Google AdWords ACTUAL image ad sizes
Introducing the new banner standards from Google AdWords:
- Void Banner: 468×49
- Followerboard: 728×79
- Almost-Square: 250×239
- Small Almost-Square: 200×189
- Depressed Large Rectangle: 336×269
- Depressed Medium Rectangle: 300×239
- Short Skyscraper: 120×578
- Wide-Short Skyscraper: 160×578
You might think this is a joke, but it isn’t. While Google tells you to use standard sizes for your banners, what they will display is a shrinked version of your ads, “to accomodate your URL and a Google link”.
Real-world comparision
Original ad
Shrinked/resized/compressed ad version from Google
Ouch! Stretched faces? Stretched LOGO? This is exactly what should NOT happen when you advertise your brand online.
Advice for advertisers
Submit your banners in the “new format sizes” I’ve mocked at the beginning of the article. If you look carefully at the figures, you will notice that Google takes 11 or 22 pixels off the original standard banner sizes. So if you want your banners not to get resized, submit your banners in these strange, cropped formats. Google tells you to do this as well.
Ranting
However I can’t abstain from wondering why does Google need to introduce these new format sizes (while so many organizations strive to set and follow standards). Oh, for the URL and Google link. The URL is almost useless, since the whole banner links to an URL. The Google link is totally useless for the advertiser – I mean you pay for these ads, why would you want the ad network (Google AdWords) advertise along with you, within your ad space, on your expense!? Can’t they remove any links from your ads like all major ad networks do and save us from this non-standard sizes vs. resized banners nonsense?
Disclaimer: flash banner ads “may not be resized”. All flash banners must be submitted in the standard sizes.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
even better, sometimes google will give the ad to doubleclick and doubleclick uses the IAB standard sizes, so they will stretch your 300×239 rectangle back to 300×250.
the solution is to give google .swf files instead of images.
November 19th, 2009 at 2:26 am
Nick, you are right. Problem is, they only accept the ancient ActionScript 2.0 standard. Of course, the SWF doesn’t HAVE to be animated after all…
November 24th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
The banner sizes is really a pain. I’ve followed your instrucitons above and also saw the post on google for the sizes. Every time I try to submit an ad in these sizes I get an error stating that it is an incorrect size.
So, I create my ad’s in the size you indicate above ant then stretch it vertically to the correct size. So it looks out of wack. Then when google shrinks it, it looks right.
Google needs to fix this!!
July 27th, 2010 at 2:00 am
Thanks for this. It is a bit shocking to see your add all squished on someone’s site.
August 2nd, 2010 at 2:20 pm
bad… I was searching on the right sizes for banners to use in adwords, and found your site… thanks for the heads up… have to resize my banners then…
September 16th, 2010 at 3:56 am
Hmm thanks for your advice. I’m thinking about advertising and your notes on banner ads and actual images sizes is quite useful for my project.
September 16th, 2010 at 9:02 am
thanks for this info on the banners thingy… have created some images, will just be adjusting future banners I’ll make