Google Ads – Expanded Text Ads (ETAs)

Expanded Text Ads are a new ad format that gives you the power to say more with your text ads. ETAs will not only increase your character limit from 25 characters to 30 but also enable two headlines with almost 30 characters each and four descriptions with up to 80 characters each. Expanded Text Ads have the standard benefits that come with longer text ads: a better ability to communicate your message and a greater chance of people clicking on your ad.

How Do Expanded Text Ads Benefit Advertisers?

ETAs can help you achieve your advertising goals in several ways, including:

• Get more customers from search results with longer headlines and descriptions. When it comes to getting clicks, specific claims about offers or product capabilities are as compelling as general branding statements.
• ETAs generate higher clickthrough rates (CTR) than short-form text ads; we’ve seen an average 20% increase. That means you’re more likely to get the click, and these high performers will reach a wider audience.
• Streamline to save time and money. Easily manage ad text from one place with a single, repurposed template for all device types – so you can publish quickly and send new ads for review at scale.
• ETAs don’t require additional approvals or added revisions which means you can complete tasks faster than ever before and focus on what’s essential: generating business results.

What Devices Will Expanded Text Ads Work On?

ETAs work across Google Search and Shopping ads and our dynamic search partners. That said, we recommend testing your ads to discover the best-performing version that delivers compelling messages for each of your customers across every platform where Google serves ads. If you already have Shopping Campaigns, you have the option to continue using Expanded Text Ads for your product-based Shopping campaigns. Of course, if you like, you can always jump back to standard text ads at any time.

Where Are Expanded Text Ads Available?

ETAs are currently enabled in ad extensions but will replace all existing text ads on Google Search and across Google’s network as early as January 2017. The transition’s goal is to provide ample notice so that advertisers have enough time to test ETAs with their usual traffic over several months and ensure they’re generating business results before we enable ETAs by default in January 2017.

How Do I Get Started Using Expanded Text Ads?

Getting started with Expanded Text Ads is easy. If you’re currently using Expanded Text Ads in ad extensions, there’s no action required to begin using ETAs in your primary ads. Expanded Text Ads are enabled by default for new campaigns created through January 2017. (https://locallens.com/) Still, if you’d like to ensure that your new campaigns automatically use ETAs, you can check the box at “Use Expanded Text Ads” under “Ad extensions” when creating or editing your campaign. If you want to go back to standard text ads before the end of the year, uncheck the box next to “Use Expanded Text Ads” under “Ad Extensions” when creating or editing your campaign.

The Bottom Line On Expanded Text Ads

The same best practices you already follow for text ads will also apply to Expanded Text Ads. In addition, we recommend using campaign goals, like leads or store visits, to track your ad performance in Google Analytics or other business data tools.

You may have some initial questions about getting started with Expanded Text Ads. Our team of experts is here to help answer any questions you have during the transition period.

Tags: Expanded Text Ads, Google, Google Ads, Google Ads 101, Text Ads