Preparing for the Future of AdWords

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Google’s AdWords platform is one of the largest advertising networks in the world, yielding about 97% of the company’s total revenues. Businesses of all sizes participate, with annual budgets that vary from $10,000 to tens of millions for the largest retail players. Any change in AdWords is bound to make a big impact on the online ecosystem.

Google has announced five huge shifts in AdWords that will go live over the next few months:

Local Search Ads Will Appear on Google Maps

In April, Google announced that Google Maps was being integrated into its search platform. That opens a huge opportunity for Google to monetize navigation, which it’s about to exploit. Local search ads will now appear on all iterations of Maps, including mobile and desktop versions of the site and the mobile app. Brand logos will appear directly on the map itself, and special offers will be prompted by the contents of the user’s search.

Text Ad Headlines Will Double in Size

The sudden disappearance of Google’s right-hand text ads was a bittersweet moment in an ad-saturated online world. To combat “ad blindness” across its network, Google will refresh text ads: Instead of a single, 25-character headline, advertisers will have access to two headlines, each up to 30 characters in length. Ad body text will also be slightly longer.

In-Store Conversion Figures Will Be Available

Over the last two years, Google has already been measuring in-store conversions – that is, the number of people who buy a product from a conventional storefront after clicking on an ad. This is expected to grow in importance as retailers use location tracking and “micro-deals” to improve foot traffic at brick and mortar locations. All in all, it creates the opportunity for a more cohesive customer experience both online and off.

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Responsive Display Ads Will Make Life Easier

Since Facebook introduced new mobile-focused ad types, including the dynamic canvas, multi-product carousel and others, advertisers have wondered how Google would respond. The answer is upon us with Responsive Display Ads. These ads will streamline the process of developing rich, visually-oriented advertisements: You supply the headline, URL, description, and image, and the system will automatically generate a beautiful responsive ad.

Better Device Bidding

Under the current system, mobile ad space bids are set as a multiplier based on the bid you set for desktop ads. Now, mobile, desktop, and tablet bids will be separate, giving you granular control over every ad type. You can set each bid independently or make them all interdependent – the only limits are your budget and the needs of your campaign.