Google Ads Announces 3 Changes to Search Ad Creatives
What to Know About Campaign-Level Headlines & Descriptions, Performance-Based Dynamic Assets, and Performance-Based Single Headlines
Google kicked off February 2024 with some announcements that digital marketers may enjoy: Some big changes in Google Ads.
The three updates announced on Feb. 1 mostly impact search ads and creatives. In this post, we’ll explain the new features, share what advertisers should keep in mind as they roll out, and give advice on how to use them.
Campaign-Level Headlines & Descriptions
The first announcement is one we’ve already seen some news about and have talked about in the past. It’s campaign-level headlines and descriptions.
You can now associate up to three different headlines and two descriptions at the campaign level. Those headlines and descriptions will be eligible to show in every RSA (responsive search ad) within that campaign.
You can also pin the headlines and descriptions if you want them to show up across the campaign.
Our Take:
We love this concept and are really looking forward to trying out this new feature! You don’t have to use it - it’s totally optional, but we think there will be a lot of practical applications for this feature specifically.
Performance-Based Dynamic Assets
Google also announced that there are changes coming to automated asset (formerly called ad extensions) eligibility. Now, dynamic (or automated) assets can show alongside and be tested against any manual assets that an advertiser creates. Google can now show these automated assets instead of your manual assets if it's predicted to improve performance.
This change applies to dynamic assets including images, sitelinks, callouts, & structured snippets.
A key thing to remember here is that you can still opt out of automated assets. If you are opted out at the account level, this change will not impact your account.
Our Take:
If you’re in a heavily regulated industry, you may not want dynamic images assets pulled for you. We typically have these turned off in our accounts, so we don't really have an opinion about this change
Performance-Based Single Headlines
The last feature Google announced is a performance-cased single headline within RSAs.
For the longest time, RSAs have had 2-3 headlines in ads. With this new feature, Google will only show one headline if it thinks that will lead to better performance.
If Google chooses to only show a single headline, what would have been the second headline will be moved to the description section. What you’ll see is that second headline, followed by a little dash, and then the description.
This feature has actually already been rolled out. Unlike the other two features announced by Google, you cannot opt out of this one.
A key note note here is that Google will still respect advertiser pinning in RSAs with this change. If you have headlines pinned to position one, one of those headlines would be the single headline that is show.
Our Take:
Some marketers might take issue with this feature - but there’s really nothing we can do to stop it if Google thinks one headline will get better performance.
What you should keep in mind, however, is a lot of times you may write a headline and then mimic it - or at least touch on the same sentiment - in the description. If a second headline gets pulled into the description, there may be some redundancy, so you’ll want to make sure the headlines you have in ad groups are dialed in.
This feature could potentially stifle some writing or creativity, but if you write a banger of a headline and it ends up getting pulled through because of its performance, it might just set you up to stand out against your competition.
Final Takeaways
Keep an eye on your accounts in the coming days and weeks ahead as Google officially rolls out these updates.
As a reminder, you can choose to use or ignore the campaign-level headlines and descriptions. You can also opt out of the performance-based dynamic asset eligibility.
Performance-based single headlines, however, are here to stay. You can’t opt out or remove them. And while there could be some negatives, it will be interesting to see how the single headlines RSAs stand out.
Have questions about these new Google Ads features? Contact us! One of our PPC experts will be happy to provide insights on these changes, or anything else you need help with in your account.
Meet the Author
Greg Finn
Greg is the Head of Performance and Innovation for Cypress North's digital marketing team and one of the founders of our agency. In 2010, he and Matt Mombrea started Cypress North in Buffalo. Greg oversaw the opening of our second office in 2022, located in his hometown of Rochester.
As Head of Performance and Innovation, Greg co-manages our digital marketing department and works closely with our team to ensure all our clients achieve the best possible results. He is always looking for ways to test new digital marketing techniques and technology, and oversees all teaching and training efforts to ensure our agency stays ahead of the curve.
Greg is also a co-host of our weekly Marketing O'Clock podcast, where he and the team provide updates, insights, and hot takes on the latest SEO, PPC, and social media marketing news. In addition to weekly news shows, Greg hosts our Marketing O'Torial digital marketing tutorials and often co-hosts bonus Marketing O'Talk episodes that bring together panels of digital marketing experts.
With nearly two decades of experience, Greg is a known and trusted voice in the digital marketing community. He’s a contributor for Search Engine Land, a member of the Search Marketing Expo (SMX) programming team, and has been a featured speaker at some of the largest search engine conferences, including SMX, eSummit, and Pubcon.
When he’s not working or staying updated on the latest trends, Greg enjoys watching his kids play sports and coaching their soccer team. He’s been named the runner-up “Greg of the Year” on Marketing O’Clock’s annual Clockscars Awards four years in a row. While the coveted award has evaded him for many years, Keanu Reeves has not. Greg once saw him at Gabriel's Gate tavern in Buffalo (and noted he was very tall.)
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