Top three tips:
- Implement at least one responsive search ad with 'Good' or 'Excellent' ad strength per ad group. Advertisers who improve ad strength for their responsive search ads from 'Poor' to 'Excellent' see 12% more conversions on average.1 To help improve your ad strength, consider opting into automatically created assets.
- Add at least four unique image assets. Image assets make it easier for people to learn about your business and take action from your search ads by showing relevant visuals of your products and services.
- Include your business logo and business name. Advertisers that show a business logo and name with their search ads see an average of 8% more conversions at a similar cost per conversion.2
Using the power of Google AI, responsive search ads identify the best combination of assets to help you deliver relevant ads that adapt to shifting consumer behaviours. By maximising the relevance and helpfulness of your search ads, you can connect with more customers in the moments that matter and drive more conversions. In this guide for Google Ads, you'll learn how to optimise your responsive search ads so you can drive better business results from your search campaigns.
Google Ads Tutorials: Responsive search ads best practices
1. Write compelling, genuine ad copy
- Craft messaging that focuses on user benefits.
Why: Users respond to ads that speak to their needs.
- Tie your headline and description line’s messaging to your keywords.
Why: Users tend to engage with ads that appear most relevant to their search.
Case study
By including its best performing keywords in its responsive search ads, Canadian airline Swoop increased revenue by 71% and conversions by 61%.
- Avoid generic language in your ads. Use specific calls to action.
Why: Generic calls to action often show decreased engagement with ads.
- Check ad strength for insights into how users may react to your ads.
Why: Ad strength provides forward-looking feedback on how closely the assets in your responsive search ad reflect attributes that are correlated with increased performance.
Case study
Online travel agency MyFlightSearch focused on creating responsive search ads with ‘Good’ and ‘Excellent’ Ad Strength, helping the brand increase conversions by 14%, and improving its cost per booking by 15%.
- Review campaign level asset reporting.
Why: This report helps you understand which of your assets resonate most with your customers.
Check detailed guidance about writing compelling, genuine ad copy.
2. Create messaging that reflects your brand and the products and services that you offer
- Create ad text that appeals to users across devices.
Why: A compelling call to action on one device tends to be compelling on other devices as well.
- Try headlines of varying lengths.
Why: Headlines of varying lengths can help your ads resonate with different customers depending on their familiarity with your brand.
- Consider using automatically created assets to help you generate additional headlines and descriptions.
Why: Automatically created assets can help you show more relevant ads by generating tailored headlines and descriptions that are based on your ad’s unique context.
Check detailed guidance about creating messaging that reflects your brand.
3. Set up your ads for success
- Add as many unique headlines and descriptions as you can.
Why: Providing unique headlines and descriptions allows the system to assemble more ad combinations.
- Use keyword insertion and ad customisers if you have a lot of ads to maintain.
Why: You can tailor your creative messages to a user’s search while reducing your management overhead.
- Pair responsive search ads with Smart Bidding and broad match keywords.
Why: Show the right message to as many relevant people as possible while automatically setting the right bid for each query.
Case study
Using the combination of broad match, Smart Bidding, and responsive search ads, UK-based tails.com increased sign-ups in Germany from its generic Search campaigns by 182%, while increasing clicks by 258%.
Watch their story:
Check detailed guidance about setting your ads up for success.
4. Use as many asset types as possible
- Enable all asset types that make sense for your business.
Why: There are a variety of asset types that can make your ads more helpful and engaging to users, while helping you meet your marketing objectives.
Case study
By adding image assets to responsive search ads and using audience data and Target ROAS Smart Bidding as part of its strategy, HUGO BOSS achieved a 2.5x return on ad spend and 5% improvement in click-through rate when compared to overall mobile traffic.
- Make your assets as high quality as possible.
Why: Assets are automatically chosen based on several factors, including previous performance, user context and available space.
Check detailed guidance about using as many asset types as possible.
5. Test and optimise creative messages
- Use ad variations to test and iterate creative messages.
Why: You can learn about your users’ preferences and improve your performance by honing ad text, especially your headlines.
- Evaluate the success of your ads based on incremental impressions, clicks and conversions your ad groups and campaigns receive.
Why: Responsive search ads help you qualify for more auctions, so ad-level performance and metrics like clickthrough rate and conversion rate may not paint a full picture of your performance.
Check detailed guidance about testing and optimising creatives.
Optimise your campaign as you create it
As you create your campaign, you may receive notifications based on your setting selections. These notifications may alert you of issues that can result in decreased performance or that may be significant enough to prevent you from publishing your campaign.
The campaign construction navigation menu that appears as you construct your campaign provides a holistic view of your construction progress and will call attention to notifications that you may want to address. Move between steps in the navigation menu to easily review and resolve potential issues with your targeting, bidding, budget or other campaign settings. Learn how to Set up your campaign for success.
Related links
- Responsive Search Ads: A Guide to Writing Ads that Perform
- Optimise your display campaigns
- Google AI for video advertising
1. Google internal data
2. Google internal data, Global, 9/3/2023 – 22/3/2023
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