Here’s An Excel Template for AdWords Expanded Text Ads

With the deadline for transitioning from standard AdWords text ads coming up on October 26, a lot of people are working hard to write new “expanded text ads” in their AdWords accounts, and so I wanted to share a spreadsheet that you can download here that will give you an easy way to draft ads that comply with the new rules.  This spreadsheet is especially useful if you need to get input on text ads from individuals who are not experts in AdWords.  Just send them this spreadsheet, and they’ll be able to fill in the blanks without knowing precise character limits.

Here are some things to keep in mind about expanded text ads:

• The biggest change with expanded text ads is that they follow the 30-30-80 format, instead of the old 25-35-35 that has been the norm for years.  This means that you have 30 characters for the first part of the headline, and 30 characters for the second part of the headline, and then you have 80 characters for “description line.”
• The description line is really awesome, because even though it is limited to 80 characters, it feels huge in comparison to the old text limits.
• To put things in perspective, the old limits gave you a total of 95 characters for your ads, and you now have 140 characters, which is the same as a Tweet.
• There are two reasons why Google shifted to the new text ad format: (a) first, the new structure displays better on mobile than the old structure, and mobile is the future for Google. And (b) Google got rid of the sidebar ads earlier this year, and so this structure makes a lot more sense for ads that always run across the center of the Google search result page.

Feel free to download this Expanded Text Ad template as you write your new ads, and I hope you find it helpful.

Will Marlow is a search engine marketing consultant who loves helping high growth companies optimize and improve their PPC results: and he holds seven certifications: Google AdWords Search, Display, Mobile, Shopping, and Video Certification, Google Analytics Certification, as well as certification as a Bing Ads Accredited Professional.