Expanded Text Ads from Google

Photo credit: Pixabay

Google has recently announced that Expanded Text Ads are coming to AdWords. This is very exciting news, because it means that advertisers like you and I will finally have enough room to write compelling ads! In this post, we’ll talk more about why Google is making the change, what it will mean for you, and what you can do now to get prepared for the changes, which will roll out later this year.

Google is implementing this change to accommodate the world’s increasing appetite for mobile, and the ads will be optimized for most smartphone screens. This is the latest improvement in a series of upgrades that began with the removal of the side rail within desktop searches, as well as having 3 to 4 ads appear at the top of the search results. I believe that the improvement will help to serve up a superior ad which will lead to a better user experience.

Here is a summary of the changes. You can read more in the announcement here.

Summary of changes

As advertisers, we must also consider the implications of expanded text ads. With each ad now taking up more space, being in the top position is even more critical. It will take a lower number of ads to push you below the fold. How do you handle that? The answer is simple: increase your quality score! Write a compelling call-to-action (CTAs), have relevant landing pages, and bid aggressively on high conversion searches.

These implications also hold true for organic search results. Now is a good time to up the SEO ante, because you will need to have higher rankings in order to be seen above the fold. Are you localizing content, researching keywords, analyzing your SEO efforts in Search Console and GA? Am I expanding your to-do list? Good. 🙂

So, expanded text ads? What can do right now? You’ll have to put in the time, but the process is really not that hard.

Download your current ads into a spreadsheet
Add columns next to your current ads
Write new ads
Test new ads

With that said, I’m off to follow my own advice and do just that.

Do you need help with AdWords? We have a solution to fit your needs. Check out our in-person AdWords training from a Google Certified trainer here.

You can also view our awesome online catalog here. Don’t get left behind.

Gerrit Stukkie

Gerrit is a content curator at Cardinal Path. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's in English Language and Literature, and holds a Master's degree in secondary education. He has taught at both the middle and high school levels. Gerrit is certified in both Google Analytics and Adwords, and really enjoys working in both platforms. He has also worked in sales, and has experience with marketing and copy writing. Gerrit currently resides in Ann Arbor with his wife Tara. They really like it there, especially when it's warm (so three weeks out of the year). When he has some down time he likes to play disc golf and grill.