When Google makes changes, everybody listens. After all, the six-letter search giant rules the world in terms of bringing businesses in front of curious searchers who are primed to become loyal consumers. A few weeks ago, Google made a somewhat minor tweak to the way ads appear on search engine results pages (SERPs), which will ultimately have a major impact for marketers across the globe. Now, you officially have more space to get your messages across, as Google’s efforts to improve its user interface has resulted in Expanded Text Ads.
When Google first released Expanded Text Ads a couple years ago, advertisers felt like they had the entire world at their fingertips. Well, they did, really. At the time, Google doubled its ad text size, enabling companies to maximize presence and performance on mobile searches. The new layout provided two rows for headlines and an 80-character description line.
How quickly things changed! In just a couple short years, our devices’ screens have gotten bigger, we’ve become even more dependent on mobile searches, and we’ve got a lot more things to say online. Twitter figured out the 140-character limit didn’t do its users justice, and Google’s recent change follows suit. As of August 2018, Google has expanded its advertising universe once again, delivering valuable online real estate that will make a real impact to marketers who know how to use their ad space well.
Google’s latest update adds the opportunity to employ up to three headlines on SERPs (up from the two headlines spaces previously available). Additionally, Google now offers a second description line and bumped the available characters from 80 to 90. The end result? Your total Expanded Text ads space can now be nearly twice as large as it could have been just a few short weeks ago – providing a total of 300 characters with which you can entice your customers.
Two key benefits are being presented with Google’s newest ad format updates:
With the addition of a third headline in text advertisements, companies can create more keyword-rich attention-grabbers. The third headline is available for regular search campaign text ads, giving you the ability to grab the attention of your target market with even more well-crafted keywords, benefits, and calls-to-action.
Be advised—it’s important to use the added 30 characters just as wisely as ever before!
The job of the headline is to draw people’s attention in, but what if you have more to say? Thanks to the addition of the second description in Google’s text ads, you can offer your customers greater transparency into your product by explaining the benefits and your competitive advantages. Differentiate yourself from “the other guys” by taking advantage of an entirely new line that was specifically created for descriptions.
The second description in texts ads is the perfect place to:
New areas won’t always show in the expanded fields. It’s important to continue to communicate your main information within the original first two headlines and first row of the description section. Let it be known to your client or colleagues that there are instances in which these new fields will not always appear, especially on mobile devices. With that in mind, use these new areas to reinforce your brand awareness, but be sure to keep your main points at the top of the allotted search spots.
Are you curious what else you need to know about Google’s latest and greatest Expanded Text Ad enhancements? Maybe you really only need to know that PPC pros are on the case! At Zero Gravity Marketing, we’re a results-driven team of online advertising gurus who are always looking to keep up with any and all Digital Marketing trends. Learn more about our PPC services today, and reach out when you’re ready to see how ZGM can enhance your paid advertising efforts!