When Google got rid of Expanded Text Ads back in June in favor of Responsive Search Ads (RSAs), hearts shattered across the digital advertising world.
Why? Well, RSAs have problems: namely that they automatically rotate and test headlines and descriptions for us.
Fortunately, there are still a couple of ways you can test RSAs against each other. Our jobs haven’t been taken over—at least, not yet.
Here’s how you can manually test RSAs:
- Play with pinning. Although it’s always a good idea to pin a relevant headline at position 1, you can also pin multiple headlines in the same position. Use this to test different discount angles. For example: percent off vs. dollar amount off.
- Test different messages that are still related to the ad group. Test a new angle. This could be an indicator of how you can position yourself in the market. For example: create one ad highlighting the natural ingredients used in your product, and another centered around how clean your packaging is.
Great! Now what? It’s time to determine your winning ad!
In the “asset” report, check how many impressions a certain headline (or combination of headlines) had.
Should I keep testing? Not necessarily.
It’s always a good idea to think of new angles to test your ad copy, but don’t rush a test that has no true value intent behind it.
RSAs test themselves inherently, anyway. Let your winning ad run solo for a while!
Alex Lim
Alex Lim is a certified book reviewer and editor with over 10 years of experience in the publishing industry. He has reviewed hundreds of books for reputable magazines and websites, such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and Goodreads. Alex has a master’s degree in comparative literature from Harvard University and a PhD in literary criticism from Oxford University. He is also the author of several acclaimed books on literary theory and analysis, such as The Art of Reading and How to Write a Book Review. Alex lives in London, England with his wife and two children. You can contact him at [email protected] or follow him on Website | Twitter | Facebook
