Beginning June 30th, 2022, Google will no longer support new expanded text ads. Google says that current text ads will continue to be served, but creating new ones won’t be available. The platform strongly encourages advertisers to switch to responsive search ads.

What does this change mean for small business owners?

Below is an example of an expanded text ad:

As Google phases out expanded text ads, the platform will soon start favoring responsive search ads in search results. Below is an example of a responsive search ad:

While the two look similar, there are a few differences with responsive search ads to become familiar with.

• Responsive search ads tend to favor click through rates, so your performance metrics may need tweaked
• Responsive search ads generate a unique ad based on the different headlines and descriptions you enter into the platform and the search query

Expanded texts ads that you currently have running will continue to be served and Google will still generate analytics reports for them. You will also be able to publish previously created expanded text ads. After June 30th, advertisers will only be able to create responsive search ads in Google.

Here are some steps for small business owners to take to prepare for this change

• Create any text ads you’ve been meaning to and get them ready for future use
• Start using responsive search ads now
• Change your advertising KPIs to match what’s possible for responsive search ads
• Run any expanded text ad tests now
• Prepare for expanded text ads to see lower impressions over time
• Adjust budgets to create space for an increased cost per leads for responsive search ads
• Prepare your business for an influx of leads

Responsive search ads have a 5-15% higher click through rate than expanded text ads. Responsive search ads are expected to help drive more online traffic to businesses and small business should be prepared to handle the influx.

RevLocal handles digital marketing strategies for small businesses and multi-location brands. To learn more about our services, contact us!