One of the loudest complaints that have been circling around the SEO community ever since Google announced its responsive search ads has been the lack of reporting on the combinations that work best. Another reason for unrest has been how to tell whether there is enough variety in the options advertisers provide while remaining relevant to the ad group they have selected. Well, prayers have been heard, and Google announced a few updates on Monday that will help advertisers manage responsive ads more efficiently.
The Ad Strength Indicator
Google requires advertisers to have at least three ads in each of their ad groups, and responsive search ads are supposed to help professionals meet that goal. The idea here is that more ads will ideally drive more clicks and impressions on an ad group. Google is warning though, long gone are the days of testing “Shop now” versus “Buy now” — ads should be diverse. So, the new ad strength indicator measures the diversity, quantity, and relevance of the ad copy in responsive search ads. You can expect to see scales between “poor” to “excellent,” as well as suggestions, such as “add more headlines.”
Reporting on Responsive Search Ads
With the introduction of this reporting system, advertisers will now be able to not only preview some of their add combinations as they make responsive search ads, but they can also see important stats on headlines, descriptions, and top combinations. To find the reporting section in Google Ads, go to Ads & extensions, add a filter for Ad types (under Attributes), and select Responsive search ad. Simple as that!
Google recommends having at least three ads in an ad group, including a responsive search ad. Google suggests that responsive search ads should have at least 5 headlines!