Google has announced a radical shift in its focus from traditional Expanded Text Ads (ETAs) to Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) as the main text format with effect from July 2022. Although marketers and companies offering PPC services have long been using A/B testing to improve the outcomes of their ads, this change in the ad format calls for revisiting the approach to A/B testing, as the age-old methodology of adding multiple ads to an ag group may not produce the desirable results. Read on as we discuss the new way to go about A/B testing for Responsive Search Ads, starting with some basics.
Why Do A/B Testing for RSAs
Pretty much every PPC agency leverages A/B testing by adding multiple ads to an ad group, thereby giving Google the ability to pick the better-performing ones more often. Here, it is worth mentioning that the primary criterion for Google, based on which it picks these ads, is the Click Through Rate (CTR). That is the reason why the default setting for ad rotation is optimization. While it may work fine for marketers focused on CTR, the ones focused on conversions usually take the route of rotating the ads indefinitely.
Why the Traditional Approach Don’t Work on RSAs
The advertisers and agencies offering PPC services that focus solely on conversion rate tend to overlook the possibility that their ads with the highest conversion rate may not be able to drive the maximum conversions if it has a low click through rate. That is the reason why it is advisable for advertisers to focus on a combination of CTR and conversion rate, which is generally referred to as “Conversions Per Impression” or CPI, for short. By focusing on CPI, advertisers are able to get a better measure of the ads that are contributing the most in driving conversions.
How to Go About A/B Testing for RSAs
RSA ads generally receive a much larger number of impressions than expanded text ads, as they get a better ad rank and therefore produce more queries. An accurate way of determining the performance of RSAs is to incorporate impressions into your testing and analysis. In fact, any A/B ad test that includes RSAs should take into account impression data to be able to incrementally measure the performance. In addition, it is imperative to include impression volumes in order to be able to arrive at the true incrementality of responsive search ads.
The Last Word
Over the years, the world of online advertising has undergone numerous transformations and the changes are bound to continue in times to come. That is the reason why it is important for businesses to have an adept PPC services agency to help ensure they get the most out of their ad spend. Having said that, if you are looking for a PPC services agency in Delhi NCR that can get you there, the search ends at ROI Mantra. Over the years, we have established ourselves as a leading name in the realm of performance marketing, trusted by a rich clientele comprising globally acclaimed brands to disruptive start-ups. Feel free to contact us for a no-obligation consultation. Simply call +91-84480-78585 or email at info@roimantra.com.