To help you reach more potential customers, your ads will now show on content that matches any of the topics, placements, or Display/Video/Search keywords you target. For example, if you targeted “bikes” as a topic and “cycling” as a Display/Video/Search keyword, your ads will show on content that matches either.
You’ll also notice contextual targeting simplified into a single page in Google Ads, so you can manage all content targeting types (Topics, Placements, Display/Video keywords, and Exclusions) in a single view. The new page can be found in the “Content” section under Campaigns on the left-side navigation menu.
Just like your business caters to certain customers, your customers may be interested in certain topics. Topic targeting lets you place your ads on web pages, apps, and videos about those topics, whether it's agriculture, music, or something else entirely.
This article gives an overview of topic targeting in Google Ads. You can use this feature in Display Network or Video campaigns through the “Content” tab in the left-side page menu or in the “Content” section in a new campaign’s settings. For step-by-step instructions, explore Target websites about relevant topics.
Topic targeting allows your ads to be eligible to appear on any pages on the Display Network or YouTube that have content related to your selected topics. As content across the web changes over time, the pages on which your ads appear can change with it. To display your ads on those pages, simply select one or more topics that you find relevant for your ads.
Example
By targeting the "Autos & Vehicles" topic, for instance, you enable your ad to appear on any Display Network website or other placement that includes content about cars or other automotive themes. You can also select more precise subtopics, such as Trucks & SUVs, Commercial Vehicles, or Motorcycles.
You can combine topic targeting with other content targeting types (keywords and placements) to help target your ads towards any of the selected content in your ad group, so you reach a broader audience.
Why target topics
- You'd like to show your ads on a broad set of websites related to certain topics. For example, if you sell bicycles and know that your customers also like hiking and camping, you can try advertising on a large number of websites by selecting the Hiking and Camping subtopic to show your ads on webpages about this topic.
- Adding all the subtopics isn't the same as adding the top-level topic. There are pages that won't be targeted if you add only the subtopics to your ad group. We recommend adding the top-level topic as well.
- You’d like to cultivate a broader brand identity or lifestyle association for your business.
- You have a flexible or unrestricted campaign budget.
- You'd like to quickly ramp up your ad delivery, or your CPA goal is moderately flexible.
Additional tips
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When you target a top-level topic, you also target all the related subtopics. However, we recommend adding the subtopics for bidding and reporting control.
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If you'd like to prevent your ads from appearing on pages about specific topics that aren't performing well or are unrelated to your business, you can exclude those topics.
How much topic targeting costs
Pricing for targeting by topics works the same way as pricing for other types of targeting. You set your bid or choose an automated bid strategy, and the Google Ads system will show your ad on pages on the Google Network with content about that topic where your bid can win a position. A popular topic may have thousands or even tens of thousands of pages where your ad could appear.
Info card
Info card is an assistive feature that helps you with contextual targeting while you create a campaign. The feature is available while you’re selecting topics to target, video lineups, and placements.
- For topics to target, an info card provides you with insights on impressions, criteria for the location, and more.
- For video lineup and placements, an info card provides you with insights on top audience and top YouTube categories.
To access the info card for a particular topic, hover the cursor over the particular topic or option you want more information about.
