ads resemble standard link listings in the SERP, complete with the usual elements like website name, favicon, page title tag, and meta description. But they show up above standard results, and they have a “Sponsored” tag.

Search ads are subject to some of the same performance guidelines as organic links. Along with your maximum cost-per-click (CPC) budget, the performance and relevance of your ad factor into its Quality Score, which is calculated using expected click-through rate, relevance to user search intent, and landing page relevance. With a higher CPC budget and better Quality Score, you have a better shot at getting your ads listed as the first posts on the page above competing sponsored links.

11 examples of Google Ads to learn from

Here are 11 Google Search ads that I think did a good job for what they were going for. For each one, I’ll share what I think are the big takeaways, so you can take a page out of their playbooks.

1. Steal competitor traffic (NetSuite)

NetSuite is bidding on the brand name of its competitor QuickBooks. While that can get a little hairy, this ad really works. It even subtly acknowledges that the company is bidding on competitors’ keywords (“Not Just Another Software”), which takes away any potential ick factor.

The company also uses sitelinks, an automated Google Ads extension that displays links deeper into the site, not just to the main landing page. This takes up more space in the search results (which pushes down the next few ads) and allows NetSuite to show off its offerings. 

Steal this strategy

• I do recommend caution when bidding on competitors’ names. While no longer banned by Google, it’s still possible to make competitors angry or your audience wary. But it can work, especially if you’re upfront about it. One of my favorite ads from years ago was when HoneyBook bid on the term “FreshBooks” and the ad headline was “You Meant HoneyBook, Right?”

• Optimize for sitelinks using these tips from Google. Remember, you can optimize for sitelinks, but Google decides whether or not they appear in your ads. (You’ll see them in a number of the Google Search ads examples here.)

2. Steal back traffic looking for competitors (Airtable)

Bidding on keywords like “X alternative” reaches users in the consideration phase of the marketing funnel, which can drive excellent ROI. 

Here, Airtable includes “Airtable vs. the Competition” in the heading, but the ad itself promotes Airtable’s features, and when you click through to the landing page, it outlines the benefits of choosing Airtable over those alternatives. Essentially they’re saying: “Yes, there are alternatives, but here’s why we’re better.”

Steal this strategy

• Target high-intent keywords indicating that people are looking for a competitor, such as “[your brand] alternative” or “[your brand] vs. [competitor].” You’ll reach buyers who are closer to conversion. 

• Focus ad copy on features that help your brand stand out.

3. Use the word “best” (Wix)

Google Ads isn’t the place to be modest. In this ad, Wix positions itself as an industry leader and targets high-traffic keywords like “best website builder” and “simple website builder.” It cuts straight to the chase.

Steal this strategy 

4. Include social proof (Sage)

Social proof is a powerful way to drive clicks and conversions, but you don’t have much room in a Google Ad. NetSuite’s ad above did a nice job of this with copy like “See why 43,000 companies trust NetSuite” and “76% of NetSuite customers experienced…” Sage takes a different approach here, highlighting an award it won from a trusted organization.

Steal this strategy

• Use testimonials in your Google Ads, but keep it short. “Trusted by X companies” or “Used by the biggest brands” is a bit vague, but it shows that users can trust your brand. 

• Follow up by including more specific social proof on the ad landing page. 

• Google’s store ratings extension adds social proof to your ads in the form of star ratings, so make sure to optimize for them if they fit your brand. 

5. Focus on search intent (Roto-Rooter)

Think about search intent. For example, when someone searches “plumber available now,” there’s a good chance they’re in a plumbing emergency. That’s why this ad from Roto-Rooter is so effective: it focuses on 24/7 availability and same-day service, which searchers likely need.

Steal this strategy

• There are four main types of search intent: informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional—you want to know which one your keyword is targeting and be sure your ad copy matches folks with that search intent.

6. Offer a discount (Shutterfly)

Everyone likes a good discount. This Shutterfly ad is eye-catching (anything with “X% off” is going to attract people) and offers a great deal. Especially if you already offer a discount for first-time buyers, this is a great place to advertise it.

Also, note the long-tail keyword they’re targeting: “where to print pictures.” That phrase means the searcher is ready to take action, making the discount even more appealing. 

Steal this strategy

7.  Address pain points (Creatio) 

Creatio knows what its target audience is worried about: speed of adoption. They get ahead of this pain point by addressing it right in the copy. They also emphasize that while the other guys have AI, Creatio is AI-native.

Steal this strategy

• Name your customers’ major pain points, and say how you solve those issues.

• Read competitor reviews to find major pain points with other brands, and include solutions in your ad copy. 

8. Share your unique benefits (Remote)

Many of the searchers who see your ad will learn about your company for the first time from it. So, they’ll want to know what you do and why you do it better than everyone else. Remote leaves no doubt of what makes it unique by mentioning its differentiators from the competition: Remote is meant for globally distributed, remote teams.

Steal this strategy

• Get specific. Mention benefits that your customers seek you out for, and depending on the terms your customers search for, you might also have the chance to overlap these benefits with relevant keywords.

9. Promote free products or services (HubSpot) 

Google Ads aren’t just for conversions—they can also generate high-quality leads. In this example, HubSpot is targeting the keyword “crm app” to tell users about their free plan. The idea, of course, is to bring users in and upsell them on additional features in their paid plans. The ad also highlights the benefits you’ll get, even the free plan.

Steal this strategy

10. Make conversion easy (Wayfair)

This ad from Wayfair is a solid example of a brand understanding search intent. Because they know this is a commercial search intent, they want to make it easy for people to make a purchase. The query was for “cheap couches,” so the headline and all the site links emphasize affordability. Searchers can go directly to the clearance page, and they offer a buy now, pay later option upfront.

Steal this strategy

• If you know users who search this keyword are looking to do something specific (in this case, buy a couch), make it easy for them to do that thing. Depending on your business, users might want to sign up, see pricing, or book a reservation.

• Include links to high-demand pages relevant to the search intent.

11. Advertise your affiliate content (NerdWallet)

You can advertise much more than just your pages with transactional search intent. Affiliate content also suits Google Ads well, especially “best of” guides that hit high-traffic keywords. NerdWallet covers all the angles someone might take when looking for a credit card and links to related content in its sitelinks.

Steal this strategy

• Create your affiliate content with a solid SEO strategy in mind, so it translates easily into a Search ad. NerdWallet’s guide already hits important terms like “low interest,” so the ad practically writes itself.

• Make a content “cluster” out of sitelinks by highlighting content relevant to your ad and keyword.

Use Google’s recommendations

If you aren’t already, I also suggest using Google’s Recommendations page. This section in the Tools tab of Google Ads Manager is dedicated to helping you build more successful ads. Google recommends features you aren’t using, suggests different keywords, and helps keep your campaigns fresh. Suggestions are based on your historical data, so they can be really useful.

Automate Google Ads

The admin work involved in ad management is better delegated to the robots. Instead of manually moving data between tools, Zapier’s AI-powered automation lets you connect Google Ads with all the other apps you rely on, so your campaigns stay agile, efficient, and personalized.

• Route data intelligently: Automatically update ad audiences based on CRM activity, form submissions, or eCommerce purchases.

• Trigger complex workflows: Chain together multi-step automations across Google Ads, your customer database, analytics tools, and messaging platforms.

• Optimize in real time: Use Zapier to sync conversions and customer actions from any channel, so Google Ads always has the most accurate data.

Learn more about how to automate Google Ads with Zapier, or get started with one of these pre-made templates.

Related reading:

This article was originally published in June 2022 and has also had contributions from Melissa King. The most recent update was in September 2025.