Google’s Expanded Text Ads Are Retired: How To Get The Most From Responsive Search Ads

If you still see references to Google’s expanded text ads (ETAs), here is what happened to them. Google retired the format in mid-2022. You can no longer create or edit expanded text ads. Existing ones may still show for a time, but responsive search ads (RSAs) are now the standard text ad in Google Ads. The good news is that many of the lessons from the expanded text ad era still apply. Here is how to get the most from the format that replaced them.

Responsive search ads replaced expanded text ads

Expanded text ads let you write two headlines and a description, and they were shown exactly as written. Responsive search ads work differently. You provide up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, and Google tests combinations to find the ones that perform best for each search. That gives you more room to speak to different searchers, and it lets you scale your testing across pay-per-click campaigns without writing dozens of separate ads.

Give Google a wide range of distinct headlines and descriptions

The most common RSA mistake is writing 15 variations of the same message. If every headline says the same thing, there is nothing to test. Write headlines that cover different angles: what you offer, who it is for, a proof point, a benefit, a call to action and your location if it matters. Keep descriptions equally varied. Include your main keywords in a few headlines so the ad stays relevant to the search.

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Put your most important message where it will always show

Google may show only some of your headlines in any given impression, and combinations change. If a legal disclaimer, a brand name or a key offer must always appear, you can pin a headline to a position. Use pinning sparingly, because every pin reduces how much Google can test. The same rule applied to expanded text ads: do not rely on the second headline for critical information.

Make sure every headline reads well with any other

Because Google mixes headlines, each one must make sense next to any other headline. Avoid headlines that repeat each other when shown together, and avoid ones that depend on a specific neighbor to make sense. Review the combinations in your ad preview and your asset reports to see which pairings are working.

Use assets to add detail beyond the ad itself

What used to be called ad extensions are now called assets. Sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, call assets and image assets make your ad larger and give searchers more reasons to click. Keep the text in your assets different from your headlines and descriptions, because repeating the same message wastes space. These assets are still among the easiest ways to improve click-through rate.

Write for every device

Ads now serve across phones, tablets and desktops without separate versions, and more than half of searches happen on mobile devices. Write in a way that works on small screens, put key information first and use call assets for businesses that depend on phone calls.

Check ad strength, but judge success by results

Google gives each RSA an ad strength rating, from poor to excellent. It is a useful guide to how complete and varied your assets are, but it is not a performance metric. An ad with a lower rating that brings more conversions at a better cost is the better ad. Measure your ads by conversions, cost per conversion and return on ad spend, and replace the lowest performers regularly.

Keep testing, and keep your offer fresh

Google’s systems optimize the combinations, but they cannot invent a better offer for you. Test new messages, new proof points and new calls to action, and retire assets that never get used. A strong, clear offer written for real searchers will always outperform clever phrasing.