People assured me that using ad customizers was simple, like a walk in the park. They insisted anyone could do it. But here’s the catch: they didn’t mention that not everyone possesses the mind of a programming and marketing prodigy.

(Just to be clear, I use “prodigy” with the utmost admiration, secretly wishing I could join their ranks as masters of our digital destiny.)

However, for those of us mere mortals navigating the world of PPC with readily available tools, anything large-scale can feel like stepping into a gladiator arena. This became glaringly apparent during a recent PPC discussion where we discussed Ad Customizers. Most concerns about customizers revolved around the perceived complexity of setup and management. While I’m no Ad Customizer guru (you’ll want to consult Matt Umbro for that), I believe I’ve devised a method for bulk creation and management of Countdown Customizers that will significantly simplify your life.

Why Bother with Countdown Customizers?

You might be wondering why you should even consider Countdown Customizer ads. Let me tell you, Countdown customizers are a fantastic addition to your arsenal, especially for sales and time-sensitive events.

Take, for instance, the recent hailstorm in Billings that dented half the cars in town. I even heard a radio ad (a rare occurrence for me) for a local dealership looking to offload their hail-damaged inventory. A perfect opportunity for Countdown Customizers!

Countdown customizers inject a sense of urgency, reflected in improved conversion rates and increased conversions overall. It’s always fascinating to witness that end-of-sale surge as the clock ticks down. Matt Umbro highlights this, noting that CTR, CVR, and conversions themselves can experience a substantial boost compared to static ads: Gauging the Impact of the AdWords Countdown Customizer.

But I’m Not Keen on Building Tons of Ads for Every Sale

If that’s your attitude, it’s time to roll up your sleeves! Your clients are paying you for results, not for minimizing effort. However, I understand that extensive overhauls aren’t always feasible within a given budget.

The good news is, with the right approach, it’s remarkably straightforward to accomplish this using the tools at your disposal. Once you’ve mastered this process, creating Countdown Customizers for all your ad groups and managing them effectively will take approximately 15 minutes, without any coding or complex scripts. You’ll be able to:

• Generate Ad Customizers for each ad group.
• Design a static sale ad for each ad group.
• Automatically pause all live ads when the sale commences.
• Automatically activate the sale ads at the start of the sale.
• Automatically pause the sale ads and reactivate the pre-sale ads when the sale concludes.

You only need three simple tools:

• The AdWords User Interface
• Microsoft Excel
• AdWords Editor

I realize it sounds like a lot to handle, but trust me, it’s manageable. Ready to dive in?

Step-by-Step Countdown Ad Creation

Let’s imagine a scenario where we’re running a “Hail Sale,” capitalizing on the recent hailstorm. Your manager informs you about a clearance sale starting next Tuesday, requesting that every single ad shouts it from the rooftops. The sale will run for four weeks.

Here are the specifics:

• Sale begins: Wednesday, June 29th
• Discount: $2,000 off any car’s MSRP
• Sale ends: Friday, July 29th

In the past, you might have dreaded the prospect of manually adjusting ads and scheduling pauses and activations. But now, armed with this method, you can confidently allocate 15 minutes, set everything up, and still enjoy a leisurely lunch.

STEP 1: Identify Currently Running Ads for Pausing

The first step is determining which campaigns and ad groups should feature your sale ads. In this case, it’s straightforward since your manager wants maximum visibility. However, you might not always run a sale across all products or ad groups. The principle remains the same.

Filter your AdWords UI to display all live text ads within the campaigns and ad groups designated for sale ads.

Focus on text ads to avoid accidentally labeling and pausing other ad formats like display, image, or app ads. Remember, we’re specifically working with Countdown Customizers.

Note: Countdown Customizers can be used in Dynamic Search Ads, but they can’t be bulk-imported using a CSV. Manual editing will be required for those.

Time spent so far: 30 seconds

STEP 2: Label Pre-Sale Ads

With your filtered selection, label all these ads. I prefer highly specific labels like “PRE-Sale Ads July 2016 Hail Sale.”

The key is clarity – these ads were live pre-sale and should resume immediately afterward. Including “Pre-Sale” in your label ensures this.

Time spent so far: 1 minute

STEP 3: Create Customizer Ad in AdWords

Now for the interesting part, made easier with Google’s UI enhancements.

Choose the “countdown” option, leading you to the following screen:

Input the sale details and save. For a local campaign, aligning the timezone with the account timezone simplifies things. Notice the end time set for 4:59 PM.

Use the Ad Preview buttons to check for character limits.

Your countdown description “code” should resemble this:

Hurry, sale ends in {=GLOBAL_COUNTDOWN(“2016/07/29 16:59:59″,”en-US”,5)}.

Time spent so far: 3 minutes

STEP 4: Label Sales Ads

After saving, immediately label this new ad. We’ll call it “July 2016 Hail Sale.”

Time spent so far: 3 minutes, 30 seconds

STEP 5: Export Labeled Ads to CSV

Open AdWords Editor and get recent changes. Filter your Ads view by the label “PRE-Sale Ads July 2016 Hail Sale.”

Choose “Export Current View” to generate a CSV file containing all your pre-sale ads.

Time spent so far: 4 minutes

STEP 6: Create Bulk Customizer Ads

This is where the magic truly happens! The next steps depend on your testing preferences. For smaller clients and sales, I stick to this structure for each ad group:

• 1 “All” Customizer Ad
• 1 “Mobile” Customizer Ad
• 1 “All” Regular Sales Ad
• 1 “Mobile” Regular Sales Ad

If you prefer more elaborate testing with multiple customizer ads, adjust accordingly. Excel can handle it, requiring only a bit more finesse.

Locate your countdown ad and copy its description into the first row of your Excel spreadsheet. Include your custom title and the new label.

Proceed to copy the label, title, description, and Display URL into the remaining spreadsheet ads.

To avoid duplicate ads, use Excel’s “Remove Duplicates” feature under the Data tab. We only want one “all” and one “mobile” customizer ad per ad group.

You now have a countdown ad meticulously mapped to each live ad group containing active ads.

Time spent so far: 7 minutes, 30 seconds

STEP 7: Create Bulk Text Ads

What about non-customizer ads for each ad group? I’m glad you asked because it takes a mere 30 seconds.

Simply copy your customizer ads and paste them at the bottom of the sheet. Replace the Customizer text with your static text.

Time spent so far: 8 minutes

STEP 8: Import New Ads into Editor

Save your spreadsheet as a .csv file and import it into AdWords Editor.

Time spent so far: 9 minutes

STEP 9: Verify New Ads Are Ready and Push Changes

Carefully review everything to ensure it’s in order.

Crucially, all new ads should be correctly labeled and set to “Paused.”

Once satisfied, push your changes to the AdWords UI. Your current ads should remain active with the “PRE-Sale Ads July 2016 Hail Sale” label. Your paused sales ads, labeled “July 2016 Hail Sale,” are ready for deployment.

If everything looks good, post your changes.

Time spent so far: 11 minutes

STEP 10: Create Automated Rules

Why did we label those ads? So you can swiftly identify and activate the right ads after the sale. But there’s more!

Imagine setting everything up in advance, eliminating the need for manual intervention. Your ads could go live and pause automatically at the correct times. Sounds too good to be true? Read on!

This final part, while initially time-consuming, becomes second nature with practice. You’ll create four automated rules to manage your ads.

Automated Rules for Sales Ads

1. Pause currently running ads when the sale begins.
2. Enable sales ads when the sale begins.
3. Pause sales ads when the sale ends.
4. Enable previously running ads when the sale ends.

Here’s how to build each rule in the “Ads” tab of your AdWords UI:

Rule 1: Pause currently running ads at the beginning of the sale.

• Select “Automate” and choose “Pause ads when.”
• Apply to “All enabled ads in all campaigns.”
• Requirements: “Labels contains all of label: PRE-Sale Ads July 2016 Hail Sale”
• Frequency: “1-time,” June 29th, 12 AM
• Name: Pause Pre-Sale July Hail Sale Ads - June 29
• Email notifications: “Every time” (for one-time rules)

Here’s how it appears in the UI:

Rule 2: Enable sales ads at the beginning of the sale.

• Select “Automate” and choose “Enable ads when.”
• Apply to “All but removed ads in all campaigns.”
• Requirements: “Labels contains all of label: ‘July 2016 Hail Sale’”
• Frequency: “1-time,” June 29th, 12 AM
• Name: Enable SALE July Hail Ads - June 29
• Email notifications: “Every time” (for one-time rules)

Here’s how it appears in the UI:

Rule 3: Pause sales ads at the end of the sale.

• Select “Automate” and choose “Pause ads when.”
• Apply to “All enabled ads in all campaigns.”
• Requirements: “Labels contains all of label: ‘July 2016 Hail Sale’”
• Frequency: “1-time,” July 29th, 5 PM (sale end time)
• Name: Pause SALE July Hail Ads - July 29 End
• Email notifications: “Every time” (for one-time rules)

Here’s how it appears in the UI:

Rule 4: Enable previously running ads at the end of the sale.

• Select “Automate” and choose “Enable ads when.”
• Apply to “All but removed ads in all campaigns.”
• Requirements: “Labels contains all of label: ‘PRE-Sale Ads July 2016 Hail Sale’”
• Frequency: “1-time,” July 29th, 5 PM (sale end time)
• Name: Enable Pre-Sale July Hail Ads - July 29 End
• Email notifications: “Every time” (for one-time rules)

Here’s how it appears in the UI:

You can view your created rules in the “Bulk Operations” section of AdWords.

Total time spent: 15 minutes

There you have it! You’re ready to conquer countdown customizers in roughly 15 minutes!

While it might take a bit longer initially, as with any new process, you’ll soon find yourself breezing through. (And remember, those time estimates are approximate, so no need for Twitter rants if it takes a bit longer.)

The beauty of this approach is its scalability. With multiple sales, you can automate the process from the get-go, minimizing the risk of dropped balls when it comes to sale ads.

Speaking of which, am I the only one burning the midnight oil pausing sale ads? Anyone?

Regardless, I hope this proves helpful. I’m always eager to learn about time-saving tips and tricks, so feel free to share yours in the comments below.

Until next time!