{"id":114131,"date":"2016-07-27T22:06:00","date_gmt":"2016-07-28T03:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/announcing-expanded-text-ads-from-google\/"},"modified":"2024-12-23T00:35:47","modified_gmt":"2024-12-23T05:35:47","slug":"announcing-expanded-text-ads-from-google","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dacgroup.com\/en-gb\/insights\/blog\/paid-media\/announcing-expanded-text-ads-from-google\/","title":{"rendered":"Announcing\u2026Expanded Text Ads from Google"},"content":{"rendered":"

25, 35, 35\u2026 25, 35, 35\u2026 25, 35, 35\u2026 25, 35, 35\u2026\u00a025, 35, 35\u2026<\/p>\n

Paid media managers don\u2019t count sheep to get to sleep; we recite the character limits for ad copy.<\/p>\n

However, a new day is dawning. After 15 years of the same format, the same rhythm and the same frustrations of trying to fit complex messages into such a small space and writing wonderful prose that is only 35 characters long, the restrictions have been relaxed and we get a little bit more text to play with.<\/p>\n

Expanded Text Ads (ETAs) are here with 2 x 30 character headlines, an 80 character description, and 2 URL paths<\/p>\n

Why the world needs Expanded Text Ads<\/h3>\n

Google first\u00a0confirmed the long-muted move to ETAs at their performance summit in June and made the release universal yesterday (26th<\/sup> July). This is great news for everyone, as users will get to see more new messaging, advertisers can explain more why they are better than competitors, and we paid media managers can finally release our creative side (we\u2019ll try not to get carried away).<\/p>\n

As much as we\u2019ve tried to avoid it, ads have become boring since everyone follows roughly the same optimisation techniques: main keyword in the headline, key call-out in description 1, brand message in description 2, and a display URL containing the main keyword again.<\/p>\n

This isn’t laziness or being uninventive, but a necessity forced by Google\u2019s quality score looming large over performance and advertisers fighting hard to keep CPCs as low as possible.<\/p>\n

I think this is a major reason for the new ad format. Google is focused solely on users (*cough*), and they\u2019ve recognised the ads are becoming bland. Therefore, by relaxing the rules, ads will become more varied and engaging for users.<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s not much to differentiate the ads for users and not a lot of space for advertisers to play with.<\/p><\/div>\n

An Early Look<\/h3>\n

With the new format ads, there won\u2019t be as much pressure on advertisers to cram the ads with best practice keyword placement. That means we can talk to users rather having to sacrifice some flair for function.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been running the expanded text ads for a while for some clients, as Google granted us early access due to our Google Partner status and the good health of our accounts. The results have been good, with increased CTRs across the board, as we\u2019ve gained a competitive advantage over our clients\u2019 competitors. It\u2019s allowed us go back to what makes our clients great and showcase that within ads.<\/p>\n

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Example ad from Hotel Chocolat<\/em>\n

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