What Are Responsive Search Ads? The Basics and Where They Are Heading

The default ad format in Google search advertising today is responsive search ads (RSA), which use machine learning.
Since expanded text ads (ETA), once the mainstay, could no longer be created, getting results from search advertising has depended on understanding how RSAs work and optimising them.

A responsive search ad is a format where you register headlines and descriptions in advance
in multiple variations (15 headlines, 4 descriptions).
The headlines and descriptions you register are combined automatically to show the ad.
At most three headlines and two descriptions are chosen.

Responsive search ads automatically adjust the layout for
devices with different display space, such as phones, computers and tablets.
That means the display can be optimised per device.

Everyone now uses RSAs as standard, yet many people feel they have simply set them up without getting good results, or do not know how to improve their rating. That usually means the particular strengths of responsive search ads are going unused.

This article covers responsive search ads in full, from advantages and disadvantages to where they are heading.

※ Responsive search ads (RSA) are the most basic format in search advertising today. If you want to go back over how search advertising works and what it offers from the ground up, the article below is worth reading alongside this one.
Related article:
What is search advertising? A plain explanation of how it works, how to set a budget and how to manage it

1. Advantages of responsive search ads

Responsive search ads let you register up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions. Combining that copy automatically lets the right ad show in the right situation for what the person is searching for.

First, here are three advantages of responsive search ads.

1. More display space for your ad
2. Better results than expanded text ads
3. More efficient ad copy testing

We look at each in turn.

1.1 More display space for your ad

Ads adapt flexibly to the width of each device.
So you can use more space than the expanded text ads of old, or conversely keep the copy short, and deliver the ad efficiently either way.

・Because flexible ads are created to suit the width of the device, you can use more space to get your message across to prospects.

Google Ads Help

On a smartphone with a small screen, for example,
expanded text ads could end up with so much copy that they were hard to read.
With responsive search ads you can put the headline and copy together to make the ad easier to take in.
That removes the problem of ads being hard to read on certain devices and puts the ad space to better use.

1.2 Better results than expanded text ads

Responsive search ads work across a range of devices, so
you can expect more impressions than with an ordinary ad.

You can also register several descriptions and headlines and the most relevant combination shows automatically, so set up properly they match search terms more often.
That raises the number of auctions you bid in, so you can reach more customers.

With more impressions suited to what the person is searching for, you can expect CTR (click rate) and the number of conversions to improve.

• Entering several headlines and descriptions raises the match rate with search terms and the number of auctions you bid in, so you can reach more prospects.
• Responsive search ads make you more competitive in the auction, so you can win clicks and conversions that the text ads of old were missing and improve the performance of the ad group.

Google Ads Help

1.3 More efficient ad copy testing

More efficient ad testing is another big advantage.
To try combinations of headlines with the expanded text ads of old,
you had to build and submit each variation separately, which took a great deal of time and effort.

With responsive search ads, however,
machine learning combines the copy automatically and shows the combination most relevant to the search term, so the case you make lands harder without the time and effort.

・Entering several headline and description options saves time, because the ad with the most relevant combination is shown automatically.

Google Ads Help

2. Disadvantages of responsive search ads

There are two main disadvantages.

1. Hard to analyse
2. More likely to fail review

Each in detail.

2.1 Hard to analyse

With responsive search ads, the only measure you get is impressions, so detailed analysis is not possible.
Responsive search ads combine the variations automatically and run them.
You can see which combinations were shown, but not how one combination performed against another.

2.1 More likely to fail review

Responsive search ads are more likely to fail review than ordinary expanded text ads.

Here are cases that can fail review.
■ Headlines are too similar
“For back pain relief, try XX”, “If you want relief from back pain, try XX”
■ The same keyword is used three or more times
“Back pain relief”, “Cure your back pain with this”, “What causes back pain”

3. Submission rules for responsive search ads

Google sets submission rules for responsive search ads.
As the table below shows, you can register several headlines and descriptions and run a range of variations.
Check them carefully before you set anything up.

Asset	Number allowed	Length
Headline	3 to 15	Up to 30 characters
Description	2 to 4	Up to 90 characters
Display URL	0 to 2	Up to 15 characters

You must set at least 3 headlines and at least 2 descriptions.
You can set up to 2 display URLs, but they are optional and can be left out.

4. How to set up responsive search ads

Once you have the submission rules clear, submit the ad.
Below is the setup in four steps.

1．As with responsive display ads, click [Ads and extensions], then click the blue round [+] button on [Ads].

2. Click [+ Responsive search ad].

3．Enter the headlines (at least 3, up to 15),
the descriptions (at least 2, up to 4),
and the final URL, plus optionally the display URL and URL options.
A preview of the ad appears on the right as soon as you type.

4．When you have finished, click Save and you are done.

You can check performance under the Ads tab in the console.
Results for each combination of the headlines and copy you set can be seen under “View asset details”.

5. In closing

With responsive search ads,
setting several headlines, descriptions and display URLs against search terms
lets a range of variations be combined and shown automatically.
They can be shown according to the search term and device, which makes you more competitive in the auction.

In short, the big advantage is that you spend less time and effort building ads while gaining display space and more efficient testing, and can expect a higher click rate and more conversions.
Using responsive search ads frees up more of your time for strategic work.

The official recommendation at present is one responsive search ad plus two expanded text ads per ad group.
The recommendation is not responsive search ads alone, so you could say full automation has not been committed to.
Presumably because, at this stage, the ideal result still needs human-written copy as a reference point.

Work out what people are good at and what machine learning is good at,
then bring responsive search ads in well and use them to the full.

Related article:
What is search advertising? A plain explanation of how it works, how to set a budget and how to manage it