It’s no secret that Google advertising moves at lightning speed, with a year feeling like a century of advancements. New innovations, experiments, and trends constantly emerge, revolutionizing how we connect with our audiences. This year was particularly monumental, marked by Google’s rebranding of AdWords to Google Ads, alongside a wave of groundbreaking changes to the platform and its ad formats.
As we approach 2019, let’s delve into the top 10 game-changing updates that reshaped Google Ads this year.
1. Video shopping ads
This fall, Google unveiled a captivating way for brands to elevate their shopping ad game. Instead of relying solely on static images, marketers can now leverage video ads that shine in the coveted top featured image spot. A simple click grants users access to the full video, offering advertisers a golden opportunity to showcase their products or services in a more immersive and persuasive manner.
2. TrueView For Reach
Back in April, YouTube rolled out a new option for advertisers looking to make the most of their skippable TrueView campaigns. Previously, advertisers operated on a cost-per-view (CPV) model, paying only when viewers watched 30 seconds or more of their TrueView ad. This new option empowers advertisers to pay on a CPM basis (cost per thousand views), making it a game-changer for those prioritizing brand awareness and reach over direct engagement metrics. Personally, I’m all for more six-second ads!
3. Smart Goals
This summer, Google harnessed the power of machine learning to introduce Smart Goals. This innovative feature empowers advertisers to pinpoint the website visits most likely to convert, allowing them to align campaign priorities accordingly. Smart Goals encompass key aspects like Location, Device and Browser, Pages Per Session, and Session Duration, making it particularly valuable for larger advertisers who haven’t implemented conversion tracking. This automation-driven approach brings a new level of intelligence to performance measurement. Simply put, it’s a smart move!
4. Ad Position Metrics Beyond “Average Position”
In the past, advertisers relied heavily on the “average position” metric to gauge their ad’s placement in search results. However, this metric often led to misconceptions, as a “1” average position didn’t necessarily equate to securing the top spot. Thankfully, as of November, Google is rolling out a suite of more precise metrics: Impressions (Absolute Top%), Impressions (Top%), Search (Absolute TOP%) Impression Share, and Search (Top%) Impression Share. To dive deeper into these insightful metrics, check out Google’s description of these metrics. After all, why settle for averages when you can have the complete picture?
5. Google Ads New Interface
In tandem with the rebranding from Google AdWords to Google Ads, Google launched a sleek and intuitive new interface for account management. This revamped interface boasts a range of enhancements, including the Audience Manager, expanded extension options, automated A-B testing for ad variations, robust reporting features, a completely redesigned dashboard, and so much more. This streamlined UI is all about simplifying campaign management, boosting efficiency, and empowering advertisers to achieve better results.
And might I add, it’s visually stunning!
6. Parallel Tracking
Google’s introduction of Parallel Tracking has ushered in a faster and more efficient era of click verification for paid ads. This innovative method expedites landing page loading times by directly routing customers from the ad to the final URL, all while verifying the click seamlessly in the background. By eliminating the intermediary step of redirecting users through tracking URLs, Parallel Tracking enhances the user experience, minimizes lost visits, and ultimately boosts ad performance. As a user, I’m always on board with a faster journey to the content I’m seeking!
7. Changes to Exact Match
September saw Google redefine Exact Match, expanding its scope to encompass a wider range of close variants. In the past, Exact Match strictly limited ad triggering to searches containing the exact terms specified in the keyword, including misspellings, alternative word orders, and variations in spacing. The updated Exact Match now allows advertisers to target users employing close variants that share the same meaning or intent as the original keyword. This includes implied words, paraphrases, and variations that convey a similar message.
8. Expanded Text Ads Update
August witnessed a significant shift in ad formatting with Google’s introduction of Expanded Text Ads. This update empowers advertisers to go beyond the traditional two headlines and one description, granting them an additional headline and description to showcase their offerings more comprehensively. This translates to an extra 30 characters for headlines and 90 characters for descriptions, providing ample space to capture attention, convey value propositions, and stand out from the competition. With Expanded Text Ads, advertisers gain valuable real estate to provide users with the information they need to make well-informed decisions. I’m always eager to learn more!
9. Promotion Extensions
This one’s a personal favorite of mine! Earlier this year, Google unveiled Promotion Extensions, providing advertisers with a powerful tool to highlight special offers and sales directly within their ads. This enhancement helps time-sensitive promotions stand out, allowing users to spot great deals before even clicking through to the website. Promotion Extensions can encompass a wide range of incentives, from coupon codes and percentage-based discounts to monetary savings and even the actual price of the product or service. As the holiday season approaches, this extension is a must-have for enticing consumers and driving conversions!
10. Responsive Search Ads
Remember Google’s new interface and its enhanced A-B testing capabilities? That brings us to Responsive Search Ads, a game-changing feature that made its debut this past summer. Leveraging the power of machine learning, Responsive Search Ads allow advertisers to test multiple headline and description combinations simultaneously. As the algorithm gathers data, it prioritizes the ad variations that resonate most effectively with the target audience. This dynamic approach allows marketers to employ up to 15 different headlines and four descriptions, eliminating the need to create and manage numerous individual ads. Responsive Search Ads are an absolute must-try for 2019!
This wave of changes presents a wealth of opportunities for advertisers to stay ahead of the curve and connect with their audiences in innovative ways. By embracing these new ad formats and features, businesses can outshine the competition and achieve remarkable results.