Starting October 15, Google will be changing the way that users see ads on mobile devices. As it stands now, mobile ads are displayed in a similar way to the ads we’re all familiar with seeing on a larger screen.
In order to make it easier and quicker for users to find the information they’re looking for, Google has announced that it may start showing your ad extensions instead of a second line of ad text on mobile searches.
Google was not very clear about how the ads will change in their announcement via the Google Ads blog, saying that the second line of ad text only “may or may not show” depending on how well the ad is expected to perform. A positive outcome of this change is that advertisers will be able to optimise their ad text in such a way that allows for longer, more eye-catching headlines.
So what are ad extensions?
These are extra little bits that can be added onto your standard ads to give users more information or options right at their fingertips. These extensions can come in the form of a click to call button, consumer ratings, a Google Maps pin, a few sitelinks, and many more options.
Making Ads More Useful For Mobile Users
By showing these extensions in a more prominent position in the ad, users will find it easier to access the information on your site that they’re looking for. You will now be able to do different things with your ads, including highlighting a specific product using callouts, provide location data, take users directly a specific page with sitelinks, or give them an option to call your business with a click to call button.
Google is giving advertisers the opportunity to create more points of engagement with their customers. With these new ads users will have more options when clicking an ad. They could either visit the business’s mobile site, click to see directions to the business, or click straight through to a special offer. This kind of instantaneousness is what mobile users value most when browsing the internet through their devices.
When searching for information on a mobile device, users will most often take the path of least resistance in order to find what they want. Giving these users the option to call the business or find a map to the business without having to click through to the mobile site in order to find the information first is very likely to, as Google expects it will, help your ads perform better.
The downside here is that you’ll be losing your second line of ad text. Depending on your ad or your business, this second line of text may be crucial to a user understanding your ad and therefore clicking on it. Another downside is that Google has not been very specific about when the second line of text will be replaced by ad extensions and when it won’t. This makes it difficult for advertisers to properly optimise their ads for this new display.
Get the Most Out Of Mobile Ads
Here are a few recommendations to ensure that your ads keep performing well (or maybe to help them perform better), after the change on October 15
- Put all the relevant information into the first line of your ad. You may not have the second line of ad text to expand or explain your statement from the first line so make sure you’re addressing your customer’s needs right away.
- Make sure you’ve enabled the extensions that you want to be available.
- Make sure your ads are targeted at mobile users. Remember, these types of users want to be able to take action quickly and on the go, so make your ads relevant to their needs.
Opting Out Of Description Replacement
According to Google, it will be possible to opt out of having your second description line replaced by extensions. What you’ll have to do is go to the Google Ads Support centre, here (scroll down a little to find the red Alert text) and once this rolls out, the page will contain a form that will let you request that you be excluded.