No more expanded text ads mean new accounts take even longer before getting going!

Google’s expanded text ads have been a blessing for many advertisers, but now it’s time to say goodbye. Starting June 30, 2022, creating and editing expanded text ads won’t be possible in Google Adwords. As a result, search marketers all need to find new ways of running successful PPC campaigns!

Responsive search ads are the recommended ad type because Google can match the wording in the ad with searcher’s queries.

What does this news mean for your business? In short, this change will make it even more challenging to get new accounts going.

This blog post will describe what expanded text ads are and how they work quicker than responsive search ads. We’ll also give you some tips on how to prepare your text ads for the change so that if you do use them, the change will hurt less!

What are expanded text ads?

Expanded text ads are the golden standard of PPC ads, and they are what most people think about when they see and create Google ads.

The “text ads” portion of the name refers to the headlines and descriptions, while the “expanded” bit is about the added details that show up via ad extensions. There are several ad extensions, but some of the most common are:

• Sitelink extensions, which show popular and relevant pages on your website.
• Callout extensions, additional text that’s relevant to your ad.
• Call extensions, your phone number for easy access.
• Structured snippet extensions, a display of available services or products.

Search engine marketers rejoiced when text ads were broadened and became expanded text ads because it meant more space on the screen—leading to higher click-through rates.

Responsive search ads are already the default

Expanded text ads were the default ad type for Google ads until February, when responsive search ads replaced them. Now, creating text ads requires navigating to a different section.

The marketing professionals at Algorithmic Global knew the writing was on the wall when the button to create an expanded text ad became hidden.

Regarding the change in favored ad-type, Google says it’s to display the proper message to the searcher. Responsive search ads require a minimum of three headlines but can accommodate up to fifteen, meaning Google’s algorithm has ample possibilities for matching a searcher’s query.

Different results with different ad types

There are two critical things our search engine professionals notice when comparing responsive search ads and expanded text ads:

• Conversion performance
• New-account traction

Let’s take a look at each of these.

Conversion performance

Conversion performance with text ads is generally better than with responsive search ads, something we attribute to the more tailored, cohesive message. However, there’s no telling how Google puts together the responsive search ad a user sees, so there’s a chance the headlines aren’t aligned, which hurts conversion statistics.

The one silver lining is that as Google’s algorithm becomes better at identifying functional, well-converting ad copy, the discrepancy between responsive search ads and text ads will decrease.

New-account traction: the big problem nobody’s talking about!

The one area we see the best results from using expanded text ads is when starting new accounts.

We noticed the trend even before the news about expanded text ads broke. Our original hypothesis is that responsive search ads require a minimum amount of signals—whether click rates or time on-screen—to determine the best headlines for the ads.

Text ads, since the headlines and descriptions are already set, don’t have the same data input requirements, and therefore start showing sooner and more often than responsive search ads, leading to better traction for new accounts.

Preparing for the expanded text ads removal

Google was particular in their wording—after June 30, 2022, there won’t be any editing or creating expanded text ads.

That means existing expanded text ads or paused expanded text ads can still run or be enabled.

Before then, advertisers should test as many expanded text ads as possible and find successful versions they can leave running indefinitely!

Expanded text ads with Algorithmic Global

To everyone running campaigns: get your expanded text ads ready by testing out the best ad copy, keeping in mind that edits won’t be possible after June 30, 2022.

For those on the fence about starting Google ads, now’s the time to start! Using text ads is the best way to get new accounts and campaigns off the ground, and without them in the future, there will be a more extended period before seeing quality results.

Algorithmic Global is a digital marketing company that specializes in search engine marketing for disaster restoration companies. If you are interested in getting ready for the expanded text ads change or looking for new lead sources, give us a call or reach out via our contact page, and we’ll get back to you within twenty-four hours!