Google is getting rid of Expanded Text Ads. From the 30th of June 2022 you will no longer be able to edit or create ETAs. They are allowing their newer, cheaper and more effective program, Responsive Search Ads, take over completely.
So what are ETAs and RSAs exactly? What’s going to change? What do you need to do?
What are Expanded Text Ads?
Expanded Text Ads, released in 2016, were an evolution of the standard search text ad as a part of a major, much-needed overhaul of Google Search Ads (called Adwords at the time). By nearly doubling the max character limit of standard text ads, they helped to address the new needs of marketers in a mobile-first world.
What are Responsive Search Ads?
Responsive Search Ads, released a few years ago, moved the creation of text ads from marketers manually writing each ad to marketers uploading multiple headlines and descriptions. Google’s algorithms then compile the ad in real-time when an advertiser wins a bid auction. This firstly helps Google more accurately track and predict user behavior through preferences and data points. Secondly, it allows the ads to A-B test ads in combination in real time to see what setup is the most effective for each user.
What will change?
From a consumer perspective on a Google Search page, there’s seemingly no difference. They both show up as simple, multi-line text ads. From the back end however, they are different in terms of how they are created: ETAs are manually written and RSAs are dynamically generated.
When you combine both of these key benefits, it’s no surprise that, anecdotally, marketers often report that RSAs perform significantly better than ETAs. According to the data in 2021, the average CPC for RSA ads are around 15 cents lower per click than text ads. RSAs are also garnering 50% more clicks than regular ads.
What should you do?
Here are some tips:
- Create RSAs ASAP! With ETAs being sunset, RSAs will be the only ad type available, so it’s better to get a start on it now rather than later.
- Use pins only when needed. The beauty of RSAs is Google’s ability to test the various headlines and descriptions in different positions to try to come up with a winning combination, so pinning will hinder this. (“Pinning” = forcing an ad feature to be displayed in one specific location).
- Take your best-performing copy and use those headlines and descriptions in your RSAs, rather than building an RSA from complete scratch. Since you already have some history on performance, it’s best to use messaging that you already know resonates with your audience.
- Focus on the Ad Strength indicator in Google and try to have at least one RSA per ad group with Good or Excellent ad strength. Remember to use unique headlines and descriptions and avoid repetition.
- Test as many headlines as possible. If they aren’t pinned, they can be shown in any order, so make sure the ad makes sense in any order.
- Try to also include at least one of your keywords in your headlines and make sure the headlines match the theme of your ad group.
