Beginning
on January 31, 2017, Google AdWords will be switching from use of standard ads
to expanded ads.
Transitioning
to Expanded Text Ads
AdWords
still currently supports the creation and editing of standard text ads as well
as the new expanded text ads. However, beginning January 31, 2017, AdWords will
no longer support standard ads. Any ads created after that date must use the
expanded ad format. You will not be able to edit standard ads after January
31st, but they will continue to exist alongside the new ads. Here are some
steps you can take to help you update your current text ads and transition to
using expanded text ads.
Updating
existing standard text ads:
Opening an
existing standard ad will now open the ad in the expanded ad format. Your
existing ad will be used to populate the new format. By opening an existing ad
in the new format, the standard ad will be replaced by an expanded ad. To
create an extended ad without removing an existing standard ad, you’ll want to
hover over the ad and select “copy and edit” from the dropdown menu.
Bulk
editing:
You can
edit multiple ads at once if you prefer to update all your standard ads at once
in the same way you can bulk edit standard ads normally. Bulk upload also
supports expanded ads, and includes additional column headers.
Best
practices for using new expanded text ads:
Don’t pause
your old ads right away. They will continue to exist alongside any new expanded
ads you create. And just because expanded ads are new doesn’t mean they will
outperform your existing ads right away. When creating new extended ads,
include them in your current ad groups alongside your old ads. If their
performance isn’t as good as your standard ads, keep testing your expanded ads
to figure out what will work well for you.
Optimize
your headlines. Consider the different ways in which your headlines will appear
on both desktop and mobile, and write all your ads to target users on all
devices. Don’t just add a second headline for the sake of adding more text. Use
this as an opportunity to say something new. Include your most important
messaging in your two headlines, but remember that your first headline is for
more important information than your second headline. It is also crucial to
remember your headlines will appear differently now. With expanded ads, two
headline fields will now be separated by a hyphen and may appear as wrap text,
depending on a user’s platform/screen size.
Revamps
your ad’s message. Rather than simply adding a second headline to your standard
ad’s current headline, take into account that you are able to present your ad
differently now and include more information than previously allowed.
Take
advantage of the expanded character limit. You can now communicate more to your
viewers and have increased clickable space on your ads thanks to the new
character limit. Be sure you are taking advantage of this, since more
space/larger ads can lead to more clicks.
Include top
keywords in the path fields. Since the new ad format will automatically pull
the domain for the display URL from your final URL, you no longer have to
specify the domain in each ad. You will also be able to add up to 15-character
path fields to your display URL, which you should take advantage of. These
additional fields can help users find ads that will take them to specific
landing pages relevant to their interests or online searches. This can
contribute to boosting your ad’s CTR, improving their quality score, and
reducing your Cost Per Click (CPC).
Update your
ad extensions. Ad extensions show additional information and are used to
improve visibility and add value to your ads. With extended ads, since you can
add additional information to the ads themselves, use this opportunity to
update your extensions to make sure the content doesn’t repeat itself.
Google will
phase out all standard ads on January 31, 2017, and you must transition to the
new expanded ads by that date so plan accordingly. Start using and
experimenting with the new text ads now (and it will take some time to figure
out what works best for you and your business), or get some help to transition
your ads to the new format.
From http://www.equivityva.com/equivity-blog/2016/11/adwords-2017-changes
By Eric Wall
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