On June 30th, Google will phase out their standard text ads, and require all new ads to conform to their new responsive format. In this month’s Vortex Marketing Blog, we’ll explain what these new ads are, and how you can prepare for the change!
What Are Responsive Text Ads?
Google’s responsive text ads are the next evolution of their basic ads. Whereas the original text ads had three static headlines and two static descriptions, responsive ads are more flexible. You provide Google with a number of headlines and descriptions, and Google mixes and matches them based on how well they perform and how many can be displayed.
This means that the frontend structure of your Google Ads remains relatively the same: up to three headlines and two descriptions, but managing and testing is much easier, among other benefits!
Responsive Ads are Larger than Traditional Ads
According to Google, responsive text ads consistently show more headlines and descriptions than traditional text ads. This means your ad is larger, which results in more users seeing it, and ultimately clicking on it! Google reports that responsive text ads have had a 5-15% higher click-through-rate compared to their traditional counterparts.
Less Backend Work
With traditional text ads, if you wanted to swap out a word or two in a headline or description, you needed to copy the entire ad just to run a small A/B test. With responsive ads, Google automatically does the A/B testing for you! Google takes into account how each headline and description has performed and what the user is searching for to determine the best ad to display. What needed to be several traditional text ads can now be combined into one convenient responsive ad!
Ad Strength Indicator
Unlike traditional text ads, Google has a built-in assistant to help you craft responsive ads. The Ad Strength Indicator will analyze your responsive ads, comparing your headlines and descriptions with your landing page and keyword list to provide guidance and tips. This will let you know if you should consider adding more headlines, including more keywords in your text, and more. It can be a helpful benchmark when creating your marketing copy!
Responsive ads can seem daunting at first, but as you get acquainted with them, they have the possibility of being more convenient and offering better performance in the long run. Check out next month’s Vortex Marketing Blog, where we will go over best practices for responsive ads!
Want to rank higher on Google? Need assistance running your digital marketing campaigns? Contact Vortex Digital Business Solutions today at VortexBusinessSolutions.com or call 319.621.0191.
