It seems like we are always chasing the newest gadget or whistle that Google offers for its paid advertising program.  It seems not too long ago we all had to convert the old text ads into new, expanded text ads.  Truthfully, I still run into a couple of accounts each month from someone who is stil using the old text ad format. This post is just to help introduce you to, and keep you from fearing, the new Responsive Search Ads from Google.

Google Responsive Search Ads

The new ad format allows you to mix and match different versions of your headlines and descriptions to use artificial intelligence to find the best combination and serve that ad most often. They don’t currently allow you to mix and match paths or destination URL’s on your ad, so if you wanted to mix those in, you would need to create separate responsive ads to do so.  However, if you are pretty sure of your final URL and your path, this is a pretty easy process and Google will actually serve you suggested headlines and descriptions from the ads you are already using.

Creating Your New Responsive Search Ads

Choosing Responsive Search AdTo create your ad, all you need to do is go in and click the + to create a new ad and it will present you the option. Simply choose “Responsive Search Ad” if it is available. It is in beta, so it is possible it won’t be available to you, but so far it has been available in every account I have worked with.

Once you choose the correct type of ad, it will present you with the input screen and ask for the landing page and path, and then presents many options for your headlines and descriptions. You have the choice to pin certain headline or descriptions to always appear. For example, if you wanted one of the three headlines that appears to always be your company name, or the search term, you can pin that to always appear. The pinning choice appears as an option to the right of the headline and you can just select it for headlines or for descriptions. Below is a clear screenshot of what the ad creation screen will look like.

Google Responsive Search Ads

Each headline needs to be 30 characters or less and the descriptions can be 90 or less.  Once you have your ad, it will be reviewed and then go live.  You will want to create a new responsive ad for each adgroup, as you should have a different adgroup for each individual concept you are advertising for.  As mentioned above, if trying different landing pages, it appears for now that you will need to create a new one in an adgroup for each landing page you try.

In general, this is pretty straightforward and simple, and worth going in and updating your campaigns soon to get things set up better. If you need help with your own Google Ads campaigns, just give us a call.

One last warning, keep an eye on the Google support search ads pages as this is in beta and things could change. As of my writing, the following warning was on the page.

Google Responsive Ads Notes