If your marketing strategy includes paid Google Ads campaigns, you may have received an email from Google warning you about the end of Expanded Text Ads. Instead, Google will only offer Responsive Ads.
In this article, we’ll look at what that means for your business and how you can prepare.
What is an Expanded Text Ad?
An Expanded Text Ad is a type of Google ad with a set format. It allows you to display up to three headlines, two descriptions of up to 90 characters each, and a URL.
You also have the option of placing two ‘path’ fields after the URL. Path fields are essentially keywords to help users know where the link will take them. So, for example, if you’re a clothing retailer, your path fields could be ‘mens’ and ‘shirts’ to make the ad URL www.clothingretailer.com/mens/shirts.
Expanded Text Ads are automatically optimised for display on a mobile device as well as desktop.
Companies placing Google Ads have enjoyed complete control over their ad with the Expanded Text Ad format. You decide how you want the ad to appear, and it displays the same every time.
What is a Responsive Search Ad?
Google has offered Responsive Search Ads for some time, but they are soon to become the only option.
Unlike an Expanded Text Ad that holds its format, a Responsive Ad adjusts its content depending on previous performance and device types. For example, one ad combination may perform better on Mobile that it does on Desktop. So, as your ad is served to more searchers and Google collects performance data, it adapts and changes accordingly to suit at that time.
When you’re creating the ad, you can enter up to 15 headlines, four descriptions and a URL. When your ad goes live, Google serves different combinations of the content you supplied and tracks the user response to each version. It then uses machine learning to optimise your ad using the highest performing content from each section.
For example, it may combine headline A with description A in one ad version and headline A with description B in another. It compares the two to see which performs best, then automatically adapts the next ad version according to the results.
Why has Google made this change?
Responsive Ads offer multiple benefits, including:
- Automatic optimisation; a powerful tool that does your A/B testing for you to get the most of every penny of your ad spend. Optimising ads means that they’ll achieve greater results, appealing to more customers and generating more engagement.
- Responsive Ads allow you to tailor descriptions according to location, ideal for retail and hospitality businesses with a physical premises.
- By providing several headlines and descriptions, your content fits more auctions, increasing your reach and attracting more clicks and conversions.
Responsive Ads often outperform Expanded Text Ads. Better results for customers means they’ll be more likely to invest more money in paid advertising, bringing in more ad revenue for Google. So it’s a win-win situation.
What do you need to do?
The change comes into effect on 30th June 2022, so you have a bit of time to get used to it.
If you do have Expanded Text Ads live by the cut off date, they’ll remain in place; you just won’t be able to create new ones.
Google advises that you start using Responsive Ads as soon as possible, so you’re familiar with them before the cut off date.
Other things you can do to prepare:
- Repurpose content from Expanded Text Ads and use the Ad strength feature to identify which aspects perform well.
- Check out Google’s automatic recommendations when you’re creating your ad.
- Use the pinning tool to make sure important parts of your ad are always shown.
- Test out different versions of your ads using the ad variations feature.
Do you want some help planning and implementing a paid ads strategy? Contact us for a chat about how we can support you.
