Google is the world’s leading search engine. Want to find information on something? Google is the first port of call. Google Search uses advanced technology and algorithms to match a searcher’s intent with the best possible results. When it comes to advertising through Google Ads, which show up at the top of the search engine results page (SERP), there are limitations to how creative you can be and we’ll be unpacking that below.
How Does Google Ads work?
Google Ads is a platform that uses a pay-per-click (PPC) bidding process that happens in real time. Advertisers compete on keywords that they are targeting and want their ads to show up for when a user searches for a particular product or service they offer.
Because it is a real time bidding process, Google’s algorithm completes an instantaneous auction weighing up a variety of factors that determine ad rank. There are a small number of positions at the top of the SERP for ads to show, therefore it is a competitive environment and requires a significant amount of work to stay ahead of the competition.
What Are Some Of The Creative Limitations?
Ensuring that your ads are regularly optimised and adapting to changes is essential for success. It’s also important to ensure that you stand out from the rest. However, with Google Ads, there are challenges to work around based on the creative limitations of the platform.
Character Limits
Google Ads has character limitations for headlines and descriptions on ads. For example, Responsive Search Ads have a 30 character limit per headline, and 90 characters per description. Therefore, your ad copy has to be concise, straight to the point and draw the user to click on the ad with very limited information.
Image And Video Specifications
Images and videos can be added to search and display campaigns through Google Ads – As long as they adhere to the size specifications, quality and general format requirements. When using images and videos for your ads, it’s important to ensure these assets are within the specifications provided, otherwise they will be disapproved and will not be shown in your ads.
Text Overlay On Images
Images with text overlay can be restricted by Google. Images often perform better as stand-alone which can be a major challenge for advertisers. It’s important to ensure that your images are representative of your business and the products and services you offer.
No Customisation Of Fonts Or Colours
Being on brand is a big factor for a lot of businesses. Unfortunately with Google Ads, there are no abilities to customise fonts or colours in your ad copy which can make it difficult to stand out and also allow users to associate themselves with your business. Therefore, ad copy is extremely important to make your ads stand out from the rest.
Ad Policies
Google has strict policies implemented to ensure ads are not promoting harmful or restricted items. Depending on the type of business you own, this can be a difficult barrier to work around when looking to run ads for your business which may be deemed by Google to be breaching one of their ad policies.
Google’s Push Towards AI-Driven Advertising
It’s no secret that Google has significant control over ads run by advertisers. When it comes to ad copy specifically, advertisers can provide a range of headlines, descriptions, images and videos. However Google decides which combination will be shown when a particular user triggers the ad. The good news is that Google’s algorithms are so advanced that they run real-time tests that push the best combinations to get the best results for businesses.
Although there are certain creative limitations when it comes to creating ads on Google, there are a number of ways to work around this and make your business stand out from the rest. It’s important to continuously test different elements and analyse the results from the changes you’ve made. Whether you’re testing different headlines and descriptions, images and videos, or different types of campaigns, there are other ways to be creative and get the best results.
Here at nimbl, we will work with you to create the best ads for your business and keep up to date with the ever-changing landscape of Google. Something that may not be possible today could very well be possible tomorrow.
Do you need help with running Google Ads campaigns for your business? Contact us today to see how we can help your business take the next step in maximising its online presence.
