Dynamic Search Ads: AdWords Automation Upgraded

We’ve been lukewarm in our support for Google AdWords’ Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) before, so news that the oft-maligned automated ad product is getting some long overdue love from Google’s product developers is welcome.

Specifically, Google has enabled Page Feed Integration, belatedly upgraded ads to Expanded Text Ad format and improved its algorithms for determining ad relevancy.

In adding page feeds, advertisers can now link a feed with specific ad copy and landing page targets, and control bids and promotion schedules using custom labels.

Why should you care?

DSA offers a time-effective (and, if bids are minimal, cost-effective) way to unearth new keyword opportunities that might otherwise remain undiscovered. And that includes negative keywords, not just new keywords of course!

While these improvements are welcome, we continue to recommend DSA as a means to supplement (but not replace) your current AdWords campaigns, should you have budget available.

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About the Author Jeremy Templer

Jeremy is a Partner and Senior Consultant at SureFire. Jeremy has been working in search since 1996, when he joined the Australian search engine, LookSmart. After relocating to San Francisco, he was instrumental in the development of the company’s paid search ad platform. At analytics company Coremetrics (now owned by IBM) he established an in-house search agency managing campaigns for Coremetrics clients such as Macy’s, Bass Pro and Lands End. At Acxiom he managed members of the pioneering SEO firm Marketleap and worked with clients such as Capital One, American General Finance and Kaiser Health. Joining SureFire in 2009, he is the head of Paid Search Advertising and oversees the delivery of AdWords and other PPC campaigns. He also helps clients make sense of their website data.