Google announced that starting February 18th, responsive search ads will be replacing expanded text ads (ETAs) as the new default ad type for Google search campaigns. This change will primarily affect ad creation in the Google Ads UI, as Google Ads Editor and the API will remain unchanged. Advertisers will still be able to create expanded text ads and no changes will be made to the serving behavior of ETAs.

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Impact for advertisers

‍There should be minimal to no impact to advertisers as a result of this change. While the update highlights the responsive search ad type, existing ad capabilities for either responsive search ads or expanded text ads will stay intact as a result of this announcement.

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‍What to do next‍

No immediate changes are required, but Kepler recommends brands test responsive search ads across their search campaigns to gain an understanding of how they fit within their larger paid search strategy. 

While expanded text ads will still continue to serve, this change is the latest marker of Google’s push towards more dynamic search creative. This update being made so closely after the removal of BMM keywords is a clear indicator that more announcements focused on leveraging Google’s automated search technology should be expected in the months to come.