As consumer search behaviour becomes more varied and complex, Google Search is evolving quickly. According to Google, 15% of searches every day are ones that have never been seen before. This reflects consumers’ growing tendency to explore information in varied, conversational ways. From new terms to more detailed long-tail keywords, search is becoming more personal and more immediate.
For advertisers, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. The key to success is using search ads to reach target audiences precisely and keep up with trends in such a changeable environment. In 2024, flexible use of new strategies and precise techniques will be the best way for brands to stand out in search advertising. Below are three tips to help advertisers improve search ad performance.
Three tips for high-performing search ads
Tip 1: raise Ad Strength to “Good” or “Excellent”
We recommend including at least one responsive search ad with an Ad Strength of “Good” or “Excellent” in every ad group. Google’s data shows that advertisers who improve Ad Strength from “Poor” to “Excellent” see an average 12% increase in conversions. To improve Ad Strength, we recommend:
- Turn on automatically created assets: using Google Ads recommendations, the system generates more relevant headlines and descriptions based on your keywords and user intent, helping improve overall ad performance.
- Unpin some assets: if you use pinning, fewer headlines or descriptions can be shown in total. The fewer items you pin, the more combinations can be created. If you must pin, we recommend pinning several distinct assets to the same position.
- Test a variety of headlines and descriptions: for example, create several assets around “limited-time offer” and “quality guarantee” to further improve Ad Strength.
Tip 2: add at least 4 different image assets
Image assets add a visual element to search ads, so users can see the core value of a product or service before they click. This helps communicate the brand image and makes ads more engaging. According to Google’s tests, image assets can increase click-through rate by up to 10%. To plan image assets effectively:
- Choose high-quality images relevant to your product or service: for example, show the product in use or the results of a service, so users can easily understand its value.
- Keep your assets varied: for example, combine real photos, illustrations and promotional designs to appeal to different kinds of users.
- Test how your image assets perform: regularly analyse which assets perform best, and update content to keep it fresh.
Tip 3: add your business logo and business name
Showing your business logo and name in search ads strengthens brand recognition and delivers real performance gains. Research shows this leads to an average 8% lift in conversions, with cost per conversion staying stable. How to put this into practice:
- Prepare a business logo that meets the requirements: make sure the image is high resolution and meets Google Ads format requirements.
- Show your brand name clearly: avoid heavy abbreviation or hard-to-read fonts so users recognise your brand at a glance.
Use it together with other assets: for example, add location assets and sitelinks to make your ads more persuasive and appealing.
Bonus tip: try the Power Pairing combination
Power Pairing is an ad strategy that combines two core Google Ads features, Search ads and Performance Max, to maximise ad performance and improve return on investment. For details of the strategy, see our Google Ads Power Pairing optimisation guide.
With these tips, advertisers can keep improving ad performance with today’s ad tools, increasing click-through rates and conversions while keeping ad costs under control. These tips are not only technical optimisations but also a broader improvement to the user experience.
