Google Makes 2 Key Changes to AdWords Dynamic Search Ads
Dynamic Search Ads, or DSAs, are ideal for campaigns that want to generate more traffic through through queries that aren’t currently covered via keywords. A DSA appears when a consumer searches for a particular word or phrase that matches your campaign's criteria. Recently, Google has made two key changes to DSAs that might improve your campaign workflow and your ROI.
Expanded Text Ads
Bigger is usually better, right? Google has announced expanded text ads, which not only give you more room to capture your audience's attention but also appear nearly 50 percent larger on the screen. They're also mobile-optimized, so you don't have to worry about missing out on traffic from the millions of consumers who conduct searches on their smartphones.
The standard DSA text ads leave little room for imagination or flexibility. You only get 25 characters for your headline on standard ads, whereas expanded text ads allow you to type two separate headlines, each permitting up to 30 characters and separated by a hyphen.
The expanded text ads include other features as well. For instance, the URL that Google displays will show the entire path to the landing page. Instead of just "example.com," users will see "example.com/products/gadgetA." While this might not seem like a big deal, it adds transparency to your DSA campaign. Consumers can see where their clicks or taps will take them, which gives them more confidence.
Additionally, Google has lengthened the description section of DSA text ads. Before, you got two separate sections that limited your text to 35 characters each. Expanded text ads have combined the description into one field that permits 80 characters of text. You can fit in more description and details to entice potential customers.
Page Feeds
One of the main draws behind DSAs has always been their lack of reliance on keywords. Instead of taking a risk on an arbitrary word or phrase, you trust Google's dynamic technology to intuit consumers' intentions behind searches and serve up relevant ads that are most likely to result in clicks.
Google has now introduced page feeds, which are spreadsheets that essentially combine the benefits of feeds with DSAs. You can specify which URLs you want Google to use for your DSAs so you don't send consumers to inappropriate or undesirable pages on your website.
For instance, if you're running a seasonal campaign, you might use page feeds to let Google know that you only want your DSAs to include landing pages devoted to seasonal promotions. This strategy also works well for product launches; you want your newest offerings to be front-and-center in your paid search campaign.
These two new developments will make DSAs even more effective. We're using them to help our clients improve their ROI and increase traffic from search ads. To learn more, read the white paper we created when Google Began Testing Expanded Text Headlines for Ads.
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