How to Choose Between Google Search and Display Ads

Deciding where to spend your Google Ads budget can be a headache. You want immediate leads, but you also need people to know your brand exists in a crowded market. The choice usually comes down to two main options: Search ads and Display ads. While they live in the same Google platform, they do entirely different jobs. This guide will show you exactly when to use each one, how to combine them, and how to get the best return for your business.

What are Google Search ads and when should you use them?

Google Search ads are text-based listings that appear at the top of Google results when someone types in a specific query. You should use Search ads when you want to capture high-intent customers who are actively looking to buy your product or book your service right now.

Because Search ads are entirely intent-driven, they generally provide the highest return on investment for small-to-medium businesses. If a homeowner searches for "emergency plumber auckland," they aren't casually browsing; they have a burst pipe and a credit card in hand.

Search is perfect if you have a strict budget and need focused, measurable results. However, because you pay for every click, you must ensure your website is built to handle the traffic. If you are paying $3 a click to send users to a sluggish, outdated WordPress site, they will bounce before the page loads. We always recommend building fast websites (using modern tech like Next.js) or running a website audit first, so you actually convert the expensive traffic you pay for.

What are Google Display ads and when should you use them?

Google Display ads are visual banners that appear across millions of websites, apps, and YouTube videos. You should use Display ads to build brand awareness, promote highly visual products, or remarket to past website visitors who haven't made a purchase yet.

Unlike Search, Display advertising is passive. Users see your banners while they are reading the news, checking the weather, or watching a video. In New Zealand, the Google Display Network (GDN) places your ads on heavily trafficked local sites like the NZ Herald, Stuff, Trade Me, and MetService.

Because you are interrupting their browsing rather than answering a direct search, immediate conversion rates are much lower. But the cost per click is also a fraction of what you pay on Search. Display is the right choice if you are selling visual consumer goods (like fashion or homeware) or launching a new product that people don't know to search for yet.

What is the main difference between Search and Display ads?

The main difference is user intent. Search ads target people actively looking for a solution, making them highly effective for immediate sales. Display ads interrupt people while they are browsing other content, making them better for generating brand awareness and capturing future interest.

Think of Search as "pull" marketing: you are pulling in prospects who are already holding their wallets.

Display is "push" marketing: you are pushing your brand in front of people to make sure they remember you when the time comes to buy.

Should you combine Search and Display ads?

Yes, combining Search and Display ads often delivers the best results. Search ads drive immediate, high-intent traffic to your website, while Display ads allow you to remarket to those past visitors later, keeping your brand visible until they are ready to buy.

This is the classic one-two punch of digital marketing. A user clicks your Search ad while researching providers on their lunch break, but gets distracted and closes the tab. Three days later, they see your Display ad while scrolling through Trade Me, remember they need to finish the job, and click through to make an enquiry. Even on a tight budget, allocating 10–15% of your spend to a Display remarketing campaign is a highly effective way to mop up lost leads.

How does Performance Max change Search and Display?

Performance Max (PMax) is an automated campaign type that blends Search, Display, YouTube, and Shopping ads into a single campaign. It uses Google's AI to automatically shift your budget across all networks to find the cheapest conversions, removing the need to manage them separately.

PMax has become incredibly popular for ecommerce businesses. However, it requires a word of warning. PMax acts like a black box, i.e. Google doesn't give you full transparency into exactly where your budget is being spent. For service-based businesses or B2B lead generation, this can be dangerous. The algorithm may dump your budget into cheap, low-quality Display placements just to get clicks. With PMax, you need to either have the expertise to manage it well or engage an expert or specialist agency to manage it for you so your ad spend is not wasted.

At Adhesion, we strongly believe in data transparency. We often recommend keeping Search and Display campaigns completely separate for lead-generation clients so you retain absolute control over where every dollar goes.

Which strategy is right for your New Zealand business?

If you have a limited budget and need immediate leads or local bookings, start exclusively with Search ads. If you want to build a household name, sell visual consumer goods, or retarget past visitors, integrate Display ads into your overall marketing mix.

Every business requires a tailored approach. What works for an Auckland roofing company won't work for a nationwide e-commerce retailer. To help calculate your potential ad spend, you can review our guide on how much Google Ads cost.