Since their introduction in early 2018, Responsive Search Ads have received a mixed reception.

Being the new kid on the ad format block, many advertisers were wary of incorporating RSA into their ad groups.

However, heading into 2020, it is clear that Responsive Search Ads are not going anywhere; and if anything, they’re taking over.

So here’s why you need to be using RSA in 2020, along with some considerations for attaining the best performance with this ad format.

Click-Through-Rates Are Generally Higher with Responsive Search Ads

Google has stated that Responsive Search Ads on average have a 5 to 15% proportionally better click-through-rate (CTR) when compared to their Expanded Text Ad counterpart.

Initially when RSA were used, many advertisers complained that they were seeing a lower CTR with RSA versus ETA.

However as time has gone on, the algorithm being used for the RSA seems to have improved drastically, and CTR’s seem to have improved dramatically for RSA.

You Can Test A Lot More!

With Responsive Search Ads, you can test up to 15 different headlines and up to four different descriptions within a single ad.

These headlines and descriptions will be combined to form a multitude of unique variants which would have otherwise required dozens and dozens of Expanded Text Ads in order to test.

This underpins the power of Responsive Search Ads, and why they’re an improvement on Expanded Text Ads.

Responsive Search Ads May Replace Expanded Text Ads

Google often phase out the old features of their platform, such as the old Standard Text Ads that were phased out by Expanded Text Ads.

It’s not inconceivable, and is actually quite probable, that ETA’s will be phased out by RSA’s.

For this reason it is essential to begin testing RSA’s now, and ensuring that all of your ad groups are utilising RSA’s, in anticipation for the moment when they are removed from the platform.

You Cannot Review All of The Performance Data for Your Responsive Search Ads

One downside of using Responsive Search Ads at the moment, is that we don’t have access to all of the performance data for each of the different combinations of headlines and descriptions being used.

Without this data we cannot ascertain which variants of each ad are helping us to generate more clicks and conversions.

Google is keeping this valuable data hidden, almost like a secret recipe.

RSA Do Not Always Perform Better Than ETA

Responsive Search Ads will not always perform better than Expanded Text Ads.

Testing both ad types is essential to discover which format will deliver the highest click-through-rate, and the highest conversion-per-impression within each of your ad groups.

Tips for Testing Responsive Search Ads and Expanded Text Ads

• When Testing RSA and ETA:
  Ensure that there are no duplicate headlines or descriptions within your RSA ad copy.
• Pin headlines to the headline 1, and description line 1. This helps to ensure that your ad will make sense.
• Use one RSA per ad group.
• Use three ETA per ad group.

Free Responsive Search Ads builder

Gain access to our free Responsive Search Ads builder, which will allow you to quickly and easily create new ads to be imported into your Google Ads campaigns.

>>>> Click Here to Access The Free Google Sheet Template <<<<

Need Help With Your Google Ads Account?

If you need help with setting up and getting the best performance from your Responsive Search Ads, and would like an expert to review your account, then feel free to get in contact with us and we’ll have one of our specialists get in contact with you.