Responsive search ads will become the only search ad type that marketers can create or edit in standard search campaigns. 

This change, which takes effect on June 30, 2022, means advertisers will no longer have the ability to create or edit expanded text ads.

The idea is to simplify the way advertisers create search ads and make it easier to drive performance with Google’s automated tools.

Expanded text ads will continue to serve up in results based on a search query. Advertisers will still see reports on the performance, and have the ability to pause and resume expanded text ads, or remove them if needed.

“First bidding, then keywords, now ad copy: you’ll lose control over everything and Google will get rid of you guys, better prepare yourself for this,” wrote francois-jacky in a tweet. To which Adam Singer, vice president of marketing at Invest with LEX, replied, “What if Google is actually just making all your jobs easier.”

That would be nice, Greg Finn, partner and digital marketer at Cypress North, wrote. “Sadly they seem intent on destroying their golden goose to hit any and all short-term OKRs.”

Why make the change, according to Google? Some 15% of search queries daily are new searches that Google has never seen. Consumer trends continue to shift and evolve, so Google believes it’s become more important to make it easier for people to connect with business through relevant and helpful ads.

Responsive search ads seem to meet the need, according to Sylvanus Bent, Google Ads product manager. In a post, she suggests preparing for the change by leaving at least one responsive search ad in every ad group in the search campaigns.

Responsive search ads let marketers create an ad that adapts to show more text, enter multiple headlines and descriptions and, over time, Google Ads will automatically test different combinations and learn the combinations that perform best.