3 differences between Naver Ad and Google Ads

This blog post was updated on 30 September 2024.

If you are planning to advertise in South Korea, then you need to know how to make the most of the local search engine, Naver.

Naver has an advertising platform that is equivalent to Google Ads, called Naver Ad. However, Naver Ad is very different from Google Ads, so if you are to succeed, then you need to learn how to use it properly.

Here are three things you need to be aware of if you want to succeed at PPC on Naver.

1. Languages and location targeting

Google Ads supports a total of 44 languages, and you can target countries from pretty much all over the world. In terms of targeting in South Korea, your geographic targeting on Google Ads can be very specific, even going down to city level.

In contrast, Naver Ad only supports the Korean language. In terms of locations, you can target South Korea and/or outside South Korea, and provinces/cities within South Korea. Or you can target more specifically, by area/distance using a South Korean address. You can choose from three options: “target all regions” (this is the default, and targets Naver users all over the world), “select regions to exclude” and “select regions to target”.

2. Where ads are shown

On Google, your ads will be shown on the Google search results page, above the organic results if you win the auction for the top four results. If you fail to win the “top of page” auction, they will be displayed below the organic results or after the first page. You also have the option to show ads on the websites of Google search partners. And if your campaign type is “Search Network with Display Select”, your ads can also be shown on websites within the Google Display Network.

On Naver, you can show your ads on the Naver search results page, Naver search portal, Naver search partners, and content media (both Naver and partners). You have the option to show ads in all media, choose types of media or even select individual media. There is a maximum of ten ads in the “power link” area (a noticeable area, but not necessarily above the organic results) and a maximum of five ads in the “biz site” area (usually the bottom area of the search results page). You have the flexibility to choose where your ads will appear.

3. Match types

On Google Ads, there are four match types: exact match, phrase match, broad match and broad match modifier. Ads can be triggered by close variants of your keywords. For example, if your keyword is [phone case], the search term “phone cases” will also trigger your ad. Close variants can ignore word ordering and function words. For example, if your keyword is +gamer +headset, the search term “headset for gamer” will also trigger your ad.

On Naver Ad, however, there is only one match type – exact match – and you do not have to add any symbols to tell the system it is exact match. Moreover, search queries with close variants or function words do not trigger the ad. For this reason, when you conduct keyword research for Naver, you want to add as many relevant keywords to your keyword lists as possible, so as not to miss opportunities from different keyword variations. However, if your keywords are not bringing in enough traffic, you might want to consider switching on a feature called “keyword expansion”. It basically functions as broad match on Naver, bringing in search terms which are related to your keywords. Once you have enabled it, you will be able to see a search query report, where you can look for good search terms and add them as keywords, and of course spot any irrelevant terms and add them as negatives.

Want to learn more?

I hope this has given you a useful introduction to Naver PPC. For more in-depth information on the differences between Naver Ad and Google Ads, read the full-length guide here! From reading this guide, you will learn how Google Ads and Naver Ad handle the following:

• languages and location targeting
• where ads are shown
• responsive search ads
• character limits
• match types
• ad extensions
• maximum limits of campaigns, keywords and so on
• budget control
• bid adjustment
• bid suggestions
• keyword tools
• analytics tools
• bulk editing
• other interface functions

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Alan Lao

Media Campaign Manager at Webcertain

Alan Lao joined Webcertain in 2015 and is currently Media Campaign Manager in the Media department. He holds the Google AdWords, Yandex Expert and Google Analytics certificates, and is responsible for managing campaigns across Google, Yandex, Baidu, Naver, Yahoo, Bing and LinkedIn. Alan has almost two years of experience training top Chinese brands on how to manage their international campaigns. He is from Macao and has spent some years in Taiwan and in England. He speaks fluent Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.

Latest posts by Alan Lao (see all)

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