The power of search engine marketing has recently reached another level with Expanded Text Ads in Google AdWords. According to Google’s AdWords blog, it’s the biggest change to text ads since AdWords launched 15 years ago. Earlier this year, Google removed right-hand side text ads to maintain a consistent user experience across all devices. This mobile-first mindset was the driving force behind Expanded Text Ads and we’re here to explain the new features.
Expanded Ads, Bigger Opportunities
Expanded Text Ads are available with two headlines (30 characters each) and one long description line (80 characters), which makes them nearly twice as big as standard text ads. No matter the device, desktop or mobile, the new ads will wrap accordingly. Longer headlines and descriptions are the perfect opportunities to increase visibility on the search results page, which can result in more people clicking on your ad. According to early reports, click-through-rates (CTR) have seen increases by as much as 20 percent.
In addition to more ad copy space, there are two path fields available to supplement the display URL. Your landing page will remain the final URL, but now you will have the opportunity to add two paths (15 characters each) to customize the display URL. For example, your landing page for a new product could be company.com/new/product, but in your new expanded text ad, the URL can be displayed as company.com/NewProduct/FreeShipping. The new path fields provide an opportunity to highlight services or products and potentially reach more customers.
Expand AdWords Opportunities Now
Expanded Text Ads have been available since July 26, 2016, but starting October 26, 2016, AdWords will no longer support creating or editing standard text ads. Existing standard text ads will continue to run after this date, but you will not be able to edit them. We recommend transitioning your current text ads to the new format before October 26th to take advantage of the new features. If you would like help with the transition, please contact Julie for AdWords and Expanded Text Ads support.