After June 30, 2022, users will no longer be able to create or edit expanded text ads on Google Ads. Here’s what you need to know.
Expanded text ads are text ads that have three headline fields and two description fields. The first two headlines will always appear next to each other, while the third, optional headline may sometimes appear on certain devices.
Source: https://support.google.com/searchads/answer/7034382?hl=en
Like responsive search ads, advertisers can edit the ad’s display URL “Path” fields. For example, the ad’s final URL might be www.example.com/purchase/tickets. If you set the path text as “show” and “tickets” instead, the display URL will show as www.example.com/show/tickets.
If enabled, this type of ad can appear on both the Google Search Network and the Google Display Network. Ad extensions are fully compatible with expanded text ads, as well.
Expanded text ads are comparatively static; the headlines and descriptions entered will show as written, with little variation, save for the addition of a third headline on some devices.
Responsive search ads, on the other hand, use machine learning to select from any of 15 headlines and 4 descriptions to display on any given search. A maximum of 3 headlines and 2 descriptions will show, but their content and order will vary according to what Google Ads think will perform best.
According to Google, the automation that responsive search ads provide makes them a more effective advertising tool than expanded text ads, with advertisers who switched to responsive search ads seeing 7% more conversions at a similar cost per conversion.
As a result, Google Ads decided to retire this type of ad, and responsive search ads will be the only Search ad type available.
If you currently have expanded text ads in your account, they will not stop running after June 30, 2022. Existing expanded text ads will still be visible in the account, and while advertisers won’t be able to make edits to these ads, they will be able to enable and pause them as needed.
While advertisers won’t have to worry about their expanded text ads suddenly pausing being removed from the account, Google still recommends that advertisers have at least one responsive search ad in each ad group in Search campaigns to prepare for this change.
In order to see which ad groups still need responsive search ads, you can go into your Google Ads account and filter by ad type. If you discover an ad group without a responsive search ad, you can easily create one by clicking on the plus button and selecting “Responsive Search Ad”.
You don’t have to start from scratch; repurpose high-performing content from your expanded text ads and add additional headlines and descriptions that improve your Ad Strength, which has been shown to correlate with more clicks and conversions. For more information on best practices for responsive search ads, Google has a helpful guide, which you can read here.
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