The Most Popular Google Display Ad Sizes
Choosing the right banner sizes helps your display ads show up in more places and get noticed. Here are the sizes that matter most and how to use them.
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Google Display ad sizes are the bread and butter of display advertising. With so many formats available, it's hard to keep track of which ones matter most. This guide covers the most common and best-performing sizes, the main types of display ads, and how to get better results from them.
What Are Google Display Ads?
Google Display ads are visual ads, such as images, animations and videos, shown on websites, apps and Google-owned properties like YouTube and Gmail. They aim to catch people's attention while they browse, encouraging them to click through to learn more about a brand's products or services or to make a purchase. They also help businesses generate traffic and build brand awareness.
How do Google Display ads work?
Display ads run on the Google Display Network, which spans millions of websites and apps. Advertisers create campaigns in Google Ads, choose their goals and target audience, and Google places the ads on relevant sites based on audience signals, content and placements. The aim is for people likely to be interested in your product to see the ad and click through to your website.
What's the difference between Search and Display ads?
Search ads appear on Google's search results pages when someone types a related query. Display ads appear across a huge network of websites, including blogs, news sites and apps. Search ads are mostly text-based, while display ads are visual, so advertisers can use images or video to showcase their products.
Why use Google Display ads?
Display ads help businesses reach potential customers beyond the search results. They can build brand awareness, attract new customers, remarket to people who've already visited your site, and tell existing customers about new products. Because they're visual, they're good at sparking interest.
What Are the Common Google Display Ad Sizes?
Display ads come in many sizes. The most commonly used on desktop are:
- 300 x 250 (medium rectangle)
- 336 x 280 (large rectangle)
- 728 x 90 (leaderboard)
- 300 x 600 (half page)
- 160 x 600 (wide skyscraper)
On mobile, the most common sizes are:
- 320 x 50 (mobile leaderboard)
- 320 x 100 (large mobile banner)
- 300 x 250 (medium rectangle)
What Are the Top-Performing Display Ad Sizes?
Google has long highlighted the 300 x 250, 336 x 280, 728 x 90 and 300 x 600 sizes as top performers, with 320 x 50 the key size on mobile. These sizes are widely supported by publishers, so ads in these formats are eligible to show in the most places.
The Most Popular Sizes Explained
300 x 250 medium rectangle
The medium rectangle is the most versatile ad size on the web. It fits in sidebars, within article content and at the end of articles, and it works on both desktop and mobile. Because so many ad spaces accept it, it is widely available.
336 x 280 large rectangle
Slightly larger than the medium rectangle, it offers more space for your message and tends to stand out, though fewer placements accept it.
728 x 90 leaderboard
The leaderboard is commonly placed at the top of a page, above the main content, where it's one of the first things visitors see. It's great for communicating a brand message on desktop.
300 x 600 half page
The half-page ad, or vertical rectangle, gives advertisers lots of space to showcase products, making it useful for rich graphics and visual storytelling.
160 x 600 and 120 x 600 skyscrapers
Skyscrapers are tall, narrow ads usually positioned at the side of a page, often used for brand awareness and promotions.
Types of Google Display Ads
Display ads come in several formats, each suited to different goals.
Banner (image) ads
Banner ads are image ads in fixed sizes, such as those above. They can be static or animated and are used to build brand awareness, drive clicks and re-engage people who've already interacted with a brand.
Responsive display ads
Responsive display ads are the default format for most Display campaigns. You upload your images, logos, headlines and descriptions, and Google automatically combines and resizes them to fit almost any available ad space. This flexibility helps your ads show in more places across different screens and devices.
Video ads
Video can be used in display campaigns, and through YouTube, to provide more engaging, interactive content.
How to Improve the Performance of Google Display Ads
Cover the main sizes
If you upload image ads, create versions in the most common sizes so your ads are eligible for as many placements as possible. Pair them with responsive display ads to fill in the gaps.
Test and optimise
Test different sizes, formats, images and messages to see which generate the most clicks and conversions for your business. Check placement reports and exclude sites and apps that don't perform.
Design for visibility
Ad space at the top of a page, visible without scrolling, is the first area people see. You can't choose exact positions on publisher sites, but you can make sure your ads are clear, branded and readable at small sizes, with a strong call to action.
Use the right formats
Responsive display ads typically give you the widest reach because they adapt to almost any slot. Well-designed image ads remain eye-catching, and video can deliver higher engagement.
Conclusion
Google Display ads offer a range of sizes and formats to suit different devices and marketing goals. Focus on the most popular sizes, such as 300 x 250, 336 x 280, 728 x 90, 300 x 600 and 320 x 50, and combine them with responsive display ads. Keep testing and refining, and your display campaigns can drive more clicks and conversions, build brand awareness and grow your online presence.
