Hansel Merchor
For the past five months, Mediagistic’s performance marketing team has been using Google’s latest, greatest local search offering. After extensive optimization and testing of this new ad format, we’re now prepared to share our findings. Read on to learn about how Google’s new Expanded Text Ads can impact the performance of your paid search campaigns.
What are Expanded Text Ads?
Back in May, 2016, Google announced the “next generation of local search ads.” The industry had been aware of these ads since they were spotted by Search Engine Land’s Ginny Marvin back in April, but the ads only became available to marketers in July.
Among a slew of updates such as bid adjustments per device and responsive display ads, the tech giant introduced AdWords Expanded Text Ads. Designed with a mobile-first philosophy, Expanded Text Ads respond, in part, to statistics that reveal that nearly half of all the searches occurring in Google come from smartphones and almost one third of all mobile searches are related to location.
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Expanded Text Ads show across all devices and feature more prominent headlines (two instead of one), a longer description line, and a more relevant display url. This gives you roughly 47% more real estate to play with in the SERPs, which ultimately increases your chances to win clicks.
How Google’s Expanded Text Ads Impact Performance
So what does this mean? When we spoke to our Google reps recently, the first words out of our their mouths were “increased click through rates.” And given the additional space, this is to be expected.
With Expanded Text Ads, advertisers and marketers now have two 30-character headlines and one 80-character description line. That is plenty of more space to inform searchers of your products, offers and benefits.
What this Means for Mediagistic Clients
Shortly after Expanded Text Ads were rolled out, these were implemented across all of Mediagistic’s clients. We regularly engage in testing and implementing new ad formats on behalf of our clients to ensure their campaigns adapt to the times and continue to perform at a high level.
Results have been more than positive with stronger CTRs and increased impressions in relation to standard text ads, which will be phased out in early 2017. Early results for some of our client accounts show CTRs that are double those of regular text ads and conversion rates that confirm that positive trend.
Are you having a hard time keeping up with the ever-changing paid search landscape? The Mediagistic internet marketing team can help. Contact us today, and let’s get started planning your next PPC campaign.
Hansel Merchor is Mediagistic’s Performance Marketing Manager. He’s widely experienced with overall performance marketing; regional, local and international lead generation; branding; media planning and media buying; retargeting, attribution modeling; social media, as well as e-commerce on nationwide and international SEM campaigns.
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