Google has announced on its Google+ that they have made some changes to the IF functions for ad customizations. After 15 years of the trustee standard text ad format, Google has decided to roll out the ability to customise ads in much the same way as ad customizers but with the need for a feed.
What are IF Functions?
IF functions work very similar to excel, as they allow different results to be displayed based on a logical test, so in Google’s terms, the IF function allows you to customise your ad text based on who’s searching or what device they’re searching on, all without using a feed.
An example of an IF function would be promoting offers exclusive to the device they are searching from, in the example below this promotion is offering ‘Free Shipping on Mobile Orders’ whereas the desktop version is displaying ‘Free Shipping on Orders over $25’. This is the same ad but with the addition of an IF Function.
How to write an IF Function
Let’s take a look at an IF function broken down:
Step 1: Start with “{=IF”
Step 2: Now add an open “(“ after the IF
Step 3: Follow the targeting of “device=mobile”
Tip: If you’re targeting different audience lists you can separate these using a comma.
Step 4: Put a comma after the targeting.
Step 5: Add the text that will show once your criteria is met “Free Shipping on Mobile Orders”
Step 6: Close the Function with “)”
Step 7: Follow with a colon “:”
Step: 8 Add the text that will be displayed if your criteria is not met.
Step 9: Finally end with “}”
The finished function in its completed form is below:
{=IF(device=mobile, Free Shipping on Mobile Orders!): Free Shipping on Orders over $25.}
Remember
An important point to remember is that the IF function will only become available is you start with “{“, also
IF functions can be used anywhere in an Expanded Text Ad except for the final URL.
We have seen a lot of progress recently from Google and their AdWords platform as we have welcomed the new Expanding Text Ads and now with the addition of IF Functions. We shall all wait in anticipation for what will be released next?
