Bitesize hubbub: IF Functions, Bing, Adwords, Ad Extensions & More
Welcome to this week’s ‘Bitesize hubbub’; small chunks of the latest Paid Search & SEM News, with a few top tips and takeaway insight. Bon appetite!
The hubbub this week:
- Google Adwords IF Functions For Ad Customisation
- Bing Ads Rolling Out Audience List Exclusions
- Adwords Interface Rolling Out To More Advertisers
- Adwords Converted Clicks to Sunset in March
- Google Showing Multiple Ad Extensions on Mobile Carousel
Scroll down to find all the bitesize hubbub you need!
1. Google Adwords IF Functions For Ad Customisation
IF Functions are now available for advertisers to help customise their ads based on device and retargeting lists.
According to Google…
IF functions allow you to insert a specific message in your text ad when a condition has been met, and a default text when it has not. This makes your ads tailored to each search and more relevant to potential customers.
Unlike ad customisers, IF functions do not use a feed.
What does this mean?
It allows you to do 2 things without the need to duplicate ad groups or campaigns;
- Tailor Ad Copy towards a specific Device
- Tailor Ad Copy towards a specific Audience
It’s Ad Customisers on steroids!
Easier than ever to drive relevancy
No excuses in creating hyper-relevant ad copy for users.
Understanding the moment to which the user is in is crucial to seeing an improved performance; are they on Mobile, a returning customer, a basket abandoner? Adwords IF Functions now remove the labour intensive workload in creating specific messaging for all of these users.
Strengthen your Expanded Text Ads
Not only do you have more character limit with Expanded Text Ads, but your ETA’s now allow you to have more room than ever to drive more relevant ad copy.
On top of this, you now have Adwords IF Functions to help you get the most out of this new character limit.
Top Tip – Test, Test, Test
Let the data make the decisions for you.
Test, Test again, and Test some more. We’ve provided you a guide to use here. You’re welcome.
2. Bing Ads Rolling Out Audience List Exclusions
Bing Audience exclusions are now available in all markets. Finally!
As you know, Bing Ads let’s you create Audience Lists by using it’s Universal Event Tag. This allows us to retarget visitors who have previously visited your site. Bing Ads now let’s us exclude audiences too.
Credit: Search Engine Land
What does this mean?
Focus on the users that matter most
It gives you even more control over who to target via your Paid Search activity. For example, if you only wanted to target ‘New Customers’, then you can now Exclude previous visitors who have purchased. This then allows you to drive better results via your remarketing strategy.
The limits are pretty much endless!
Bing provide you with a great step-by-step guide here.
3. Adwords Interface Continues To Roll Out
More and more users are now starting to see the new Adwords interface as it continues it’s slow roll out across the globe.
It was March 2016 that Google first announced that they would be looking to revamp the (let’s be honest) outdated Adwords interface. Naturally, this brought with it a mixture of delight and panic from it’s users.
This week, it’s been reported that Google have started to invite more users to test out it’s new interface. Here is the email that those lucky chosen few have received…
Credit: Search Engine Roundtable
What does this mean?
We broke this down for you in March. You can find it here. We won’t be offended if you haven’t already read it 🙂
Above, Google have also provided you with an early look & top tips of what to expect to see in the new interface. Enjoy!
4. Adwords ‘Converted Clicks’ to sunset in March
Yep, that’s right. Google has finally decided to sunset the ‘Converted Clicks’ column in Google Adwords from March onwards.
In 2016 they announced that they would be depreciating ‘Converted Clicks’ for ‘Conversions’ in Adwords, and from September 2016 onwards we haven’t been able to use the metric in bid strategies.
What does this mean?
It affects your reporting
It means that ‘Converted Clicks’ will no longer appear in Adwords reporting. This column will be merged into ‘Conversions’ which allows you to report on much more than before.
For example, ‘Converted Clicks’ don’t take into account ‘Shop Visits’ or ‘Cross-Device’ conversions; and in a world where attribution modelling should be a key part of your strategy, using ‘Converted Clicks’ alone is becoming less relevant.
You may need to audit your bid strategies
Are you currently using automated bid strategies in Google Adwords such as ‘Enhanced CPC’ or ‘Target CPA’? If so, you should hopefully know that since September 2016 Google has been using the ‘Conversions’ column instead of the ‘Converted Clicks’ column.
It might be worth looking back at your data since that point to see if there has been any significant changes to performance.
If you haven’t tested them yet, now might be the time to start looking into utilising the automated technology to help enhance your overall conversions.
Let’s face it, it makes Google look better if we are factoring in more than just an ad click conversion
You could look at this two ways;
- Google is giving us the ability to report on all of the conversions that your traffic ultimately delivers. You could argue that this is more “accurate”.
- The numbers under ‘Conversions’ look better as you will no longer simply be reporting on a single ad click conversion; there are lots more conversions taken into account. So it could mean that you invest more into Google; making them more money in the process.
Top Tip – Segment your conversions
Try segmenting your data by ‘Conversion Name’ to get an accurate representation of where your ‘Conversions’ are coming from.
Still worried about what this means for you?
Don’t panic, Google has provided you with a handy guide to use here.
5. Google Showing Multiple Extensions on Mobile Carousel
Google has been seen testing multiple ad extensions across Mobile in a carousel format.
Credit: Search Engine Land
Personally, we think it looks awesome! The carousel ad format seems to be working pretty well for Google and it’s advertisers, and it’s now even being tested on Desktop with Price Extensions and is currently in use with Google Shopping Ads on Desktop too.
What does this mean?
Top Tip – Get your Ad Extensions into shape
You should be utilising all of the ad extensions that you can across your Paid Search activity. Not only does it allow you to take up more space in the Google search results page, but it can also help you to drive the same (if not more) traffic at a lower cost.
Ensure that you have the following across all of your campaigns at the very minimum:
Core Extensions;
- 4 or more Sitelinks
- Callout Extensions
- Structured Snippets
- Review Extension
At least 1 or more of the following;
- Call Extensions
- Message Extensions
- Location Extensions
- Visual Sitelinks
- App Extension
On top of this, opt-in for Automated Extensions;
- Seller Ratings
- Previous Visit Extensions
- Consumer Rating Extensions
Want to find our more?
Google breaks down it’s Best Practice here for you.
- Year in Search 2020 by Google - December 21, 2020
- The Ash Taba Show | Dan Roberts speaks about culture, automation, search and more - May 29, 2020
- We’re back! Sorry we haven’t posted in a while… - April 18, 2020