What are Responsive Search Ads?

Responsive search ads are text ads introduced by Google Ads in mid-2018, they are an addition to the ad types Google offers within search ads. Overall, a responsive search ad consists of a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 15 headlines, supplemented by a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 description lines. Google Ads will test as many combinations of headlines and description lines as possible to ultimately determine which combination works best for each keyword. This ensures that for each keyword, the most relevant ad is ultimately displayed to searchers within Google.

What are the benefits of Responsive Search Ads?

According to Google, there are many benefits to responsive search ads and they improve your campaigns. Below is a summary of the main benefits:

• The most relevant ad for each keyword: Based on machine learning, Google determines the most relevant headlines and description line for each keyword.
• Increase quality score: Because the ad better matches the keywords, it will have a positive effect on the quality score. As a result, you can bring in cheaper clicks and achieve more search volume.
• Saving time: Because Google itself tests all headings and description lines among itself, it is no longer necessary to make its own judgments here. This is the case with expanded text ads.

Best practices responsive search ads

From Google, as well as from my own experience, there are a number of best practices for creating and optimizing responsive search ads. These are as follows:

Creation of responsive search ads

• Make sure there is a maximum of 2 extended ads and 1 responsive search ad added per ad group.
• Use the maximum number of headings and description lines.
  Return the keyword on a regular basis in the headings and description lines.
• Do not fix headings or description lines; this limits the benefits of machine learning.
• Write the ads yourself and do not have them automatically created within Google Ads. Experience shows that it works better to write the responsive search ads yourself instead of creating them automatically based on the other ads in an ad group.

Optimizing responsive search ads

• The best practice is to replace the headings and description lines with the fewest impressions.

In short, responsive search ads is an ad type within Google Ads that uses machine learning to ensure that the most relevant ad is displayed by keyword. This increases the quality score and ultimately the results of your ads. Don’t have responsive search ads in your campaigns yet? Then add them quickly!