Using Expanded Text Ads in AdWords

Learn about expanded text ads in AdWords by watching this short explainer video from Google.

In this video you will learn about a new type of text ad, the AdWords Expanded Text Ad.  It is important to note that Google will continue to accept new standard (traditional) text ads only through January 31, 2017.

After January 31, existing standard text ads will continue to run with expanded text ads, but advertisers will not be able to edit or create standard text ads.

Why the Shift to Expanded Text Ads?

Expanded text ads gives advertisers more space for their ad text and are designed for optimal performance on mobile devices so advertisers can reach potential customers on the go.

Read on to learn how Google AdWords Expanded Text Ads work. You will also receive some helpful tips to make the most of this new expanded text ad type.

What Are Expanded Text Ads?

Expanded text ads are similar to the standard text ads that you may be used to in AdWords, but with a few key differences. One key difference is that expanded text ads have two headline fields instead of one.

The two description lines have been merged into one field and there is display URL shows the domain of your Ads final URL.

Expanded Text Ads Headlines

Standard text ads give you one headline of 25 characters. Expanded text ads have two headlines, each allowing up to 30 characters. These headline fields will appear next to each other separated by a “-” character.

The headline may be wrapped onto multiple lines depending on the size of the user screen.

Expanded Text Ads Description

Instead of the 2 35-character description lines you get with standard text ads, expanded text ads have 1 80-character description field giving you more control over your ad’s messaging.

Expanded Text Ads URL

There’s a URL field that shows with your ad called the display URL. With expanded text ads, you no longer have to enter your display URL when creating a new ad. Instead, AdWords will use the domain from your final URL and then give you the option to combine it with up to two new path fields.

These new path fields are designed to help people who see your ad get a better sense of where they’ll be taken when they click it.

URL paths can be up to 15 characters each. For example, for an advertiser of new inventory of men’s hiking shoes might want to use men shoes as your first path value and outdoor as your second path value so your ads display URL will look like:  advertisers-domain/mens-shoes/outdoor/

Expanded Text Ad URLs don’t need to match the exact structure of the advertisers website. Creating an expanded text that is simple. Just follow the same steps to start creating a new standard text ad.

Tips to Get the Most from Expanded Text Ads

Here some tips to make your expanded text ads as effective as possible:

1. Make sure to use at least one of your keywords in the ads text to make sure the ad is highly relevant to those who see it.
2. Write ads in title case by capitalizing the first letter of each word in your expanded text ad to help it stand out. One key difference is the additional space provided.
3. Make sure take some time to rethink your ads messaging to make sure you’re getting the most value from this additional text space, especially in your expanded headline.
4. Also make sure your to headlines are easily scalable and will make sense when red separately from each other.
5. Take advantage of the new path fields to add positioning and context in the ads display URL. These Path fields offer a simple straightforward way to give your customers a good idea of where they’ll go once they click on your ad.

Learn More About Expanded Text Ads

To learn more about this new AdWords text ad format and to read more tips, check out the Google AdWords Help Center article on how to use Expanded Text Ads.

If you have any questions about expanded text ads and how they can benefit your business, submit your information below to be contacted by an eBiz ROI Google AdWords specialist.

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