What’s the deal with AdWords expanded text ads? Well, the standard AdWords text ad with Headline, Description line 1, and Description Line 2 is going away permanently as of October 26th. It’s replaced with a more mobile friendly format with 2 headlines and a longer description. Essentially unchanged since 1999, the standard text ad is the backbone of Search Engine Marketing, and this change is indicative of Google’s increasing focus on mobile.
What should advertisers do about Expanded Text ads?
Well, if you’re a SearcherMagnet client, we’re deploying this in two phases: 1) starting now, we are testing them now in our client’s accounts 2) reformatting successful ads to prepare for the October 26th switch over. If not, you’ll need to learn the new format and recreate all the ads yourself. Painful, especially if you have a lot of ads. Either way, the adjustment does bring with it some positive changes, more on that shortly.
What is the AdWords Expanded Text Ads Beta?
Expanded text ads are live and serving now during the Beta, which allows advertisers to test how the format affects performance, and make any needed adjustments.
Can you give an example of Expanded Text Ads?
Standard Text ads to left, Enhanced to right.
Source: searchengineland.com
What are the AdWords Expanded Text Ads Character Limits?
Standard character limits
Standard ads must meet the following length requirements:
| Example ad | Limit for most languages | Limit for double-width characters | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline | Example website | 25 characters | 12 characters |
| Description line 1 | Summer sale | 35 characters | 17 characters |
| Description line 2 | Save 15% | 35 characters | 17 characters |
| Display URL | www.example.com | 255 characters (35 shown) | 255 characters (17 shown) |
Expanded character limits
Expanded text ads must meet the following length requirements:
| Example ad | Limit for most languages | Limit for double-width characters | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headline 1 | Find hiking shoes | 30 characters | 15 characters |
| Headline 2 | Prepare for outdoor adventures | 30 characters | 15 characters |
| Description | Free express shipping. Sign up for our monthly giveaway! | 80 characters | 40 characters |
| URL Path fields (2) | Shoes, Outdoor (www.example.com/Shoes/Outdoor) |
15 characters each | 7 characters each |
Source: support.adwords.com
Note that in expanded text ads, the character limit is the same across all languages, but each character from double-width languages, such as Korean, Japanese, or Chinese, count as two characters toward the limit. The table above shows that limits for double-width characters are essentially half of the regular limit.
What are AdWords Expanded Text Ads Best Practices?
- Since the ads are longer, they can include a bit more storytelling and will require a little more time to craft.
- Focus on your headlines: they’re the most prominent part of your text ad
- Correct display paths will also be critical. Savvy advertisers will include location and other targeting in the paths.
- Official Google Best Practice Guide
Why do AdWords Expanded Text Ads matter for mobile?
You may recall Google removing the right hand rail of ads recently. Apparently, this paved the way to create a single text ad unit that can be consistent across mobile, desktop and tablet. Expanded text ads are optimized for mobile smartphone screens with a longer headline and more description text overall, about 50% more. Google’s research shows longer ad headlines are more useful to mobile users because they provide additional information about your business before they click your ad.
