AdWords launched the new, expanded text ads earlier this month; a change that they dub the greatest change since AdWords’ inception in the early 2000s. What exactly does the change entail and what are the expected impacts on the results you see? Bang have the answers!

What’s going to happen to my ads!?

Your ads won’t automatically be upgraded to the expanded format. Ads must be manually added to the expanded specifications for the change to take place. From October 26, 2016 no standard text ads will be able to get uploaded, pushing all new ad copy to the expanded format.New character limits and ad structures are as follows:

• Headline 1 - 30 characters
• Headline 2 - 30 characters
• Description line - 85 characters
• URL path - Automatically pulled from the Final URL or 2x 16 characters paths (excluding domain characters)

Traditional character limits and ad structures included:

• Headline - 25 characters
• Description line 1 - 35 characters
• Description line 2 - 35 characters
• Display URL - 35 characters (including domain characters)

What impact will this have on AdWords results?

The improved ad structure of AdWords expanded text ads that sees a size increase of 50% is expected to have some significant improvements on results, especially for first-movers that embrace the opportunity.

• Greater CTR - Increased prominence and visibility in search results equals more eyes on your ad and more clicks through to your site. While it is early days for expanded ads, some advertisers have reported an increase of up to 20%.
• More conversions - A higher CTR means more traffic to your site (budget allowing) meaning increased conversions. Now is the perfect time to look at your conversion rate to see how your site can better facilitate and encourage conversions. Are you tracking all value-adding activities through Google Analytics?

How can I take advantage of expanded text ads?

All Bang digital clients with sufficient management hours will be upgraded to expanded text ads before the start of 2017. The large majority will be completed by October’s end but larger accounts may require extra time for complete upgrades.If you have an AdWords campaign not currently managed by Bang, or would like more information about your AdWords account and planned upgrades to expanded text ads in Bang-managed accounts, please get in touch with our expert team on 9328 7000 or via email here.