An In-Depth Guide to a Full-Funnel Google Ads Strategy

Running a single Google Ads campaign can be an effective way to help your business achieve its goals. 

Let’s travel down the funnel and discuss the best campaign types to nurture and convert your audience at each stage.

Campaigns for the awareness stage

At the top of the funnel, potential customers likely don't know about your business yet, and they may not even recognize that they have a problem or need. 

The goal of your campaigns should be to achieve broad reach and grow awareness of your brand so that when the user realizes they’re experiencing a pain point, they’ll think of your brand as the solution.

Your campaign creative should introduce the problem, use clear and consistent branding, and keep the messaging simple enough to be memorable.

Awareness campaigns should be educational, eye-catching, and entertaining. This might be asking too much from one campaign, so consider testing different types of content to determine what works best for your audience.

Display

Display campaigns are a classic awareness play. They serve visual banner ads across the Google Display Network, which spans millions of sites and apps. When your audience is browsing their favorite websites online, they’ll see ads for your business across multiple sites and pages, growing their exposure to your business. Display ads are cost-effective; CPMs are often lower than other campaign types, but do vary by targeting.

The strength of Display lies in reach. You can tailor your targeting to affinity audiences (broad interest groups like “tech enthusiasts” or “fitness buffs”) or custom segment audiences that match more specific signals. Your creative should be bold and simple—something that communicates your brand in an instant, since most users are casually browsing.

The biggest risk with Display is placement quality. Because the network is so large, ads can appear on sites that don’t align with your brand. Marketers should regularly check placement reports and exclude low-quality sites to avoid wasting budget or damaging credibility. For B2B advertisers, contextual targeting on industry-relevant publications often works best. For B2C, lifestyle and affinity targeting can expand your reach effectively.

How to drive results

• Use custom creatives for brand consistency or Responsive Display Ads to test variations.
• Combine affinity audiences (lifestyle/interest-based) with custom segment audiences for relevance.
• Keep messaging visual and easy to recognize at a glance.

Tips & best practices

• Regularly review placement reports to avoid low-quality sites.
• Build remarketing lists from Display traffic for later campaigns.
• B2B: Focus on contextual targeting on industry-related sites.
• B2C: Use affinity/lifestyle targeting to expand reach.

Video

If Display gets you seen, Video helps you get remembered. Video campaigns primarily run on YouTube and use storytelling to create lasting impressions. They’re particularly effective for shaping perception, since viewers can retain more from video than from static ads.

YouTube offers flexible formats: longer skippable in-stream ads for storytelling and six-second bumper ads for quick brand recall. While costs per view are higher than Display (around $0.05–$0.20), Video ads have the potential to drive more engagement.

Quality matters here. Poor visuals or audio can hurt more than help, so invest in professional production or repurpose strong content like webinars or customer stories.

How to drive results

• Use skippable in-stream ads for reach and bumper ads (6s) for recall.
• Hook viewers in the first 5 seconds.
• Target with in-market audiences or custom segments to balance reach and relevance.

Tips & best practices

• Invest in quality visuals and audio.
• Repurpose webinars, testimonials, or demos for ad assets.
• B2B: Lead with educational content and problem/solution framing.
• B2C: Show lifestyle, emotion, or product-in-action.

Demand Gen

Demand Gen campaigns (formerly Discovery) let you reach audiences across YouTube, Discover, and Gmail feeds. Unlike Display banners, Demand Gen ads are rich, scroll-stopping formats designed for engagement.

These campaigns let you tell stories using many formats—images, carousels, or video snippets—and deliver them in immersive placements. They’re also often higher-quality engagements than standard Google Display Network placements and can be further guided by in-market and similar audience expansion options that allow you to reach people who are already showing signs of interest.

How to drive results

• Mix creative formats: static images, carousels, short videos.
• Use audience expansion and in-market targeting to reach new prospects.
• Optimize for reach/engagement and evaluate lift via assisted conversions + view-through impact.

Tips & best practices

• Tailor creatives to each placement (e.g., carousel for Discover).
• Refresh visuals often to keep feeds updated.
• B2B: Highlight case studies or educational offers.
• B2C: Showcase product visuals, promotions, or bundles.

Leveraging awareness campaigns

If you are looking to grow brand awareness, focusing on visual ads with a large reach is crucial to getting your brand seen and remembered. If you are a B2B business with details you want to convey about your services that set you apart from competitors, try pairing informational Video ads with Display campaigns to create a combination of reach and information. 

If you’re a B2C company with a product that sells itself but relies on visual creativity, focus your top-of-funnel efforts on demand generation, where you’ll simultaneously expand your audience and capture customers who are already in a buying mindset.

Campaigns for the consideration stage

Now that potential customers are aware of your brand, the middle of the funnel is where they begin to actively research solutions and evaluate their options. They are aware of a specific pain point they need to resolve, so it’s your job to ensure they’re considering your brand as the solution.

Your strategy should be to provide valuable information, build credibility and trust, and guide prospects closer to making a decision that is favorable to your brand. You need to position your business as the best option by calling out differentiators, sharing specific use cases, and personalizing your ads to your audience. 

Campaign creative should shift from storytelling to proof. Use demos, comparisons, reviews, case studies, and clear differentiators.

To help prospects consider your brand, you might explore Search, Shopping, and Demand Gen campaigns. 

Search

While often associated with conversions, Search campaigns are equally powerful for targeting broader, problem-based queries. Someone searching “best CRM for small businesses” likely isn’t ready to buy yet—but they are weighing their options.

Marketers should structure campaigns around informational keywords and competitor terms. Ad copy should position your brand as a credible expert, directing users to helpful content such as guides, comparison pages, or blogs.

How to drive results

• Build campaigns around problem-focused keywords and competitor terms.
• Direct users to educational content: guides, blogs, or comparison pages.
• Use audiences in observation/signal mode to prioritize high-value segments (not hard targeting).

Tips & best practices

• Review search terms weekly to refine negative keywords and add opportunities.
• Use ad extensions to highlight differentiators.
• B2B: Focus on competitor/service-based keywords.
• B2C: Emphasize reviews, features, and unique benefits.

Shopping

Shopping campaigns blur the line between consideration and conversion. These ads show product images, prices, and availability directly within search results, letting users compare options instantly.

At the consideration stage, Shopping ads serve as a powerful reminder that your product is in the mix. They’re particularly effective for e-commerce brands competing in crowded markets, since they put your offering side by side with competitors.

How to drive results

• Optimize titles and descriptions with high-intent keywords.
• Use custom labels to prioritize seasonal or high-margin items.
• Highlight differentiators like free shipping, discounts, or bundles.

Tips & best practices

• Keep product feeds accurate and updated daily.
• Track impression share to monitor competitiveness.
• B2B: Works for catalog-style products or SaaS add-ons.
• B2C: Essential for e-commerce — focus on product photography and promotions.

Demand Gen

Demand Gen isn’t just for awareness—it also works well in the middle of the funnel by retargeting warm audiences. Users who watched your video, clicked a Display ad, or visited your site can be nurtured with more detailed messaging.

Here, you should pivot from broad storytelling to value-driven content. Testimonials, product demos, or solution comparisons can deepen trust. Segmenting audiences by behavior—for example, video watchers vs. site visitors—allows you to tailor creative and messaging for maximum relevance.

How to drive results

• Retarget site visitors or video watchers with more detailed ads.
• Use testimonials, product demos, or solution-focused creatives.
• Segment campaigns by engagement level for better relevance.

Tips & best practices

• Refresh creatives to prevent ad fatigue.
• Adjust messaging from broad awareness to proof and differentiation.
• B2B: Lead with ROI messaging or customer case studies.
• B2C: Highlight user-generated content or reviews.

Leveraging consideration campaigns

As you’re considering which campaigns to implement for your business, think not only of the assets you have, but of the greater goals of your business. What will resonate best with your audience?

As a B2B brand, it might make the most sense to implement a Search campaign that strategically targets competitor and service-based keywords that could lead to educational pages on your website. You’re positioning yourself as a thought leader and demonstrating your expertise to your audience. Layer this with educational video content that shows exactly how your business solves your audience’s pain point, and you’ve solidified yourself as a top contender to fit your audience’s needs.

For B2C brands, you might benefit from sharing product videos to showcase a variety of your offerings at once or to show your products in action. Use cases are highly valuable for connecting the dots between what your product is and how a user could benefit from it in their specific situation. Pair it with a strategic Search campaign and you’ll be showing up where your audience is looking for solutions, ensuring you’re top-of-mind as they consider their options.

Campaigns for the conversion stage

At the bottom of the funnel, prospects are ready to act. They’ve seen your brand, researched their options, and now it’s time to convert. The goal here is to remove friction, create urgency, and guide them to the finish line.

Your creative should aim to drive action using strong CTAs, urgency, trust signals, and landing pages that are consistent with your ads.

Search

Bottom-funnel Search campaigns focus on high-intent queries: branded keywords, product names, or transactional terms like “buy now” and “start free trial.” These campaigns often deliver the highest ROI since they capture demand at the moment of decision.

Success depends on precision. Your ad copy should be direct, with clear CTAs and urgency messaging. Lead form extensions can capture user details directly in the SERP, shortening the path to conversion. B2B brands can drive prospects to demo requests or consultation forms, while B2C brands may highlight promotions or limited-time discounts.

How to drive results

• Target branded and transactional queries.
• Use urgent, action-focused copy (“Buy now,” “Start free trial”).
• Add lead form extensions to capture info directly from the ad.

Tips & best practices

• Protect and capitalize on branded terms by bidding on them.
• Align landing pages precisely with ad messaging.
• B2B: Drive to demo signups or consultation forms.
• B2C: Emphasize promotions and limited-time offers.

Performance Max

Performance Max (PMax) campaigns use Google’s AI to serve ads across all of its channels—Search, Display, Video, Shopping, and more—optimizing in real time for conversions. They’re especially effective for e-commerce and B2C brands that have diverse creative assets and clear purchase goals.

To make PMax work, marketers need to supply high-quality inputs: strong visuals, compelling copy, and well-defined conversion goals. Google’s automation handles the rest, but monitoring insights reports is critical to understanding what’s driving results. B2B brands should tread carefully here, as PMax can be less effective for lead generation. Lead gen PMax campaigns can still work, they just require tighter measurement and quality controls, meaning advertisers should start small and validate lead quality.

How to drive results

• Provide diverse creative assets (text, images, video) for testing.
• Set clear conversion goals (purchases, signups).
• Monitor insights to refine targeting and creative.

Tips & best practices

• Refresh assets frequently to avoid fatigue.
• Use audience signals as guidance—monitor insights and asset performance.
• B2B: Test cautiously with smaller budgets.
• B2C: Excellent for scaling product catalogs and promotions.

Shopping

At this stage, Shopping campaigns become a direct sales driver. With ready-to-buy users actively comparing products, showing up with optimized product listings can make or break a purchase decision.

Highlight bestsellers, promotions, or unique product features. Use smart bidding strategies like Target ROAS to maximize returns, and sync feeds with discounts or coupons during key shopping windows. Pair Shopping with remarketing to re-engage cart abandoners and push them to complete their purchase.

How to drive results

• Prioritize bestsellers and discounted items.
• Use smart bidding strategies like target ROAS.
• Sync promotions with product feeds for consistency.

Tips & best practices

• Pair Shopping with remarketing lists for cart abandoners.
• Optimize product images—clear visuals outperform generic shots.
• B2B: Niche use for catalog-driven industries.
• B2C: Prioritize seasonal items and fast-moving SKUs.

Leveraging conversion campaigns

As a B2B brand pushing users to cross the finish line by making a decision, you’ll likely want to use a targeted Search campaign that uses high-intent keywords and remarketing/audience lists, either in observation or as signals, to prioritize ready-to-convert users.

For B2C brands, pairing a highly targeted Search campaign with a Performance Max campaign will be the best way of getting in front of those ready-to-buy users. With a combination of keyword targeting and visual, product-oriented campaigns, you’ll reach more users who are ready to convert.

Remarketing as a layer across the funnel

Remarketing isn’t a funnel stage—it’s an audience layer you can apply to Display, Video, Demand Gen, and even Search/PMax (often as audience signals). The goal is simple: match your message to what someone has already done.

Segmentation is the difference between helpful and annoying. A first-time blog visitor needs education, while a cart abandoner or demo-page visitor may just need proof, urgency, or a small incentive. Use frequency caps to prevent fatigue and rotate creatives so your ads don’t feel repetitive.

How to drive results

• Segment by intent and behavior (content viewers vs. product/pricing visitors vs. cart/demo visitors).
• Align creative to the segment (education → proof → urgency).
• Use frequency caps and exclusions (exclude recent converters and current customers when appropriate).
  

Tips & best practices

• Content viewers: promote a guide, checklist, or “how it works” video.
• Product/pricing visitors: show testimonials, comparisons, guarantees, or ROI proof.
• Cart/demo abandoners: reinforce the offer, reduce friction, and add urgency (shipping/returns, promo, limited-time).
• B2B: longer windows + assets like case studies/ROI tools
• B2C: shorter windows + offers, reviews, and trust signals.

Build a full-funnel Google Ads strategy with Perrill

We've reached the bottom of the funnel—hopefully, you're now more equipped to use multiple Google Ads campaigns to drive results at every stage.

Keep in mind that full-funnel only works if tracking is solid—set clear primary conversions and measure assisted impact, not just last-click. Use primary vs. secondary conversions to keep optimization focused, and make sure key actions (forms, calls, purchases) are tracked accurately. For B2B, import offline outcomes (qualified leads/opportunities) so you optimize for lead quality—not just volume.

While it can be daunting, having the right combination of campaigns that represent your brand all the way through the funnel is a great way to grow your business and win online. 

In a crowded landscape where everyone is competing for attention, having the right partner to help you drive results is critical. As a full-service digital advertising agency, we’re here to support your advertising efforts. Reach out to get started.