After running responsive search ads in open beta for several months, advertisers in all available markets can now set up responsive search ads in their Microsoft Advertising accounts.
Recommendations for RSAs. Responsive search ads (RSAs) are available via the web UI, Editor and Microsoft Advertising API, the company announced Monday. You can also import RSAs you’ve set up in Google Ads. Here’s a look at the RSA editing pane in Microsoft Advertising Editor with fields to enter multiple headlines and descriptions. The system then automatically serves headline/description combinations predicted to improve click-through rates. You have the option to pin headlines and descriptions if you have to ensure specific content always shows. If not, leave those empty and let the algorithms run.
Testing combinations. The more assets you enter, the more combination possibilities you offer the algorithms. Microsoft suggests creating a combination of eight to ten short and long headlines to account for device context with two to three of the headlines closely relating to your ad group’s keywords and one using the brand name. The company also suggests using one dynamic keyword insertion.
Be sure your titles and descriptions aren’t repetitive. You’ll want to make sure they read well and offer features and benefits and calls to action in any combination.
Five ads max per ad group. Microsoft also recommends running no more than five ads per ad group with two to three expanded text ads (ETAs) and at least one RSA. (Standard text ads will stop serving at the end of March.)
Why we care. Responsive search ads have been in the wild for more than a year and a half now. It’s clearly where ads are moving, but while adoption has increased, enthusiasm has been somewhat tempered because they are a radical departure from ETAs in terms of control and analysis. When analyzing performance, Microsoft recommends looking at overall ad group metrics to understand the impact of RSAs when you have 5,000 impressions (or a minimum of 1,000 if necessary). One challenge is being able to evaluate assets and combinations at scale. You can see impressions per asset in the “View asset details” link under each RSA in the web UI. “Assets with the lowest impressions should be updated for potential improvements in performance,” Microsoft suggests.
About The Author
Ginny Marvin is Third Door Media’s Editor-in-Chief, running the day to day editorial operations across all publications and overseeing paid media coverage. Ginny Marvin writes about paid digital advertising and analytics news and trends for Search Engine Land, Marketing Land and MarTech Today. With more than 15 years of marketing experience, Ginny has held both in-house and agency management positions. She can be found on Twitter as @ginnymarvin.