What is a “Search Network Only” Campaign Type in Google Adwords?

When you choose to use the “Search Network Only” campaign type in Google AdWords, your ads will show on Google’s Search Network next to the search results. The Search Network includes Google’s search engine, Shopping, Google Maps, and certain search partner sites – like AOL – that also display Google text ads.

The below image shows three possible “Shopping Network Only” ad types:  AdWords, Google Shopping, and Google Maps.

The “Search Network Only” campaign type is limited to paid text ads, but as the image above shows, these ads can take many forms. Ads are matched to search results pages based on the relevance of your ad to the search query. While “Search Network Only” campaigns might seem limiting, they have a wide reach while requiring less setup than other options.

This campaign type is meant for advertisers who want to target only people who are directly searching for their products without taking up the time and budget of targeting other types of potential customers.

There are two possible settings within the Search Network Only campaign: Standard and All Features. While both settings offer the same type of campaign, there are a few features that the standard setting lacks: ad scheduling and delivery method options, advanced location options, mobile app extensions, dynamic tracking URLs, and IP exclusions.

Now that you’ve learned about “Search Network Only” campaigns, you should also learn about “Search Network with Display Select” and “Display Network Only” campaign types.