Is “Buy now” a better call to action than “Don’t miss the boat”? Do potential customers prefer to explore a “free trial,” or are they more inclined to “try [our] software”? What happens if you reverse your headlines? Do URL paths even matter, bro?!?! These questions plague paid search experts when it comes to crafting ads. They are central to ad-focused A/B testing, and numerous factors, including limited time and less-than-ideal ad rotation settings, have made finding answers surprisingly tricky. Until recently. In this article, we’ll delve into the intricacies of Google’s Ad Variations, a feature introduced by Google in late 2017 to empower advertisers to test new ad copy extensively. But before we get into that…

Why Use Google Ads Variations?

Let’s be real: When was the last time you ran an A/B test on a single ad group, let alone your entire account? For most of us, the answer probably involves an awkward silence or a quick deflection. The truth is, creating new ad copy requires significant time and effort. Sure, you might have a quarterly review scheduled, but it’s likely not a weekly occurrence. Testing ad copy often takes a backseat to quicker tasks like bid adjustments, adding negative keywords, or even creating new campaigns.

However, split-testing your ad creative holds immense untapped potential. Identifying which ad version drives more clicks (improves CTR) boosts your Quality Scores, ultimately lowering your CPCs, enabling you to run even more ads. This continuous testing helps you uncover the most compelling language for your landing pages, potentially leading to increased conversions. In a nutshell, testing your Google Ads (previously Google AdWords) ads yields substantial rewards! I understand that crafting fresh copy—even a single headline—is challenging; at scale, it can seem overwhelming. Google’s Ad Variations aims to simplify this process.

A Personal Reflection on Ad Variations

When I joined nexus-security ages ago as a Marketing Services representative, it was partly because I couldn’t land a copywriting job. I’d written a few pieces here and there, but my portfolio wasn’t impressive. Countless cover letters sent to every agency in Boston, explaining how I would excel in their environment, went unanswered. My dream of becoming the ultimate copywriter, complete with a MacBook…

It was crushed. However, everything happens for a reason. This brings me to my point: writing ads was the first thing that genuinely excited me about Google Ads (I know I’m in the minority here). The Ad Variations feature, while a fantastic advancement, sacrifices a bit of the creative aspect of ad writing for pure efficiency. While many celebrate this, I mourn the hours spent meticulously analyzing client websites and massive spreadsheets, searching for the ideal wording for each ad group. Now, back to the topic at hand.

Implementing Ad Variations in Your Google Ads Account

To use Ad Variations, ensure you’re using the New Google Ads interface. Some new features, like Ad Variations, are absent in the outdated UI. In the page menu (the light grey bar right of your campaigns and ad groups), navigate to “Drafts and Experiments” at the bottom.

At the top of the D&E page, bypass “Campaign Drafts” and “Campaign Experiments” and choose “Ad Variations.” From there, click the blue circle or “New Ad Variations” to begin. Multiple ways, just like the variations themselves. How meta!

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Next, choose the campaign for your ad variations. While you can create variations for all campaigns concurrently, implementing a new experiment for each campaign (or campaign group, depending on your account structure) provides better control over your messaging. Importantly, Google only allows a single variation per campaign within a specific date range. This means running numerous simultaneous experiments isn’t possible. Don’t complain! Spreading impressions across too many ads hinders achieving statistically significant results efficiently. While rapid iteration is great, don’t abandon best practices for it! Now, for the exciting part: filtering. Google offers various ways to filter ad copy within a campaign, ensuring you test precisely where intended. The first ad variation filter selects ads based on elements like:

• Headline (1, 2, or both)
• Description
• Headline and Description
• Path (1, 2, or both) The second filter refines the selection by including or excluding specific ads based on whether they contain, equal, start with, or end with a specific word or character:

Even better, you can combine multiple filters, resulting in something like this:

Of course, if you’re just replacing a common call to action or implementing a new URL path, there’s no need to go overboard with filters. However, when striving for subtle changes instead of complete overhauls, they become indispensable. Control is key! Now, for the truly fun part: creating your ad variations. Google offers three ad variation types:

• Find and replace
• Update text
• Swap headlines Let’s break down each option.

Find and Replace

As the name suggests, “Find and Replace” lets you locate a word or phrase in your text ads and substitute it with another. This is perfect for testing variations like “Buy now” vs. “Buy today,” or, if you’re a proud maple syrup producer, changing instances of “Vermont” to “The World” when boasting about your product’s quality. Aim high!

“Find and Replace” lets you modify any ad component and offers a case-matching option (crucial if your existing ads use title case vs. sentence case).

Update Text

The “Update Text” variant is a broader change compared to “Find and Replace,” but still relies on your filters. For instance, you might want to change every Headline in a campaign while keeping the Description and Paths untouched, as shown here:

In this case, I’ve updated both headlines for ads in a competitor campaign (where using other brand names is prohibited) for my top-notch, barrel-aged maple syrup. The first headline aims for humor and, consequently, a click; the second introduces my product to those searching for a major competitor. Should this be implemented everywhere, all the time? Probably not. But if testing proves successful, it can be applied across the board after achieving statistical significance. Embrace bold ideas! (Of course, “Update Text” variants can test more conventional ideas; if your ads follow a structure, use it to replace elements lacking target keywords. This allows for creativity without compromising Quality Score).

Swap Headlines

Finally, the effortless option. “Swap Headlines” does exactly that: it switches your Headline 1 and Headline 2 in the ads specified by your filter.

If you’ve ever wondered how placing your CTA before your brand—or something similar—affects CTR, this is your chance to find out on a large scale. Remember, you can also utilize Microsoft Ads IF functions to experiment with the text in your Google ads.

Monitoring and Implementing Your Ad Variations

After selecting an ad variation type, define the specifics of your testing process. Firstly, name your variant (in the example below, I’ve creatively named it “Name of Ad Variant.” Do yourself a favor: use a name clearly indicating your test for easy identification):

Then, set a start and end date for your variation. Begin with at least two weeks to allow your ads time to gather impressions. Easy, right? Lastly, we have the “Experiment Split” section. This final field before launching your ad variation determines the percentage of your campaign budget “allocated to your variation and the percentage of auctions your variation is eligible to participate in.” Adjust this split accordingly if you prefer testing with a smaller portion of your budget (useful for outlandish tests or tight budgets). Once set, hit “Create Variation” and relax (or resume your usual optimization routine). To assess your ad variation’s performance, the experiment creation interface now serves as a central hub for analyzing results. It displays clicks, impressions, CTR, cost, and average CPC: ample data to determine if your new copy is a winner.

If your ad variation’s performance merits replacing existing ads, click “Apply”…

This opens the “Apply Variation” interface…

This interface provides a comprehensive overview of your ad variation (the experiment type and the number of affected ads) and three potential actions:

• Pause original ads and create new ads with this variation
• ***Remove original ads and create new ads with this variation*** [AVOID ME]
• Keep original ads and create new ads with this variation Never choose the second option. Your old ads are valuable: they contain historical data! Instead of deleting them, pause them and replace them with your winning ad variation or run them concurrently for a genuine split test.

Now That You Understand Google Ads Variations: What to Test?

With the power to test anything related to ad copy in your Google Ads account, how do you overcome the potential for analysis paralysis? Knowing that impactful changes can be implemented across all campaigns with a good idea and a few clicks can be just as daunting as facing hundreds of ad groups needing fresh copy. Fortunately, I’ve compiled some ideas to test your creative using Ad Variations immediately (mostly taken from our research on top-performing search ads). You’re welcome.

Experiment with Your CTA

The CTA is crucial in ad creative, but many simply insert it into their second headline and call it a day. Why not use Google Ads Variations to test CTA placement? Try placing it before your target keyword, in Headline 1, or in the description, using both headlines to captivate prospects with engaging language.

While you’re at it, why not test a new verb? Our research shows that “Buy,” “Shop,” or “Get” are effective CTA verbs: pit them against each other with a “Find and Replace” variant and see which performs best within your account.

Utilize Positivity (Or Don’t)

This is another area where the “Find and Replace” variation shines. Sentiment, while often overlooked, plays a significant role in writing search ads. Our analysis of over 600 ads revealed that 45% of top performers effectively employ positive sentiment.

However, negative sentiment can be a powerful tool for some advertisers. Eliciting fear or amusement in a prospect is preferable to being ignored, and ad variations can help you identify which tactic resonates best with searchers in your industry.

Features? Benefits? Why Not Both?

Marketing often boils down to features vs. benefits. In Google Ads, feature-focused copy is pervasive. Use Google’s Ad Variations to test which approach better communicates your value proposition. Here’s how this works with each Ad Variation type:

• Find and replace: Substitute a feature with the benefit it provides to your prospects.
• Update text: Swap entire description lines to see if focusing on benefits in your ad copy is worthwhile (if hesitant to abandon features entirely, include them in callout extensions and structured snippets).
• Swap headlines: Test a feature-centric Headline 1 and a benefit-centric Headline 2 (the CTA placement is your call); then reverse and repeat.

Testing “what my product does” against “how does my product improve your life” across all campaigns, regardless of search intent, can unlock the secrets to both CTR and CVR.

Conclusion

Google Ads Variations makes identifying and testing high-performing ad creative easier than ever. Surprisingly, not many advertisers seem to be leveraging it. Can you sense that? That, my friend, is opportunity knocking.