The deadline is nearing – Google’s Standard Text Ads will soon be a thing of the past. Communicating effectively with your audience is about to get a whole lot easier! Google is providing twice as much space with Expanded Text Ads, so be sure to take advantage and maximise your presence and performance on mobile search results.
Google has announced that it will phase out the old, Standard Ad format on January 31st, 2017. Standard Text Ads were introduced 15 years ago when AdWords began – since then, the use of mobile devices has rocketed and Standard Text Ads simply don’t cut it anymore.
After the deadline, Google will no longer support the creation or editing of Standard Text Ads.
So Why The Transition?
First World developments mean more and more searches are happening on mobile devices, however, search ads were initially designed for desktops.
This means that billions of ads are missing the mark due to formatting – and Google is doing something about this.
Expanded Text Ads are optimized for mobiles – this offers 50% more space for ad copy. This means larger headlines and an increase in character limit, giving you more opportunity to describe your products and services.
TOP TIPS!
- Don’t pause your old ads right away – Just because Expanded Text Ads are new, this doesn’t mean that they will immediately outperform your old ads. Some advertisers have noticed lower CTR’s with on their first attempts with the newly formatted ads.
- Speak to users on all devices – More than half of all Google searches occur on mobile devices, this means you must speak to users across desktops, mobiles, and tablets.
- Utilise proven content – Find headlines from your existing Standard Texts Ads that have historical data of working successfully – you can then expand on these headlines with a feature, offer, benefit or anything that is relevant and will catch the eye of potential customers.
