In the Digital Advertising and Marketing realm, everyone is well acquainted with Google AdWords. However, a term lesser known and less frequently used is ‘Google DoubleClick.’
The latter is, but, a common tongue amongst PPC strategists. It is a real-time marketplace, which plays a role in purchasing and selling advertising. It has partnered with Google Display Network and assists in the bidding on display advertising.
DoubleClick was not initially a part of Google. It was an independent company, which is now considered to be one of the first known online ad-serving platforms. However, because online advertising was on fire because of its enthusiasm, the company soon caught the attention of the tech giant, and thus, was acquired in 2008.
So, how’s DoubleClick different from Google AdWords? Well, here are some points to be noted:
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- DoubleClick was founded way back in the year 1996, long before AdWords was introduced. But, while AdWords is free to use, DoubleClick is not. There’s some percentage of spend fee involved in the latter. The former is a comprehensive system in which you pay only for the amount you wish to invest.
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- AdWords is run via AdWords Interface and AdWords Editor. However, DoubleClick can manage Bing, Yahoo, and even AdWords.
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- AdWords can manage multiple accounts and clients via a My Client Centre (MCC) account. DoubleClick does the same thing via a single agency network. Each client can connect to this network via multiple engine accounts.
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- AdWords can satiate any clientele size. But, DoubleClick is ideal only for large sized clientele.
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- Data visibility is available only after 24 hours of using AdWords. On the other hand, when DoubleClick is used, data visibility can be enjoyed in real time. Thus, the latter relieves users of the frustration caused by delayed data, and helps them in coming to quick, concise decisions.
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- AdWords enables only basic reporting, while DoubleClick has options for advanced reporting. The latter allows custom reporting and analysis of the reports in depth.
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- AdWords allows optimizing for only one conversion, while DoubleClick allows it for multiple conversions. Yes, users can track for more than one conversion using AdWords. However, shifting from Analytics and AdWords and vice versa is not easy. It is time consuming, too. On the other hand, DoubleClick makes use of ‘Floodlight tags’ for tracking conversions.
- Real-time bidding is very limited when done via Google AdWords, while it is very effective through DoubleClick.
Despite all the differences, the fundamentals of both the platforms are, but, the same. However, AdWords has gone on to become the gold standard amongst online marketing companies because of its ability and efficiency to work on any account regardless of its size or cost.
Meanwhile, DoubleClick is purposeful for large accounts and more intricate online marketing strategies. Both have their own strong points and shortcomings. And, the decision to choose either would completely be dependent on the aspects you wish to witness in the online advertising work you are performing.
