Google Tests Yet Another Ad Format

We recently caught wind that Google were about to test a new Ad format whereby the domain relative to an ad appears in the headlines of PPC ads. Sure enough, yesterday it was officially announced that this was being rolled out.

In recent months Google have been testing various methods of increasing the width of their ads after extensive research revealed this led to higher click through rates.  These tests have included the concatenation of description lines one and two, or more recently that of the Headline and Description Line 1. This newest version of search ads will display the Headline text and Domain of your site at headline level, divided by a vertical bar. However, there are a few things to remember. If your Headline already contains your domain we are assured that the domain will not appear a second time. Also, this will not work if the total length of your Headline (including your domain) is above the 68 character limit (something to consider when designing headlines for brand related ads). Finally, if your ads are already heavy in brand related terms, this will free up space for more promotional ad text and stronger calls to action.

So, what does this mean for our ads? Well, this will mean that URL exposure is doubled, allowing for easier identification from the searcher as to which companies Ad they are clicking on. It seems that as a branding exercise this will favour better-known brands that have already built up trust levels, as their visual prominence further increases beyond those of their relatively unknown competitors.

Keep checking back in the coming weeks as we publish our findings on this and other new ad formats that we are currently in discussions with Google about.