Have you heard about the major change happening to Google AdWords in February? AdWords will be moving away from the current standard text ads and will be using expanded text ads (ETAs) starting on February 1, 2017. The main difference between expanded text ads and the current ad format is that expanded text ads are much larger.
Below are the top five things to know about expanded text ads.
1. ETAs allow for a more prominent headline.
Currently, standard text ads allow one 25-character headline. With expanded text ads, you get two 30-character headlines!
2. ETAs allow for a longer description.
With expanded text ads, you get one consolidated 80-character description line as opposed to the current limit of two 35-character description lines.
3. ETAs show a relevant display URL.
Currently with standard text ads, you manually enter in a display URL, and any mismatch between your display URL, final URL, and landing page URL causes your ad to be disapproved. With expanded text ads, a domain is automatically extracted from your final URL to ensure accuracy. You can then customize the URL path.
4. ETAs can improve your CTR!
More text means more visibility! The ablity to include more description in your ads helps your communicate exactly what you’re advertising, leaving less room for interpretation. For this reason, ETAs are very likely to boost your click-through rate (CTR).
5. You must transition from the old ad format to ETAs by January 31, 2017.
Expanded text ads are available currently to all advertisers. Google has announced that it will phase out the old ad format on January 31, 2017, so you must transition all of your ads to the new format by that date. It is wise to start working on your ads’ quality scores now. Week by week, start creating new ETAs from your current ads. Don’t stop any of your old ads until you’re satisfied with how your ETAs are performing. By making these gradual changes now, you will be well prepared for this change when it becomes effective on February 1, 2017!
Are you interested in a digital marketing agency to manage your pay-per-click ad campaigns? Schedule a free consultation with Blue Frog today!
