Sales Make Money – Clicks Cost Money
Back in the Fall, Google announced the introduction of Expanded Text Ads (ETAs), almost doubling the number of text characters previously available to AdWords users. As illustrated above, we now have two fields of large text, up to 30 characters in length. Then below a homepage URL, we can have up to 80 characters to describe our offerings. Over the past few months, we’ve had the option of creating new text ads using the new ETA form, or the older legacy form. As far as I can remember, all the new text ads I’ve created have used the ETA form, however, in just a few days come January 31st, the choice goes away. Separately, Bing has said that both options will remain available on their platform fro the foreseeable future.
I’ve been getting feedback from some customers that other agencies have been calling them up and predicting bankruptcy if they don’t replace their remaining legacy ads with the ETA format- ridiculous! Our regular readers know that we rely upon Funnel Science, upon data, not gut feel, to get our clients superior results. Successful online advertising is not about having the most eye-catching advertisement, it’s not about squeezing the maximum number of characters into a text field. It is not even about maximizing the number of clicks. It is about maximizing conversions and sales. Sales make money – clicks cost money. What is the point of paying for clicks if the person clicking through is unlikely to convert?
Some of our tried and tested legacy form ads have great conversion rates. To change them would be the opposite of optimization: deoptimization!
Look at these real examples I’ve just pulled from AdWords.
Conventional wisdom would tell clients that the ad on the right – the ETA – is the more effective, that it offers the best return on investment. Yet the ad on the left – in legacy format – generates double the conversions of the one on the right. For businesses advertising on AdWords and other online platforms, it is important to find a management agency that optimizes campaigns based on data rather than agencies that espouse superficial strategies that sound like a quick fix.
In the words of PPC and Analytics expert Alex Fender, “ninety-nine percent of agencies operating in this market are snake-oil salesmen. Don’t be taken in by them.”
The PPC Rainmakers agency has a track record of using data to optimize clients’ online advertising. We don’t believe in maximizing clicks (and costing you money) just for the sake of it. We believe in getting you conversions, sales and income revenues – the lifeblood of your business. So don’t go rushing to change legacy ads just because of an arbitrary date. Give us a call and ask us about getting meaningful results, with and without AdWords Expanded Text Ads.