Google Ads is an online advertising platform developed by Google, which allows businesses to create and display ads across Google's vast network. It includes search ads that appear when people search for specific terms on Google, display ads shown on websites that are part of Google's Display Network, video ads on YouTube, and more.

The primary goal of Google Ads is to help businesses reach potential customers at the moment they are searching for products, services, or information that the business offers. This makes it highly effective for driving conversions, generating leads, or boosting sales. The platform uses a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their ad.

The platform operates on a bidding system, where advertisers compete for ad placement based on their chosen keywords, budget, and bid strategy. Google Ads also uses machine learning and smart bidding to help optimize campaigns and improve results over time.

Here are the main types of Google Ads:

1. Search Ads: These are text-based ads that appear at the top or bottom of Google search results when someone searches for relevant keywords. These ads are typically triggered by user queries and are often used to drive website visits or conversions.

2. Display Ads: These are image, video, or text-based ads that appear across websites, apps, and online content that are part of the Google Display Network. Display ads are great for brand awareness and targeting users who may not be actively searching for your product but could be interested in it.

3. Video Ads: These ads appear on YouTube or across Google's video partners. Video ads can run before, during, or after YouTube videos or as standalone ads that users can skip or engage with.

4. Shopping Ads: These ads showcase products with images, prices, and the name of the store. They appear on Google Search results when users search for specific products, making them highly effective for eCommerce businesses.

5. App Ads: These ads are designed to promote app downloads and drive installs for mobile apps. They can appear across Google's search results, display network, YouTube, and more.

6. Local Ads: These ads help businesses with physical locations get noticed by potential customers nearby, appearing in search results and on Google Maps when users look for relevant local businesses.

Google Ads offers advanced targeting options such as location targeting, demographic targeting, device targeting, and keyword targeting. Advertisers can set budgets, track performance, and optimize campaigns in real-time to improve their ad effectiveness.