End of Extended Text Ads in Google Ads
In June 2022, Google plans to disable Extended Text Ads. The ability to create and edit them will disappear from Google Ads account and platforms that serve text ads on Google. The Google Ads editor, the Google Ads mobile app and the Google Ads API will likely be updated to disable the ability to make changes related to the removed format.
When will Google disable expanded text ads?
The option to create and edit augmented ads in search results will be available until June 30, 2022.
What will happen to the running ads?
Google announces that extended text ads created before June 30, 2022 will not be removed, they will continue to be aired and their statistics will be available. There will still be options to enable, turn them on and remove them. However, the ability to edit them will be lost. This suggests some continuity in the emission of ads.
How can you prepare for it?
If you already have running campaigns using expanded text ads, you can prepare flexible ads based on the content of proven expanded creatives. It will be better to do this early so that Google’s algorithms can start learning and achieve satisfactory results on June 30, 2022. If you are just starting out with new creatives, you can test ad content on augmented creatives until the shutdown. In addition, Google is supporting users and sharing knowledge on how to run proven Google Ads campaigns using Flexible Search Ads.
Proven practices
There are already many proven practices in running campaigns using Flexible Search Ads. Many of them are related to previous ad formats so if we had them mastered we should be able to switch more easily to working only with flexible ads. When creating flexible ads, you will definitely need to keep in mind: – using messaging that matches the user’s query and the content of the landing page the ad leads to, – using extensions, attractive headlines and effective calls to action in creatives, – experimenting with content looking for the most effective text,
– creating ad texts that are attractive to the audience, and at the same time do not merge with other content displayed in the search engine,
– pinning headlines on specific positions,
– using ad variations, Google Ads Editor, Google Ads API if you run campaigns with a large number of creatives,
– regularly checking Google’s recommendations that can help improve effectiveness on an ongoing basis.
What do you need to watch out for?
Turning off extended text ads in Google Ads and switching to flexible ads is a step that is expected to improve the results of running campaigns, however, it should be remembered that due to machine actions, the content displayed may not always turn out to be logical. When preparing new flexible creatives, you will need to remember to pin key headlines and create content that will not conflict with each other. It should also be remembered that new creatives will need time to learn how to work best, which means that frequent changes, especially at the beginning of broadcasting, can prolong the optimization time of new flexible ads, and this time, depending on the intensity of actions, can be measured even in weeks.
