Google to End Expanded Text Ads in June 2022
Beginning June 30, 2022, Google Ads expanded text ads are going away. However, expanded text ads will continue to be served with performance results showing on reports1. This article can help you with Google Ads management to move from Extended Text Ads to new Responsive Ads.
To move forward, advertisers will be able to pause and resume, or remove, expanded text ads. Advertisers should take action ASAP to transition to responsive search ads. Learn more about this change to expanded text ads.
The promise of RSAs is that when you feed the system a bunch of unique headlines and descriptions, it can test and learn to predict the right combination for each search. Google also talks about the convenience of RSAs, the fact that they can show more text than ETAs and their opportunity to compete in more auctions when there are high quality score combinations of copy that match more queries.2
Google Product Manager Sylvanus Bent advises to utilize Extended Text Ad content for creating new Responsive Search Ads. Bent went on to say, “To prepare for this change, we recommend that you have at least one responsive search ad in every ad group in your Search campaigns by June 30, 2022”.
What About Existing Expanded Text Ads?
After the transition, advertisers will be unable to create or edit any expanded text ads. However, any existing expanded text ads, for now, will continue to be served. Advertisers still see reports on their performance going forward. Additionally, you’ll be able to pause and resume your expanded text ads or remove them if needed. You’ll also still be able to create and edit call ads and Dynamic Search Ads.
With the coming transition, responsive search ads will be the only Search ad type that can be created or edited in standard Search campaigns. This change will help simplify the way you create Search ads and make it easier for you to drive performance with our automated tools.
Why Responsive Ads Are Usually Better
Responsive search ads help you compete in a wider variety of relevant auctions by delivering ads that adapt to show the right message for the right query. This means that you can drive incremental conversions and create fewer ads—all while spending more time on strategic initiatives for your business.
Automation is key to keeping pace with these trends. Responsive search ads are a great example of how this is done—they combine your creativity with the power of machine learning to help you show more relevant ads to more people. This is a powerful combination: advertisers that switch from expanded text ads to responsive search ads, using the same assets, see an average of 7% more conversions at a similar cost per conversion.
Proceed With Care
In a 2020 article published on Search Engine Land, PPC expert Frederick Vallaeys commented, “If you’re in an industry where your ad must contain certain pieces of text in very specific locations, pin away! But if it’s not required, we found that attempting to control the machine by telling it what text to pin to certain ad positions was usually detrimental to results. In our analysis, we looked at ads with at least one pinned component and compared them to ads with no pinned components. Ads without pinning did better on CTR, conversion rate, CPC and CPA. But the opposite was true for ROAS where ads with a pinned component did better.”3
Need a second opinion? Michelle Morgan of Wordstream expressed the following opinion, “RSAs nearly always have a higher click-through rate than ETAs. Conversion performance, on the other hand, varies widely. Some accounts do very well with responsive search ads and others can really struggle when it comes to getting customers over the final finish line. Get RSAs active in all ad groups of all search campaigns in all of your accounts now so you can start establishing benchmarks for each specific account. This will be very, very handy when you have to answer to your boss or client about changes in performance.”4
How to Prepare for the Change
Check out the Help Center to learn more about how to use responsive search ads and features like ad customizers, to improve performance. Ad Strength provides you with feedback to help you focus on providing the right messages to your customers. Ad Strength shows you how well an ad creative follows the best practices for optimal performance, ranging from “Incomplete”, “Poor”, “Average”, “Good”, to “Excellent”. A higher Ad Strength will maximize the performance of your ad. Ad Strength has 2 components: the overall rating that indicates the effectiveness of a relevant ad, and the specific action item(s) that can improve the strength of the ad.
Google’s Own Recommendation
To help you create effective responsive search ads, use the following insights, tools, and best practices:
- Repurpose high-performing content from your expanded text ads and focus on Ad strength. Advertisers who improve Ad strength for their responsive search ads from ‘Poor’ to ‘Excellent’ see 9% more clicks and conversions on average.
- Check your account’s Recommendations page. These customized suggestions can help you quickly add or improve responsive search ads.
- Pin headlines or descriptions to specific positions in your responsive search ads. This is useful if you have certain messages that always need to be shown. If you need to use pinning, try to pin at least 2-3 options to a position.
- Use ad variations. This can help you test different versions of your assets at scale and review their performance across multiple campaigns.
- Evaluate the success of your ads based on incremental impressions, clicks, and conversions your ad groups and campaigns receive. Responsive search ads help you qualify for more auctions, so ad-level performance and metrics like clickthrough rate and conversion rate may not paint a full picture of your performance. Most importantly, pair broad match keywords and Smart Bidding with responsive search ads. This combination can help you reach new, high-performing queries and optimize your bids in real time. Advertisers that switch from expanded text ads to responsive search ads, using the same assets, in campaigns that also use broad match and Smart Bidding see an average of 20% more conversions at a similar cost per conversion.
If you need PPC management services to make this transition, please give us a call at 770-429-5300.
FOOTNOTES
- 1 Google Staff, “About expanded text ads”, January 2022, Available from Google Ads Help
- 2 Ginny Marvin, “RSAs: Are they living up to the promise? It depends”, September 9, 2020, Available from Search Engine Land
- 3 Frederick Vallaeys, “RSAs vs ETAs, how, when, and why PPC experts use them”, December 14, 2020, Available from Seacrh Engine Land
- 4 Michelle Morgan, “7 Things to Start Doing [NOW] Before Expanded Text Ads Go Away”, April 21, 2022, Available from Wordstream
