5 New AdWords Features You Should Be Using

Google has been rolling out a lot of new features lately. Here is a quick recap of a few of the more significant changes that you should be keeping an eye on.

Expanded text ads

Google recently launched a new search text ad format that allows advertisers more text per ad as well as a bigger footprint on the SERP. These new ads are called Expanded Text Ads (ETA) and they are 47% bigger than the current traditional ad format. You now have two headlines and an expanded 80-character description line.

Here is an example of an ETA compared to the traditional AdWords text ads:

The transition to the new format is happening now. Best practices dictate that brand new content should be written. Don’t just fill in the additional headline. Write new, compelling copy, working in new calls-to-action and value propositions.

Google’s original transition deadline was October but has since been pushed back to early 2017. Advertisers should begin updating these as soon as possible, though.

Device bidding changes

When Google came out with Enhanced Campaigns way back when, they added mobile bid modifiers. Now Google is allowing advertisers to place a separate bid modifier on tablets and computers, in addition to mobile devices (it’s about time!). Using this feature you can select which device you want to be your base bid, while the other bids can be adjusted down.

Depending on your business, you can expect people to respond differently when on different devices, for obvious reasons. So take advantage of this feature and bid accordingly.

Price extensions

Google’s new price extensions are a great way to display extra product info while taking up more real estate in the SERP. Price extensions allow you to provide pricing information about products/services you offer, with each price extension listing linking to its corresponding page. There are multiple types of offerings available, from neighborhoods to events and services to brands. Find the one that represents your business most closely, and don’t forget to use all the space they allow.

Structured snippet extension

Structured Snippets are an enhanced version of call-out extensions. They allow you to provide extra information about your business’ offerings such as brands you sell, amenities you offer, models you sell, styles of clothing, etc.

Below is the full list of offer structured snippets and an example:

And here is an example of how your ad might look in the SERP:

Responsive display ads

Don’t have a design team to create banners for Google Display Network use? Google has you covered with the responsive ad builder. It allows you more control than ever before. Advertisers can select an image, logo and business name as well as a 25-character headline and a longer 90-character headline (which will show only when the ad space allows), along with a 90-character description line. Once you input this information, Google will automatically spin up the ads that will fit within that ad space at any given time.

To find Responsive Display Ads, simply go to the display campaign and then go to the Ads Tab. Click the +AD button and the option for ‘responsive ad’ will be there.

Using the responsive ad builder, you can preview your creation and implement the ads directly from the interface.

Have any questions about these changes or any other upcoming AdWords updates? Let us know and we can help you out.