Google likes to mix things up a bit. You just get used to one change when you are faced with a host of new changes. In this blog I have explained the last 3 major changes that Google have made, how it will affect your campaigns and what you can do to ensure that you campaigns continue to run smoothly.
Bye Bye Exact Match Keywords
Gone are the days, annoyingly, that you could add an exact match keyword into your campaign and trust that your ads will only appear when the user types exactly those words into Google.
It used to be the case that if a user typed in “Google Ads Agency”, they would expect to see the ads of campaigns that had entered these exact words as keywords. Now Google include user intent in the search results. If Google believes that the user is looking for a Google Ads Agency and that was their intent, then your ad will appear. These are called “close variants”.
Google defines them as:
Close variants allow keywords to match to searches that are similar, but not identical to the targeted keyword, and help you connect with people who are looking for your business—despite slight variations in the way they search—reducing the need to build out exhaustive keyword lists to reach these customers.
Satsuma Digital Recommendation: check your search term reports regularly so that you can identify any irrelevant searches and add them to your negative keyword list.
Modified Broad Match
In 2021, Google got rid of Modified Broad Match keywords. These used to be added with plus signs on either side meaning that your ad would show if all the words within the plus signs were entered and in any order.
Google now recommend that advertisers put their trust in Broad Match keywords.
According to Google:
“Broad Match keywords serve ads when someone searches for relevant variations of your keyword delivers reach in finding new queries, while saving time on management & allowing you to focus on business outcomes.”
Satsuma Digital Recommendation: If you are starting a new campaign, just use Exact Match and Phrase Match keywords. Broad Match keywords will cast the net to wide and will result in wasted budget. Keep an eye on the search terms on a regular basis and keep adding to your negative keyword report.
Expanded Text Ads Will Be No More
In June this year, there will no option to create Expanded Text Ads. The only option available will be Responsive Search Ads in a standard search campaign.
There has been a mixed reactions to this major change. A lot of advertisers are concerned by the lack of control that they will have over their brand message. Although Google is not taking control of the copy, just the order of the copy.
Satsuma Digital Recommendation: One option to overcome this is to pin them. Just make exactly 3 headlines and 2 descriptions in the RSA and pin all of them. But don’t over pin as this could affect your ad strength – so use it sparingly.
I hope this blog has clearly explained to you the major changes that have happened and are happening in 2022 with Google Ads. I will keep the updates coming as soon as they are released by Google and explain how they will affect your campaigns and what you can do to ensure that you campaigns continue to run smoothly.
Signing off for now.
If you would like to have a chat with me about running Google or Facebook ads for your business, book a meeting in my diary or email me at hello@Satsuma-Digital.com