Mock up & present responsive search ads to your clients the easy way
You pitch your client on Google’s responsive search ads. Your client agrees on your recommendation, and then they ask what it will look like.
That’s the hard part. A responsive search ad (RSA) isn’t one fixed ad. You write up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, and Google assembles them into different combinations for each search. Expanded text ads, which used to show one fixed version, stopped in June 2022.
Like us, you probably have some sort of excel template that lists all of the headlines and descriptions. Or you start building the ads in Google and take a screengrab.
Both ways are problematic because they don’t show the client what the ad could look like. A spreadsheet makes them imagine it, and a screengrab shows one combination only.
A Google Ads mockup generator fixes both. Here’s how to mock up an RSA for your client in PPC Ad Editor.
Step 1. Add up to 15 headlines
Each headline can be up to 30 characters. The counter turns red past 30 as you type, so a long headline gets fixed before the client sees it.
Step 2. Add up to 4 descriptions
Each description can be up to 90 characters.
Step 3. Save and shuffle
Save the ad. Your headlines and descriptions sit on the left and the preview on the right, the way Google shows the ad on a results page. Shuffle through headline and description combinations and show one, three or five ads.
Step 4. Send your client one link
Share the preview as a link. Your client opens it with no login and can comment on the exact headline they mean.
There you have it. Your client sees what their Google responsive search ad could look like, with the headlines, descriptions and assets like sitelinks in place.
Keep in mind that the preview shows possible ads built from your assets. As Google notes, not every combination is shown, and some text can be shortened in some formats.
For the full spec, including combinations and pinning, see the responsive search ads generator and the Google Ads character limit guide. To check the finished ad on desktop and mobile, use the Google ad preview tool.
BONUS: mock up a responsive display ad too
You can also mock up a Google responsive display ad in much the same way. Add your headlines, descriptions and images, and the preview lays the ad out across Display placements, so the client sees how one ad adapts to different sizes. It’s important to see how your ad will look across the GDN (Google Display Network) before you send it out.
What does a responsive ad mean?
A responsive display ad adjusts its size and format to fit the space where it appears. This means one ad can show up in many different formats, shapes and sizes.
- Responsive ads fit the available space across the Google Display Network (GDN)
- To create the ads, you supply Google with assets, and Google builds the ads and shows them across the web.
When should you use responsive display ads?
You should use responsive display ads when:
- Your main goal is performance, and you’re happy to let Google choose the layout
- You want one set of assets to cover many ad sizes
- You want Google to show your ad across many sites and apps in the Display Network
Are responsive display ads worth it?
For most advertisers, yes. One set of assets covers many placements and sizes, and Google tests the combinations for you. Uploaded image ads still make sense when a brand needs full control over every pixel of the banner.
Try our Google Responsive Display Ads (RDA) Mockup Generator Tool here
Let us know what you think in the comments below.