Google’s RSA Headlines & Sitelinks Update Makes Zero Sense

Hi folks. I regret to inform you that we’ve hit peak dumb with Google Ads.

In an announcement late last week, Google talked about “better asset flexibility.”

Sounds cool, right? Just wait.

Google went on to say that they are, “exploring new AI-powered changes to Search campaigns and creatives, designed to increase asset flexibility and improve your results by finding the best combination of assets.”

Uhhhh OK, still cool? Assets can help you punch up your RSAs and add important context to display next to your headlines and descriptions. This is still sounding positive.

Then came the bombshell. “Starting today, up to two RSA headlines can serve in the space that previously only sitelinks were eligible for when they’re predicted to improve performance,” Google said. “When this occurs, the two links built from your headlines will point to your ad's final URL.”

What in tarnation? Headlines have typically not been an “asset” but rather… a headline? I’m out.

But unfortunately, this is a change that could impact anyone who uses RSAs. Read on as I break down what this means, why it makes no sense, and what advertisers should do.

Headlines vs. Sitelinks (Historically)

Up until now, headlines and sitelinks were two completely different things with different purposes.

• RSAs (Responsive Search Ads) force advertisers to create little bite-sized headlines that can work in conjunction with each other, typically displaying two headlines at a time.

• Sitelinks are a way to add more links to your ads, according to Google. The platform says, “Sitelinks take people to specific pages on your site (for example, a specific product or store hours.)”

Sitelinks are a fantastic tool to deliver people different or more granular content on your site. For example, if someone searches for “Men’s Sneakers,” the main headlines can address generic Men’s Sneakers, but sitelinks can show Basketball Sneakers, Running Sneakers, Training Sneakers, Casual Sneakers, and more.

The purpose of this asset (in Google’s own words) is literally to “take people to specific pages on your site.” They even require that sitelinks are directed to unique content. On their support site, Google literally says they don't allow:

• Multiple sitelinks in the same campaign or ad group that point to the same landing page or the same content
• Sitelinks that point to the same landing page or the same content

With this latest change, Google will use up to two of your headlines as sitelinks with the SAME destination as the final URL from the ad itself.

Someone, please make this make sense to me.

What This Update Means for Advertisers

With only 30 characters per headline, advertisers need to create combinations that work with each other in the case that they are paired up. Many times, these can be quirky and fun to catch attention and drive clicks.

In the Men’s Sneakers example above, an advertiser could have an ad created that displays as “Nike Men’s Sneakers - Fast is Faster” or “Men’s Nike Sneakers - Just Do It” with a full slate of sitelinks that deliver people where they need to go.

With this change, the sitelinks could be “Fast is Faster” and “Just Do It” with both of them sending people to the main sneakers page.

Here is a real-life example of when headlines as sitelinks can go wrong:

These sitelinks are epically bad, and to no fault of the advertiser. These are great headlines for branding, but horrific as sitelinks… and there’s nothing that can be done other than change your headline strategy. Brutal.

Now you may be thinking, "Well at least I’ll be able to see those headlines that are being served as sitelinks in the sitelink asset report, right?" WRONG. Google is “hiding” the performance of a headline-sitelink within the headline reporting. Good grief.

The example that they displayed in the announcement is shockingly bad:

The real sitelinks help users navigate to different sections of the site, while the injected headline-sitelinks repeat the same messaging about pricing/savings.

Those “sitelinks” should actually be callout assets (text, non-linked assets.) Google states that, “Callouts can improve your text ads by promoting unique offers to shoppers, like free shipping or 24-hour customer service.” That is the literal example on their help page for callout assets. Unique offers like “Free Shipping”.

Guys, I can’t make this up.

So…What Do We Do?

Now, you probably want some tips on how to optimize your campaigns with this change, but unfortunately, there isn’t a silver bullet for this asinine shift. The only recommendation I have is to make your creative on the already simple RSA headlines even less creative, as they could show as sitelinks.

Thoughts and prayers.

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