How to Optimize GDN and Demand Gen in Google Ads

Many people think optimizing GDN or Demand Gen campaigns in Google Ads is complicated. This often leads to the misconception that improving ad performance is also difficult. But in reality, GDN Optimize and Demand Gen Optimize can be as straightforward as working with Meta Ads — the main difference lies in the specific setup and targeting details.

This article was inspired by a comment on our Digital Break Time YouTube channel. Since we believe the topic is useful, we decided to cover both GDN Optimize and Demand Gen Optimize in one go, as they share similar principles. Let’s break down the key strategies you can follow:

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Choose the Right Conversion Goal

This is the first and most important step, yet it’s often overlooked. Many advertisers just go with the default settings when creating a campaign, without considering if the goal aligns with their real objectives. Ask yourself: What is the most important outcome I want from this campaign?

• If you want more conversions of the same type, such as contact leads from calls, Line, or WhatsApp, use those conversions as your goal. You can start by setting your bidding strategy to Maximize Conversions. Once the campaign has run for a while, you can adjust the Target CPA to lower your cost per conversion while increasing your volume.
• If your conversions vary in importance, consider Maximize Conversion Value. Even though Lead Gen campaigns don’t usually assign values to conversions, you can set higher values to more important actions. This helps Google prioritize quality over quantity — similar to scoring your conversions.
• If conversions aren’t your goal, optimize for Clicks or Awareness. Some campaigns simply aim to raise brand awareness or drive traffic. In this case:
  • For GDN: choose Maximize Clicks or Viewable CPM.
  • For Demand Gen: choose Clicks.
• For eCommerce campaigns, use Maximize Conversions to increase order volume, or Maximize Conversion Value if your priority is higher-value purchases. Using Add to Cart as a goal is also valid (especially during pre-campaign periods), but it’s best to keep Add to Cart and Purchase campaigns separate for better control.

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Use Proper Creative Sizes, Clear Text, and Aim for Excellent Ad Strength

Visuals are just as important. If you’re using images, make sure to upload all the recommended sizes from Google Ads. This improves your chances of appearing across multiple placements and increases your Ad Strength score.

If your creatives include text, make sure the font is clear and readable on mobile devices — where 80-90% of impressions happen. Avoid long sentences that shrink the text size. Your message should be immediately clear at a glance.

To achieve Excellent Ad Strength:

• Add multiple headlines and descriptions.
• Upload several images (and videos if possible).
• Keep variety in your creative assets — this helps Google deliver your ads more effectively.

Even if your ad strength is excellent, don’t skip A/B testing. Always have at least two ad variations so Google can test which one performs better in terms of conversions.

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Be Strategic with Demographics — Include “Unknown” Group

While many advertisers already target demographics, some over-restrict by excluding “Unknown” categories like age, gender, or income. This narrows your reach and may cause you to miss potential customers — especially because Google Ads is not a social platform and often lacks complete data.

In fact, the “Unknown” group is the largest demographic in Google Ads. Many users are not logged in, or use services anonymously — especially on iOS where tracking is restricted. Excluding “Unknown” can mean missing out on a large part of your target audience.

So, while you should still select your preferred demographics, always include the Unknown group to maximize reach.

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Check “Where Ads Showed” – Does It Match Your Target Audience?

Go to:

Campaign > Insights and Reports > When and Where Ads Showed > Where Ads Showed

Review the placements where your ads appeared. Look out for irrelevant or poorly performing placements (e.g. children’s games or cartoon YouTube channels when your audience is adults).

For example, we once ran a GDN campaign targeting families aged 25–55. But upon reviewing placements, many impressions appeared in children’s apps and channels. Turns out, parents gave their phones to their kids, resulting in mismatched impressions. We fixed it by excluding those irrelevant placements — which improved performance.

Do this check once a week to stay efficient.

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Use Audience Insight to Improve Target Signals

Navigate to:

Campaign > Insights > Scroll to Audience Insight

Focus on the Click section, which shows what interest segments your active audience belongs to. Look for:

• Audience Segment & Type
• Share of Clicks – % of total clicks from this segment
• Index – A key score showing how much more likely this segment is to click your ad compared to average (higher = better)

If the Index is high, consider creating a separate audience segment just for that group. You can combine top segments and run a new campaign with tailored messaging to boost performance based on real insights from Google Ads.

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Summary: How to Optimize GDN and Demand Gen in Google Ads

All these tips are just a small part of what’s possible with GDN Optimize and Demand Gen Optimize strategies. These methods are based on real campaigns we’ve run and refined over time. After applying them, monitor your results and analyze performance reports to improve further.

If you have other tips or success stories, feel free to share — we’re all here to grow together.

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Originally in Thai. Translated to English with the help of ChatGPT.