Google ‘Discovery’ ads for YouTube, Gmail, and Discover now available, reach 2.9B users

Last May, Google officially announced that ads were coming to Discover. As part of that, the company previewed new Google Discovery ads for the Android and iOS feed, as well as Gmail and YouTube. They are now generally available around the world.

With one campaign, advertisers can reach users in three large Google products that combine to reach up to 2.9 billion people. All ads are labeled and feature-rich product photography.

• YouTube: Ads — including an interactive carousel format — can appear as users scroll through the Home and Up next feed when looking for a new video to watch.
• Discover: Advertising appears alongside sports updates and personalized articles. The feed is available on the mobile web at google.com, the Google for iOS app, and Android, with Discover integrated to the left of the homescreen on most phones.
• Gmail: According to Google, “time offers” appear as shoppers are naturally checking their inbox for the latest products/deals in the Promotions or Social tabs. Marked with a green badge, they appear like emails at the top of the feed.

Unlike search ads, users do not need to manually type a query before getting a “visually rich ad,” which use machine learning to properly layout designs across different form factors. Rather, Google is leveraging its understanding of what consumers are already interested in when deciding to show an ad.

Thanks to Google’s unique understanding of customer intent, you’ll be able to show more relevant, meaningful ads to people when they’re most interested and ready to learn more about your products and services.

Google recommends Discovery for advertisers looking to:

• Drive conversions with their media at scale (through a supported marketing objective)
• Reach new customers with their media
• Reconnect with their most valuable customers

Back in May, the company expected the new format to launch by year’s end. Google Discovery ads quietly hit general availability for all advertisers globally in April.