We recently received notice from Google AdWords about a pilot program called, “Added by AdWords”, which they launched in January of 2017. Added by AdWords creates new ads that they feel would be successful for select ad groups. This program is an obvious extension of current features such as keyword and bid suggestions but at a much more complex level.
How Does Added by AdWords Work?
Google has described the program as an effort to potentially improve campaign performance and target specific ad groups that would benefit from more variations in ad copy. Ads are created using existing ad elements and landing page details. These ads are also reportedly being created by actual people at AdWords and will be labeled in accounts with Added By AdWords.
Unfortunately, this program creates a lot of headaches for PPC teams like ours. Conflicts can arise with AdWords creating ads without consulting specific client needs. For example, clients with limitations on ad copy due to legal restrictions or simply have copy preferences for branding purposes won’t have time to review and evaluate. Additionally, the ads that we have seen appear to be nothing more than minor variations on existing copy. These ads are then placed in ad groups that already had 2-3 expanded text ad (ETA) variations. AdWords also expects for advertisers to shoulder the cost of this test which adds another layer of issues when it comes to campaign performance.
Potential Perks of Added by AdWords
There are potential advantages and other positive aspects that we foresee in this pilot program. In particular, we’re excited to see AdWords testing new ways to improve the advertiser’s experience. Feedback from AdWords is always helpful so we can find insight on why ads are successful and come up with copy tests we could run based on the larger trends they observe. These could be big assists on creating a better consumer experience while providing us with necessary feedback on our strategies that we are able to learn from. However, the key word is ‘could’, as in many cases simply implementing ad copy without letting advertisers evaluate or interface with clients can cause unnecessary friction.
Opting Out
If you’re like us and interested but not willing to risk seeing these ads in your account, you can choose to not participate. We chose to remove ourselves from this program as we prefer to evaluate our ad copy and communicate with our clients before implementing any ad campaigns. If you are hesitant to participate or simply would rather watch how it works before using it, just make sure to opt out of this test.
As this pilot program becomes full-fledged, we look forward to seeing if the issues we’ve come across become resolved and to watching for campaign performance changes.
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