Dynamic Search Ads Write the Headlines For You

Some of the hardest tasks in running your own Google Ads campaigns lie in the writing of copy and the managing of keyword lists. The headlines and descriptions that go into your ads are the one part of the advertisement creation process that reaches the viewer’s eyes, and that last mile can make or break your entire campaign. If your headlines aren’t top-notch or your keyword list is outdated, you could miss opportunities for conversions.

What if Google was able to write some of that copy for you? And what if it could remove the hassle of maintaining keyword lists? Well, if you have an established business with a (mostly) static website, it’s possible that Dynamic Search Ads can fulfill that dream.

Today we’ll talk about what Dynamic Seach Ads are, how they work, and how you can begin using them.

Part of Rebranding

This summer, the Atria blog covered the topic of Google’s rebranding effort to turn AdWords into Google Ads. Alongside the name change, Google has made an effort to change ad creation into a more automated process by releasing new campaign types and features.

One of the newest capabilities of the New Google Ads Experience is its reliance on machine learning. In short, Google has worked hard to make Google Ads capable of doing more tasks automatically, so you can spend more time developing quality products and less time worrying about advertising.

The Dynamic Search advertisement type is one of the many features to arise from the push for more machine learning. You can expect Dynamic Search Ads to use the content on your website as a basis for when your campaign’s ads are shown to customers, and you will see it generate headlines for those ads to better attract potential customers.

How Do Dynamic Search Ads Work?

Dynamic Search Ads use the content found in your website – including the text of blog posts, article headlines, and landing page descriptions – as a replacement for standard keyword lists. Instead of using a list of key terms applicable to your product or service, Google Ads just uses the text it finds in your website.

That content also acts as the basis for dynamic headlines that Google Ads will create every time it chooses to show an ad to a potential customer.

For example, consider a user who searches for the term “custom guitars.” Then consider that your website uses phrases such as “we make custom guitars” and “best custom guitars in Salt Lake City.” Your Dynamic campaign in Google Ads could match the content in your website with that search term, which is clearly applicable to your product.

Google Ads would decide to create an ad for that user. Then it would generate a headline that says something like “Your One-Stop Shop for Custom Guitars in Salt Lake City.” Finally, it would pair that single headline with descriptions you have already provided in your campaign and link to the most relevant page in your website that addresses the keyword(s) in question.

Requirements and Setup

There’s a little setup on your end that needs to take place before Dynamic Search Ads can work in your campaigns.

First, you need to ask yourself: Is my business a good fit for this type of campaign? You can feel confident in saying “Yes!” if you have a high-quality website that doesn’t change often – like you don’t offer daily deals for a variety of products.

Next, if you answered “Yes!” you should double-check that your website lives up to Google’s standards, works well on mobile devices, and is accessible to search engines by displaying text that isn’t only dynamically generated with online scripting like AJAX. For that last part, if your site works well with a screen reader or in a text-only browser like Lynx or Links, you’re good to go.

To create a Dynamic Search Ads campaign, follow these steps. In your Google Ads dashboard:

  1. Click the Campaigns tab
  2. Find the + Campaign drop-down menu, and click Search Network Only
  3. Fill in the fields regarding your domain and your language
  4. Tell Google to index your website, or provide it with a spreadsheet of URLs your campaign should target
  5. Then complete the remaining fields such as location option, bid strategy, and budget before clicking Save and Continue

For more details about how to create an initial campaign (or ad groups) and how to edit campaigns in bulk, read through the Google Support documentation that addresses Dynamic Search Ads.

Conclusion

Now you’re ready to go. The only thing that’s left is for you to write some ad descriptions and tell Google Ads to begin dynamically creating the various other elements of your campaign.

This manner of ad creation is a huge jump from the traditional keyword-focused campaigns of the past. For a while, you may want to run similar campaigns in tandem – one Dynamic and the other traditional – to see first-hand how the new style compares in performance to the old. It would give you a good frame of reference for how you want to conduct your future advertising. And always remember that we’re here to help at Atria with anything you may need along the way.