Most Brisbane business owners are being lied to by their agencies. You’ve likely been told that you need a "balanced mix" of Search and Display to "build brand awareness" while capturing leads.
In 2026, that advice is not just outdated—it’s a recipe for burning your marketing budget. At Local Marketing Group, we see it constantly: companies spending $2,000 a month on Display ads that generate 0.05% click-through rates and wondering why their ROI is tanking.
The reality? Search and Display are fundamentally different instruments. If you use them interchangeably, you are essentially paying a "stupidity tax" to Google. Here is the analytical framework for deciding exactly where your next dollar should go.
The Intent Gap: Why Display Often Fails
Search is pull marketing. Someone in Fortitude Valley types "emergency plumber" into their phone; they have an immediate problem and a credit card in hand. Display is push marketing. You are interrupting someone reading a news article or watching YouTube.
If your product or service solves an immediate, high-intent problem, spending a cent on Display before you have 100% Impression Share on Search is a strategic failure. However, if you are launching a disruptive new SaaS product that nobody is searching for yet, Search will fail you because the volume doesn't exist.
Step 1: The Volume and CPC Audit
Before launching a campaign, you must run a data audit. Use the Google Keyword Planner to check the "Top of Page" bid for your primary keywords in the Brisbane market.
1. High CPC (> $15) and High Intent: If your keywords are expensive, you cannot afford to be sloppy. You must optimise audience signals to ensure Google's AI isn't showing your ads to tyre-kickers. 2. Low Volume, New Category: If the monthly search volume for your specific solution is under 500, Search is a secondary play. You need Display to generate the demand that will later turn into searches.
Step 2: Evaluating the "Awareness" Myth
Agencies love Display because it’s easy to report on "millions of impressions." But impressions don't pay the lease on a Milton warehouse.
If you choose Display, it shouldn't be for "awareness." It should be for intent-based targeting. Do not target broad interests (e.g., "People interested in real estate"). Instead, use Custom Intent segments based on what users have recently searched for.
Many businesses also sabotage their Display efforts by over-retargeting. If someone visited your site once and didn't buy, following them around the internet for 90 days is just bad retargeting strategy that leads to brand fatigue.
Step 3: The Conversion Action Decision Matrix
Use this data-driven logic to pull the trigger:
Choose Search if: Your conversion is a direct lead (form fill/call) or a direct purchase. Your goal is a Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) that leaves room for profit. Choose Display if: Your sales cycle is longer than 30 days and you need to stay top-of-mind during a consideration phase, OR if your product is highly visual (fashion, luxury travel, high-end renovations).
Step 4: Setting Up Your Campaign for Success
If you decide Search is the winner, don't fall into the trap of over-restricting your account. Many Brisbane SMEs think they are being clever by adding thousands of negative keywords, but often this negative keyword obsession actually prevents the algorithm from finding your best customers.
For Display, the secret is the creative. If your ad looks like a generic Google template, it will be ignored. Use high-quality, local imagery. If you're a Brisbane-based business, show Brisbane landmarks or local projects. Relatability converts; generic stock photos die.
The Verdict
Stop trying to do everything. If your budget is under $5,000 per month, pick one. For 90% of service-based businesses in Queensland, that choice should be Search. Maximise your presence there, dominate the local map pack, and only move to Display when you have exhausted your ability to buy high-intent traffic.
Google Ads isn't a gambling machine; it’s a data auction. If you don't know why you're bidding, you've already lost.
Ready to stop guessing and start growing? Contact Local Marketing Group today for a data-first audit of your ad spend.