Google’s Demand Gen campaigns became a major paid media storyline in 2023 as Google positioned the format across YouTube, Discover and Gmail. Demand Gen was designed to help advertisers create and capture interest with more visual, social-style creative inside Google’s ecosystem.

For SMBs, the important shift was that Google Ads was becoming less search-only in practice. Paid search still captured high intent, but visual discovery and video-based demand creation were becoming more connected to the same advertising platform.

Demand creation needs better creative

Search ads can perform with strong intent and concise copy. Demand Gen needs more. Images, video, hooks, offers and audience understanding matter because the customer may not be actively searching yet. The ad has to earn attention before it can earn action.

Brand Fuel Digital CEO/Founder Paul Burns says SMBs should not treat Demand Gen like a cheaper Search campaign. “Demand Gen is about creating interest, not just harvesting it. Small businesses need creative that explains the offer quickly and gives people a reason to remember or respond.”

How SMBs can test Demand Gen

• Start with one clear offer. Broad brand messaging is harder to evaluate on a small budget.
• Use real visuals. Product demos, before-and-after work, team photos and short videos often beat generic stock-style creative.
• Separate budgets. Do not drain profitable Search campaigns to fund unproven demand creation.
• Watch assisted impact. Look for lift in branded search, remarketing performance and qualified traffic.

Brand Fuel Digital’s View

Demand Gen reflected a bigger 2023 trend: paid media was moving toward visual, multi-touch journeys. SMBs should test it with discipline, strong creative and clear expectations. It can support growth, but it needs a different scorecard than bottom-of-funnel search.

Sources: Google on Demand Gen and Video View campaigns and Google Ads help on Demand Gen campaigns.