What they are
Ad formats that place image and video creative across a platform’s owned surfaces — discovery feeds, video, and mail promotional tabs — bought through the same account you run search in, using audience signals rather than keywords.
The pitch is reach beyond search intent without adding a separate vendor or platform.
Where they genuinely work
Categories with visual appeal and considered timelines: home improvement, dental and cosmetic, fitness, anything with a before and after.
They also work well fed by your own data — site visitors and customer lists — which turns them into a broad, cheap retargeting surface.
The measurement trap
These formats create demand, so last-click reporting will make them look poor while search takes the credit. Judged channel by channel, they get cut. Judged on total leads during the flight, they often hold up.
Set the expectation before launching, not after the first report, because the first report will be unflattering by construction.
How to run them without waste
Do not let them share a budget with search, or automated bidding will quietly move money toward whichever looks better on last click — which is always search.
Separate campaign, separate budget, six-week minimum, and a clear read on blended cost per booked job. Exclude existing customers. Refresh creative monthly, because feed formats fatigue faster than search copy.