The significance of Ad Strength as a metric tends to fluctuate. Lately, there’s been a surge in discussions about it, triggered by a recent press release from Google highlighting new platform features. These updates mainly focus on enhancing Performance Max capabilities through AI-driven text and imagery.

This seems like an opportune time to delve into Google Ad Strength. We’ll explore its significance and how to improve it, if necessary.

Contents

• What is Ad Strength?
• How does Ad Strength impact Google Ads?
• Recent updates that impact Ad Strength
• Should you pay attention to Ad Strength?
• How can you improve Ad Strength?

What is Ad Strength?

Before assessing its importance, let’s define Ad Strength. In essence, it leverages Google’s data to guide advertisers in crafting effective ads. However, it serves as an indicator rather than a definitive ranking factor.

Think of it like Quality Score or Optimization Score. These metrics guide advertisers in building robust keyword lists and ad accounts but don’t dictate performance. Concerned about ineffective Google Ads spending? Get a free, immediate analysis » Google Ads Performance Grader

How does Ad Strength impact Google Ads?

Does an insufficient quantity or variety of assets hinder ad performance? Examining the definition of Ad Strength…

…suggests a potential negative impact, particularly the last two sentences emphasizing performance maximization and ad effectiveness.

However, many advertisers report contrasting experiences, with poorly rated ads outperforming those with excellent or good ratings. You might also observe lower impressions for ads with poor or average Ad Strength compared to those rated good or excellent.

Does low Ad Strength equate to limited ad impressions? In short, no, for both scenarios:

1. Ad Strength doesn’t dictate your Google Ads performance.
2. Low Ad Strength won’t prevent your ads from appearing on Google.

However, both are possibilities WITH low Ad Strength. It could result in diminished performance and fewer auction wins.

Google emphasizes that Ad Strength merely indicates how well your ad aligns with its internal best practices.

Responding to previous articles, Ginny Marvin, Google’s Ad Liaison, stated:

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Recent updates that impact Ad Strength

As mentioned, recent Google Ads updates have brought Ad Strength into focus. For more details, read the article here. We’ve also analyzed how these changes align with Google’s Performance Max update priorities.

This paragraph, however, sparked attention and ignited the Ad Strength debate:

Google emphasizes that asset quantity and variety will now significantly influence Ad Strength scores for creatives. Essentially, “we’re facilitating the use of diverse assets, so we’ll hold you to those standards.” Most advertisers don’t oppose this aspect, but rather the overall impact of Ad Strength.

Should you pay attention to Ad Strength?

(This section reflects my personal experience and insights from others. Feel free to share differing viewpoints or adjustments based on your experiences. Diverse perspectives are valuable.)

With the recent industry discourse in mind, let’s focus on the practical aspect: Should you prioritize Ad Strength? If so, how?

My view: it’s situational.

As a marketer, your priority should be crafting ads that resonate with your clients and their customers. By doing so effectively, you’ll likely meet most high Ad Strength benchmarks by default, across all ad formats. Interested in learning more about Google search engine marketing? Download the free guide » PPC 101: Complete Guide to Google Ads

How can you improve Ad Strength?

Here are some general ad best practices:

1. Craft compelling messaging that showcases the business’s strengths.
2. Address the customer’s query or connect ads to their viewed content (if possible), incorporating relevant keywords or targeting elements.
3. Experiment with different messaging variations to identify what works best.
4. Utilize all available features: images, videos, logos, locations, ad assets, etc.

While these have long been considered ad copywriting best practices, their connection to Ad Strength might not be immediately apparent. Whether it’s the Ad Strength indicators for Responsive Search Ads:

Or the achievable ratings with Performance Max:

These practices significantly contribute to a good score. Your task is to monitor ad performance and make adjustments accordingly.

Good performance and satisfactory results might render Ad Strength irrelevant. However, if results are lacking, consult the Ad Strength Improvements column for Google’s guidance.

Take it further: edit the ad and review Google’s suggestions for improvement. In the blurred example below, Google recommends new headlines for optimization. These suggestions might work or not, but they offer fresh perspectives.

Performance Max now allows effortless creation of diverse assets directly within the editor. There’s little reason not to leverage this to boost your score.

Don’t let Ad Strength become your campaign’s downfall

Remember, don’t solely optimize for Ad Strength because Google promotes it. It’s not your KPI. Focus on your business KPIs and utilize Ad Strength strategically for potential improvements. Need assistance with your Google Ads campaigns? We can help.