Back in August 2016, Bing has began inviting users to pilot their own Expanded Text Ads (or ETAs). With requests and feedback, on October 25th, 2016, the search engine owned and operated by Microsoft begins to roll it out globally.
Bing introduces ETA through the new ad format in Bing, Bing Ads Editor and also Bing Ads API.
If compared to the standard text ads, ETAs are more like a more-modern and mobile-optimized ad format that provides more ad space by using an additional ad title and longer text. So instead of the usual 25- to 71- characters, ads will expand to a 60- to 80- characters for ad text. ETAs also support options to include two descriptive words in a sub-directory-like format after the domain in ETAs' customizable paths (display URL).
ETAs are like the extended version of the standard text, and they also work similar to Google's AdWords. For example, the ads have some recommendations to keep in mind when users are launching and testing their ETA ads. The recommendations also include running the ETAs alongside existing standard text ads during initial test phases.
And what's more, as a direct competitor to Google' Search engine and its AdWords program, Bing also allows users to import their ETAs from AdWords.
And because they work seamlessly on mobile devices, they can generate more attention to the increasing global mobile users. The end result should be a better conversion.
Bing strongly recommends users to continue running their standard text ads alongside ETAs in parallel in order to see the overall performance so it won't affect their overall campaign. This way, Bing allows users to test their ETA's performance against their standard text ads by giving them insights.
According to Bing, advertisers can have the best return on their ad spending on ETAs by:
- Reusing their existing campaigns and ad groups so their current ad extensions can continue to be associated and served with the ETAs.
- Having variations of ETAs, and run experiments using multiple call-to-actions.
- Knowing what works using the standard text ads to then take the advantage ETA's additional ad copy.
Early adopters of ETAs are Marin Software, Kenshoo, Adobe Media Optimizer, intelliAd and Rakuten Marketing. They all support ETAs in their campaign management platforms. Microsoft is working closely with its remaining partners to add compatibility soon.