New AdWords Features for PPC Advertising
Learn the latest strategies for how to win more conversions with Google Marketing Options
The primary goal of most paid search campaigns is to drive lead conversions and customers. Optimize your Google AdWords account with the newly added features made available recently to make this more often the case when advertising in Google paid search.
When most of your site visitors aren’t familiar with your brand or product, you’ve got a better chance to introduce yourself and to educate them about your solutions with paid advertising. When running a paid search campaign, potential customers that have never heard of your product may click your ad; then, when offered additional details through several of AdWord’s latest features, they may be sufficiently convinced and ready to buy. An AdWords remarketing campaign is the best way to offer follow-up conversations to individuals who have already visited your site from an ad.
First, a definition: “Ad text optimization (ATO) is the process of improving the performance of a text Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertisement on search engines by improving your Click Through Rate (CTR) performance both in terms of volume and quality of response, that is “more buyers, fewer browsers”. ATO is an element of Search engine optimization, where the subject is discussed in greater detail”, according to Wikipedia
Google Ads changed in 2022 by sunsetting of Expanded Text Ads. Expanded text ads (ETAs) are replaced with responsive search ads (RSAs) as the default ad type for Search campaigns. Additionally, one feature that is going away is that Google Ads will no longer generate similar audiences (also referred to as “similar segments”) for audience targeting and reporting. The date given by Google is Starting May 1, 2023. There are new ways to try to double your PPC conversion rates.
Revolutionizing Paid Search Intelligence with AI
Google has used automated AdWords processes since April 29, 2018. This relies on the use of artificial intelligence and modern technologies to provide Marketers with suggestions for optimizing PPC ad campaigns. It makes it easier to make your AdWords spend more profitable.
Effective management of your Google Merchant Center feed impacts both your organic and paid search efforts.
We all have assumptions about who our competitors are. But being sure is another matter. By including machine learning there can be fewer surprises when watching advertisers who are bidding on your same terms. Without machine learning, it’s unlikely or impossible for a human to best comprehend, analyze and quantify competitive factors in a blind billion-dollar auction. Now with Google Bard AI announced, we’ll be observing if and how generative AI may influence campaign optimization processes.
Suggestions in the new automated process will be generated based on former campaign activity, including ad headlines, descriptions, extensions, and similar relevant information found on the landing pages pointed to.
After receiving the suggestions, AdWords users need to review them within 14 days or they automatically take effect. You can edit, pause or remove the suggestions, or simply opt-out of the suggestions feature, according to Google. Google Shopping Ads and the company’s voice-activated Google Assistant are expected to add more features to compete with Amazon Alexa, and other competitors.
“This speaks to a bigger trend, with Google increasing its machine learning automation with ad copy generation and their own natural language processing to understand ad performance.” – Ashley Fletcher, Adthena VP of marketing
New fields for Responsive Search Ads and Multi-Asset Responsive Display Ads
The ClickType and CampaignSubType columns will now offer new values to incorporate changes in product names. The fundamental data remains the same; the rendered value is the only change. For example, the CampaignSubType of “Product Listing Ads” is updated to “Shopping ads”, and akin changes for ClickType are coming.
Google announced July 18, 2018 that it “will be rolling out support for scripts with multiple files. This lets you separate your utility logic from your business logic, organize your code however you see fit, and generally produce more maintainable scripts.”
New Ways to Fix AdSense Auto Ads
It is important to understand AdWords new features for display ads and how it relies on machine learning. At the moment, if you customize your report and select auto only, you can see what you gained from auto ads only. This will help you identify what needs fixing in your scenario so you can win more Google SERP clicks. You can also create URL groups to see performance reports by URL groups. Or use different dimensions.
Google’s Valuable Inventory Policy doesn’t depend on a 3 ad limit. It depends on the amount of content that your site has. It looks for appropriate pages to place ads. It can paste more ads on longer content. Which is one reason that we talk about adding long-form information-rich content to meet consumer intent at the beginning of a buyer’s journey. If your auto ads aren’t working well, go back and review your content.
11 New Features in AdWords Search Advertising in 2016
Google AdWords adds features To shopping Ads that you can leverage:
- 1. In-Store Visits Report
- 2. Better Support Via Analytics Smart Goals to Optimize AdWords
- 3. More Refinement to the AdWords Structured Snippets Ad Extension
- 4. AdWords Digital Marketing Support for Brick-And-Mortar Sales
- 5. iOS AdWords Mobile App Version 1.0.1
- 6. Custom Columns Support Better AdWords Reporting
- 7. AdWords Ups Efforts Against Ad Fraud Botnets
- 8. Image Search has Shopping Ads
- 9. Hotel & Travel Businesses Gain Search Smart Filter
- 10. Ability to Better Showcase Google Shopping Ads / Product Listing Ads
- 11. Predefined landing page reports
1. In-Store Visits Report
Google added the store visit report wish helps brick-and-mortar businesses, such as hotels, auto dealerships, family pubs, local service centers, and retail stores. The details in the reports are important to your business’s future as you can use conversion tracking to determine which ad clicks inspire store visits. This updated AdWords feature permits marketers and mobile advertisers to obtain a more detailed periscope of offline measurement and an approximate number of store visitors from paid search per individual keyword and ad group tiers.
The AdWords In-Store report is gathered from data on user interactions off of your local maps listings – provided that the stores are correctly connected to the advertisers. The goal is to get more prospective buyers to view your website online and/or walk into your storefront. Ad World Experience says, “A large portion of those users will actually visit the store within 3 days from the interaction”.
As marketers can glean more data keyword insightss that can use it to expand the reach of user engagement and further span existing gaps between brick and mortar businesses and digital channels. Individuals along the purchasing journey often prefer to ask questions and get answers through a conversational digital assistant. The growing ability to track paid search attribution means that marketers will be more successful in proving transparent value to digital AdWords campaigns. We are all keen to nail down more information about in-store purchases generated from digital clicks.
Benefits of Your In-Store Visits Report
• Gain insights as to the AdWords campaigns and devices that deliver a higher number of store visits to your business.
• When you have a more defined perspective on your return on investing in AdWords advertising, you can make better decisions about your ad copy, CPC adjustments, bid strategies, and other components of your winning campaigns.
• More ways to add new audiences to your network and then engage in relationship building.
Not all advertisers have access to this feature – yet- but it is coming and will offer daily, weekly, and monthly reports. These are rich with information AdWords Account Manager can use for granular bidding and campaign strategies. Two additional things to note:
1. Google indicates that the numbers will be more specific when store visits climb above 100.
2. Across all reports, small or large, Google’s “privacy techniques ensure that store visit data can’t be tied to individual people”.
2. Better Support Via Analytics Smart Goals to Optimize AdWords
The bottom line of most AdWords campaigns is successful lead conversions, whether it is a finalized sale, a solid lead, or a critical contact that you need. Understanding your conversions is essential since it empowers businesses to understand where quality traffic is generating and correspondingly optimize your campaigns. To gain stronger skills at measuring website conversions, some businesses prefer a professional at the helm of funnel conversion actions. If a lack of dedicated time or technical skills strains implementation, hire an AdWords Campaign Manager to maximize your opportunities.
The way that Google utilized Smart Goals is by applying machine learning from thousands of websites with Google Analytics code on them and which has permitted the sharing of conversion data. Out of this, dozens of needed aspects that link with high changes to convert are gleaned. This includes such things as, pages per session, location, length of time viewers remain on-site, devices, and browsers utilized. After Google tabulates this, Smart Goals will reflect your site visits and their model suggests what is most likely to lead to the conversions you want.
The advantages of using Google Analytics’ new Smart Goals are many. The dynamic or automated goals found here reflect visits that Google cogitates as most likely to convert.
3. More Refinement to the AdWords Structured Snippets Ad Extension
With little pomp, Google has added a few updates to AdWords Structured Snippets. With the new ability to refine the text viewers see due ad extensions, it is more like to benefit just about any type of business – including yours.
A key addition is the extra “Models” Header. This gives you the ability to automatically pull information about your business products and services and add that information in extra lines along with your ad. Earlier in 2015, Google launched dynamically structured snippets. When this ad extension is preset, it gives potential customers a better inclination of a web page’s content before clicking on your ad. Being able to add prominence to a list of fine dining favorites or top brand features, dynamically structured snippets make paid search ads more niche-specific with key information while reducing management time and simplifying AdWords campaign processes.
While some marketers are still testing results of dynamically structured snippets, others claim great success. Both camps have been requesting the ability to customize the end information that viewers see. In response, last Fall, Google announced “structured snippet extensions*,: advertiser-provided structured information that shows with your text ads”.
What’s new is greater control over text copy by selecting from a dozen “Header” choices.
Now Missing: Black Friday and Cyber Monday Snippets
AdWords originally announced new Structured Snippets in November of 2015 in preparation for Good Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. These extensions, Black Friday and Cyber Monday Structured Snippets, were unique because they were initiated 7 days before their respective date and discontinued at midnight on the specific date. Extensions are a powerful way to drive store traffic.
These unusual seasonal event Snippets may have been more of a “trial and error” innovation within the AdWords ecosystem; in the long run, it seems that Google favors building on the features that most marketers prefer using and that can apply to varied scenarios by a wide range of advertisers. Seasonal snippets are available only to qualifying businesses with promotional advertising and functional annually for only that one week. Audit and fix and product markup errors for optimal landing page scores.
4. AdWords Digital Marketing Support for Brick-And-Mortar Sales
By integrating online and offline data, digital marketing in AdWords now comprehensively supports brick-and-mortar purchases. Previously, this has been harder for digital marketers to measure. By leveraging data about viewers using mobile devices through the automation and integration of digital marketing platforms, marketers have more information about user engagement after the click to help reach digital shoppers.
“Google’s recent in-store beta program empowered marketers with more information into how online engagement fuels in-store conversions. New innovations within Google’s platform connect store visits at a keyword or ad group level to reveal the best use of content and targeting those drive users to convert,” according to Thomas Stern of www.zogdigital.com.
Google’s data ties granular details of web content and keywords to offline user activities to improve lead conversions and better identify the larger scope of digital marketing. This transparency enlarges the affiliation between content clicks and in-store sales funnel through enhanced data reliability and consumer insights.
By integrating your paid search ads with store visit data, trade marketers can view a tally of four times as many conversions, and 10 times more on mobile devices, according to Sterm.
5. iOS AdWords Mobile App Version 1.0.1
This new Google AdWords feature gives on-the-go digital marketers the ease of connecting with ad campaigns they run by using the iPhone. A quick view of ad performance from anywhere fills in handily with away from companion desktop accounts. The ability to travel and stay in touch with any AdWords campaigns to keep them running efficiently is a plus.
This new AdWords app for mobile gives digital advertisers the ability to use several management tools that target mobile audiences:
• AdWords managers can now access account performance metrics such as click-through rate (CTR) and cost per click (CPC) from their mobile app.
Improved ability to evaluate budgets and bids as well as being able to update bid amounts and spend thresholds right on a smartphone.
• No latency in account details and new status notifications
• The ability to respond to performance suggestions found in the AdWords dashboard and integrate certain recommended activities quickly into the campaign. When changes while you are on the go demand it, this is nifty as it includes increasing budgets per the recommended spend offered by Google.
• Connect directly with a Google expert from the app – and their help is gold
Google says, “The Google AdWords app helps you stay connected with your ad campaigns from anywhere, using your iPhone. You can easily view your ads’ performance on the go with this simplified companion to your desktop account. So you can keep your campaigns running smoothly—no matter where your business takes you.”
What is interesting is that today we have the results from a new study by Searchmetrics on App Indexing which indicates that a low number of businesses actually deploy App Indexing in their apps.
The study reveals that even though 84 percent of the top 100 domains offer an Android app, and 88 percent of those websites have an iOS app, still a mere 30 percent of those Android apps deploy App Indexing and 19 percent of those iOS apps deploy App Indexing. This reveals an opportunity that many haven’t thought of yet – leveraging Google AdWords Mobile Advertising.
6. Custom Columns Support Better AdWords Reporting
AdWords is rich with different columns of data that marketers can choose to display when seeking to optimize Ad campaigns. When too many are added and visible at once, it may seem more confusing. To view a specific portion of your AdWords data, like drilling down to just your “desktop CTR” or “mobile CTR”, this new feature announced January 26, 2016, will help. The real wins for me come from gaining more granular data that can lead to key intuitions on what is converting. When the data is narrowed down to just the columns of information needed for close study, secrets may suddenly present themselves as what is less significant is out of the way.
Google’s Shopping Graph, a comprehensive, real-time dataset of products, inventory, and retailers with more than 24 billion listings will leverage Google Lens to make it easy to shop by scanning an image.
Carefully crafting your overall AdWords Campaign messaging using all the features available takes skills that evolve as opportunities come up. Weigh this fact for a moment: There are seven manual ad extensions for PPC marketers to choose from, including the latest with structured snippets mentioned above. That adds up to a ton of ways to combine and highlight key components of your business, including new products, services, evergreen benefits, and differentiators of your company. Your business bottom lines deserve a consultant that utilized the latest features available in AdWords – that YOU benefit from.
7. AdWords Ups Efforts Against Ad Fraud Botnets
Google is putting more emphasis on existing botnet defenses that impact AdWords performance by automating the filtering of traffic from three widely recognized ad fraud botnets. This should offer protection from changes to the malware that generates such botnet traffic. This new AdWords feature boosts battlements against unsound traffic generated by some ghastly ad fraud malware. Google referenced Bedep and two other malware groups: Beetal and Changthangi.
FYI – Google Update: GTIN requirements Expanding May 2016
Google now disapproves listed products that don’t meet the GTIN requirements at that time. “If you sell brand-name products that are sold by multiple merchants, you should take a close look at the new requirements and double-check that your product data is correct and up-to-date,” was stated.
This is what it means: for advertisers that are promoting products that use GTINs, it is important to update feeds if you want them included. GTINs will be necessary when targeting ads in the following countries: Australia, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, or the US. After February 8, 2016, those impacted by this chance may see item-level warnings in the Diagnostics tab for products that don’t meet this upcoming requirement.
8. Image Search has Shopping Ads
On September, 2021 Google announced new ways to be there and be useful for mobile shoppers.
At Google’s Search On event, they reported that “people are shopping across Google more than a billion times a day…we’re adding new tools to make it easier for shoppers to browse for inspiration, find new products and brands and ultimately find what they’re looking for in a more visual way.” It now integrated better with Shopify and other platforms to make using Google easier for more Retailers.
As a result of Google’s diligent research and reporting, we learn that the mobile share of online retail purchases continues to grow. In 2016, 34% of online US retail purchases were made from mobile devices. Beyond the purchase is the expansion of ‘I-need-some-ideas,’ search queries as well as ‘which-one’s-best?’ and ‘I-want-to-buy-it’ micro-moments that take place with Google Search prior to buying. Mobile buyer’s use of Google search has jumped by 30% in the last year.
As more Internet users search by image, Google image search has stretched the ability for AdWords advertisers to gain shopping ads right within image searches. For the pool of users search looking for images on their desires topic, paid ads may now be displayed. As well, Google AdWords is testing card-based site links in the new search results layout.
9. Hotel & Travel Businesses Gain Search Smart Filter
Google announced its new “Hotel Smart Filters” feature for AdWords marketing which offers marketers the option to filter hotel search results based on user rating or price points. Digital shoppers can now be more specific when searching for items like for “family-friendly hotels in Minneapolis under $250” or other specific queries like a “hotels with waterside in Plymouth MN” and Google match search queries based on those amenities. This feature is currently available in the US only but is slated to be global later this year.
Google also launched hotel deal labels in Google search results. Internet users are looking for quick answers that require minimal searching. Hotel tips offer prospective buyers advice that if they modify their dates by a bit, opening up the opportunity for higher savings. This gives travelers the ability to subscribe to flight prices so that the need to check for possible price drops is reduced as the user can rely on Google alerts instead. Travels frequently access the internet from mobile devices which means this feature is helpful for mobile-first paid advertising.
10. Ability to Better Showcase Google Shopping Ads / Product Listing Ads
Showcasing Google Shopping ads has advanced to offering an improved carousel experience when searching for specific items. This AdWords feature is currently available for Shopping Campaigns in the US, UK, and soon in Australia, where it is possible to have products for sale automatically appear in Showcase ads that are more visible in SERPs. This helps marketers leverage Google Ads more easily to mobile shoppers.
As the owner of YouTube, Google now permits added shopping features that include an accompanying banner and a product picker for easy and quick selections. This means that digital shoppers in additional countries can view the price in their currency, regardless of whether or not if the seller offers it in a different currency format.
11. Predefined Landing Page Reports
This feature was announced October 16, 2018. Now paid search marketers will have two new predefined reports that will be available in the Report Editor:
- landing pages report
- expanded landing pages report
The reports have previously existed in the “Landing pages” page. However, soon you’ll be able to easily manipulate and chart them in the Report Editor, as well as add them to your custom dashboards.
Refresher on AdWords and Gmail Ads
In September of 2016, Google made it feasible for all advertisers to benefit from native Gmail ads directly from AdWords. These advertising ads are intended to be part of the Google Display Network and feature a compelling list of rich and niche-specific ads that allow businesses to showcase the right products and tailored details to connections you already have in your Gmail account. Re-marketing is a very powerful feature of PPC advertising; ask about how your Gmail contacts can boost your AdWords spend.
This form of Ad can feature a single graphic, an image combined with a promotion, or multiple products all at the same time. We can help you prepare enticing content so the user knows you and your product well enough to click on your call-to-action button. It is possible to create your own unique ad. Gmail ads primarily use the same targeting choices as other display network ads. This helps you can target users and watch costs by sending relevant messages based on long-tail keywords, audience segments, demographics, or topics.
AVAILABLE TO HELP YOU REACH YOUR BUSINESS GOALS THROUGH PPC ADVERTISING:
Hill Web Marketing starts new projects off strong with keen “listening” to understand your unique business goals, history, competition, and passion. Benefit by requesting your own customized marketing solution for your content marketing plan, such as:
8 Customized AdWords Marketing Solutions
1. Identifying business goals in Google Analytics.
2. Fine-tuning marketing efforts to increase and manage leads for customer acquisitions
3. Brand AdWords Campaigns to expand your digital footprint.
4. Combining on-going SEO with paid search for more conversions and lower costs.
5. Current AdWords campaign audits combined with SEO landing page audits.
6. Content and keyword optimization to build a more user-friendly site.
7. SEO structured data markup analysis and AdWords structured snippets advise on how you can increase visibility.
8. Attract ideal site visitors, focus on your most wanted online sales, make your phones ring or grow your re-marketing lists.
“Google is looking for ads that match closely to searchers’ intent — when there’s a match, the searcher is more likely to click, and that’s good for you, the user, and Google.” – Wordstream
“Clicks and impressions, despite a sexier image and a decade of media adoration, aren’t as highly valued by many businesses as a ringing phone.” Analyst firm BIA/Kelse**
“In 2016, we’re planning updates like further restricting what can be advertised as effective for weight loss, and adding new protections against malware and bots. We want to make sure all the ads you see are helpful and welcome and we’ll keep fighting to make that a reality.” – AdWords Blogspot
Our goal with every AdWords account is to strategize and implement digital marketing campaigns with dedicated intent to generate better ROI for clients. Staying proactive in current best practices and the latest opportunities for results-oriented and technically sound AdWords campaign management is our passion and your progress. We love putting energy and time into getting the job done right.
We anticipate more high-value improvements to Google AdWords marketing in 2019 and beyond that your business can benefit from. A few are: advances in custom ad targeting and cost-per-click strategies around your social media marketing, mobile ads, and for Google Maps integration.
To learn how we can help you balance earned and paid marketing budgets and bring greater success to your business, contact us today for a free initial consultation PPC services start at $5,000 (offer good through July 31, 2024)
We trust that you already know that fantastic results require building and managing effective PPC advertising campaigns over time and with consistency. However, if you aren’t obtaining the mobile search results you need for your business to move forward, you may discontinue at any time with a 14-day written notice only.
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Your AdWords Campaign Management
* adwords.googleblog.com/2015/08/highlight-specific-aspect-of-your.html
** adwords.googleblog.com/2015/08/highlight-specific-aspect-of-your.html
*** biakelsey.com/
**** https://ads-developers.googleblog.com/2018/07/new-features-in-adwords-scripts.html
***** https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9163000