Two major changes to Google Advertising

The world of Google advertising is never boring. In the past few years, we learned of the disappearance of the broad match modifier, the introduction of core web vitals, the pending disappearance of the 3rd party cookies, and more. In an effort to provide more opportunities for machine learning and automation, Google has recently announced two more changes: the end of expanded text ads and a new campaign type called Performance Max campaigns. 

Google plans to remove expanded text ads in 2022. 

In June of next year, Google will no longer offer expanded text ads (ETAs) for its Search campaigns. The responsive ad type (RSAs) will be the only ad type available for search ads. All already-existing ETAs will continue to run, however, you will not be able to edit them. RSAs became the default ad type earlier this year, and Google reported an average of 7% more conversions at a similar cost per conversion for RSAs than ETAs. 

ETAs allowed digital marketers to decide on the headline position. Meaning, we could choose the order that headlines and descriptions appear in the search ad and were limited to three headlines and two descriptions. RSAs, however, allow marketers to input up to 15 headline and 4 description options that Google will run, test, and optimize to the highest performing combinations. It is still possible to pin headlines in RSAs to certain positions, however, it will hinder Google’s ability to fully optimize the ad.  

Curious about your current Search campaign quality with the removal of broad match modifiers and ETAs? Contact our digital marketing team for an audit. 

A new campaign type that spans multiple networks. 

Google announced it will be releasing a new automated campaign called Performance Max campaigns. In this campaign type, marketers input assets like photos, text, videos, and others to a creative asset group. Google then uses machine learning and automation to generate different ad formats. It tests and optimizes these ad formats while running them on its networks. This is a great way to find more converting customers, stay visible throughout the purchase journey, and efficiently spend your budget. 

The Performance Max campaigns come with some important caveats to be aware of when running them for the first time. 

• These campaigns are primarily goal-driven, so make sure goals and conversions are accurately represented within your account. 
• Performance campaigns were not created to replace Search campaigns. Rather, this is to be used to increase conversions and learning without spending too much more. 
• In order to get started, you would need to have Google Ads Conversion Tracking and allow at least 4 weeks of learning. It is important to refresh and optimize assets frequently. 
  

If you are unsure how or where to start, our team of digital experts can help create the right ads and campaigns for you. Contact us to learn more. For more updates related to trends in the digital space, check out our blog!