Google Changes Text Ads
Google are at it again, updating ad formats and testing new ones.
One of the latest changes has been to traditional Adwords text ads.
Google will now add any ‘description 1’ line ending in punctuation to the headline, doing away with the old 25 character limit. This will only happen to top 3 ranking ads.
Some of you may have noticed this last week and some account managers would’ve had a bit of a shock when previewing ads! Would’ve been nice to have a warning from Google.
Highlight of the day came from our fellow Ad Control member Darryl – “guys am I seeing things or have Google completely mangled my ad!”
In some cases this change will give more prominence to an ad but in others will totally change the intended tone of the ad copy.
Any clients or managers running paid search campaigns may have a few questions.
Below are a few questions and answers provided by Google:
What will ads look like after the change?
Some top placement ads on Google will have longer headlines. The following is an example:
Before
Parkdean Ad copy
After
Why are you doing this?
We believe that it improves both the user experience and advertiser performance, as it allows users to view relevant information from advertisers more quickly and easily.
Who is affected?
All advertisers whose ads appear in the top positions on Google and have a description line 1 that ends in punctuation are affected.
Can I opt out?
No, this change applies to all advertisers, and there is no way to opt out at this time.
Does this affect only top placement ads?
Yes, this change applies to only ads that appear in the top positions on Google. Ads that appear on the side of the page on Google will remain the same
Do I need to change my ads?
No, you do not need to take any action. Any description line 1 that ends in punctuation will automatically be moved to the headline when your ads are served in the top positions on Google.
What should I do if I want description line 1 to be moved to the headline?
You can edit your ads so that description line 1 looks like a sentence. This product works best when the creative reads as three separate sentences with proper punctuation, and this is the best way to get the treatment. However, please note that the change will only apply when your ad appears in the top positions on Google.
What should I do if I don’t want description line 1 to be moved to the headline?
You can edit your ads so that description line 1 does not end in punctuation.
Does this mean that I should use description line 1 as a continuation of the headline?
We would not recommend writing your ad so that the headline continues onto description line 1. Remember, even when the headline and description line 1 are combined, they are separated by a dash. Moreover, description line 1 is moved to the headline only when your ad appears in the top positions on Google; thus, when your ad appears elsewhere, it may not be shown in the way that you intended.
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