Goodbye ETAs, Say Hello to RSAs

The Move to Responsive Search Ads, and What It Means

Starting June 30, 2022, Google Ads is removing the option for advertisers to create new, or edit existing, expanded text ads (ETAs). While any ETAs created before 6/30 will continue to appear in the search results, it’s time to shift our focus to responsive search ads (RSAs). 

What are some key differences? You won’t find any discernible changes in the SERP (search engine results page). Rather, these changes are seen in the platform. ETAs can have up to three unique headlines and two descriptions, whereas a single RSA can have up to 15 headlines and four descriptions. The assets of an ETA remain anchored in place. But with RSAs, Google automatically tests various combinations of headlines and descriptions, using machine learning to determine which versions perform best.

You may be thinking, sounds great – but are there any downsides? While advertisers do have the ability to pin where certain assets appear, there is ultimately less control over how RSAs look in any given auction. There’s no way to know exactly which combination Google will serve. 

Additionally, RSAs can take longer to initially write as compared to ETAs, as the SEM specialist is crafting more headlines and descriptions. However, this also means they have a higher degree of relevance and variability, with less risk of the messaging becoming stale. Not only is the ad copy more likely to better match an individual user’s search, but RSAs also allow for greater opportunity to compete in more auctions by matching a broader range of queries. As a result, RSAs attract more clicks and conversions relative to traditional ETAs. 

Stay tuned as we move forward with this update and continue to monitor the results. At Brkthru, we know the pace of industry changes move fast, but we move faster. We’re on it. 24/7.