Google’s expanded text ads, introduced this past July, are 50% larger than standard text ads. They have been available to advertisers since July, and some are already seeing great success with them However, some are still learning how they work.
Originally, there was a deadline of October 26 where standard text ads could no longer be used. In an effort to accommodate everyone, and make sure everyone has time to learn the ins and outs, Google is extending the deadline to January 31, 2017.
After January 31, you will no longer be able to create or edit standard text ads. If you want to create a text ad it will have to be in the form of an expanded text ad. Though you won’t be able to create or edit them, standard text ads will continue to be served after January 31.
Improving Ad Quality
Over the past months of the Google team reviewing text ads, it became clear that the quality of ads matters. The ability to add more text does not, in and of itself, equal a better ads. Google challenges site owners to put more thought and urgency behind ad copy.
Here are a few suggestions from Google:
- Test multiple versions of your expanded text ads.
- Focus your testing on headlines.
- Replicate what works in standard text ads in your expanded text ads.
- Consider shorter headlines on brand terms.
- Leave your standard text ads running until the new versions are consistently outperforming them.
- Review your pre-existing ads for previous success with longer headlines.
- Don’t implement the same expanded text ad across many different ad groups.
- Don’t blindly insert a new second headline without changing the rest of the ad.
- Don’t write expanded text ads that lose their relevance to a user’s query.
- Don’t leave out specific benefits or attributes of your product that had proven to be enticing in the past.
If you’re still wrapping your head around expanded text ads, please see our guide which will show you 5 ways to improve your expanded text ads now.
