When working with Google Ads data in AdsWizard, three dimensions are key to understanding competitive activity: networks, formats, and ad types.
Each of these dimensions describes a different layer of how ads are distributed and consumed. Analyzing them together provides a more structured and actionable view of your competitors’ media strategies.
Google networks: where ads are delivered
A Google network defines the distribution environment where an ad is served.
AdsWizard identifies the following networks:
Google Search
Google Shopping
YouTube
Google Maps
Google Play
Other (Display Network)
👉 Networks answer: “Where is the media spend being deployed?”
Formats: how ads are displayed
Formats refer to the dimensions and aspect ratios of creatives.
Common formats include:
1080x1080
1200x628
1920x1080
👉 Formats answer: “How is the creative adapted to each placement?”
Ad types: what content is used
Ad types describe the nature of the creative itself.
Three core types are identified:
Text
Image
Video
👉 Ad types answer: “What type of content is driving engagement?”
Reading these dimensions together
A single campaign typically spans multiple networks, formats, and ad types.
For example:
A video (1920x1080) on YouTube
An image (1200x628) on the Display Network
A text ad on Google Search
➡️ Networks: YouTube, Display, Search
➡️ Formats: 1920x1080, 1200x628
➡️ Types: Video, Image, Text
Turning structure into insights
By analyzing distributions across these dimensions, you can move from observation to insight:
1. Channel strategy
Identify where competitors concentrate their spend
Detect channel specialization (Search vs Video vs Display)
2. Creative strategy
Understand which content types are prioritized
Identify format adaptations by network
3. Performance signals
Highlight which combinations (network × format × type) appear most frequently
Infer what is likely driving results at scale
4. Media pressure allocation
Measure how advertising effort is distributed across environments
Compare intensity between competitors and markets
Why this matters
Looking at networks, formats, and ad types in isolation gives partial information.
Analyzing them together provides a multi-dimensional view of competitive strategy.
This allows you to:
Better understand how competitors structure their campaigns
Identify gaps or overinvested areas
Refine your own media and creative strategy with data-backed insights