As a part of Google’s relentless quest for innovation, 2018 saw the search giant introduce their latest ad unit – responsive search ads. Responsive search ads or RSA removed Standard Text Ads. As with any new release, this has led to part excitement and part panic amongst digital marketers who are scrambling to understand what this means for their efforts.
With the dust marginally settled and after the analysis of over 5000+ ad copies running RSA, there are a few harsh truths about Google’s new innovation, that was uncovered. But, before that, let us understand what exactly is RSA all about.
Learn what really works, what fails, and how to optimise your RSAs for better performance.
What Exactly Are Responsive Search Ads?
Responsive Search Ads (RSA) are Google’s largest, newest and the most flexible search ad format. Different from the conventional search ads, where you are able to create one static ad text by writing the headlines and descriptions together.
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When writing a RSA, you can write about 15 different headlines and 4 different descriptions. Collectively, those descriptions and headlines can be arranged in over 43,000 various permutations. In theory, this means that RSA provides endless ad testing possibilities.
But what happens after that?
Google automatically tests the different combinations to find out which one performs the best. With time, your RSA might serve the best message to the searchers on the basis of their device, the keywords, past browsing behaviour and other such signals.
Image: Responsive search ads
Currently, RSAs are available in English, German, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Italian, Russian, Dutch, Polish, Japanese, Danish, Turkish and Norwegian. Other languages are on the way.
How to Create Responsive Search Ads?
Step 1: Go to the ads tab and click on the blue “+” icon. Then, select “responsive search ads”.
Search Ads
Image: How to create responsive search ads
That’s actually the only step. After you have done step 1 and clicked on RSA, you will be automatically guided to the rest of the components needed to create an RSA. The final URL of the ad will request you to put up to fifteen headlines and up to 4 descriptions.
responsive search ads
Image: Headlines for responsive search ads
Google will show up to three headlines in a single ad. So, make sure to pin the headlines that you want Google to show by clicking on the “pin” icon right next to the headline.
Image: Pin the headline
You’ll have the option of pinning your headlines to positions 1, 2 and 3. Make your choice wisely.
Image: Pinning headlines to position 1, 2 and 3
Just like the headlines, you can also choose to pin the descriptions that you want Google to display as the search giant will only display 2 out of 4.
Image: Pin the description
It is crazy simply to create an RSA. But, is everything hunky dory with this new innovation? Unfortunately, that’s not the case!
What Are The 7 Harsh Truths About Responsive Search Ads After Analyzing Ad Copies?
Finding these harsh truths required extensive testing and research. Therefore, after analyzing 5000+ responsive search ad copies, here are the observations:
Harsh Truth # 1 – Low impressions:
As you must already be aware that impressions refer to the number of times that an ad appears on Google or the Google network.
But, the problem with responsive search ads is that even if the ads are marked as ‘approved’ they are neither accruing impressions nor clicks.
Where expanded text ads would fetch about 3,000 impressions in 30 days, responsive ad is hardly getting one impression. Even if we have changed the descriptions and headlines as per the suggestions given by Google, the results still remained the same.
Low impressions mean that the ads are not being shown to the people. However, this is only the beta version and we are hoping that Google will come up with solutions for this problem in due course of time.
Harsh Truth # 2 – Low ad serve:
Our assessment showed that existing responsive search ads performed better than new responsive search ads in an ad group. New RSAs are getting negligible serve share. The new ads are simply not getting enough traction and are barely served, which is making results or learnings insignificant.
The reason that we found for this is that early adopters of RSAs were given access to additional inventory volume, but now that the standard ads have also been updated to match, the text ads are also serving in the same auction. So, this is no longer serving as a benefit to those running new RSAs.
Image: Low ad serve
Harsh Truth # 3 – All the headlines and descriptions are not getting equal chance:
As mentioned above, Google’s RSA is giving you the opportunity to enter up to 15 different headlines and up to 4 different descriptions. But they are not showing all of your headlines and descriptions in the ad. They are only showing 3 out of 15 headlines and 2 out of 4 descriptions.
Then, Google will be automatically testing the different combinations to make sure which one works the best. As an advertiser, you will not be able to tell which one of the combinations is actually working.
You will perpetually remain in a state of confusion and uncertainty unless Google rolls out some added features to give advertisers more transparency in the way headlines and descriptions are shown to the searchers.
Harsh Truth # 4 – Ads are not assembled:
To have your adsassembled, you have to work really hard. You cannot provide redundant content as that will restrict the system’s capability of assembling combinations. Also, your headlines and descriptions must be unique and distinct.
They must not have a close relation and they should not be stuffed with keywords. You cannot have the same text for every headline.
Your ad will simply stop showing if you fail to be 100% unique.
Image: Ads are not assembled
Harsh Truth # 5 – In-depth visibility lacking:
RSA lacks an in depth visibility when it comes to headlines and descriptions. You cannot see a clear winner since Google carries out different tests automatically and puts headlines or descriptions in different positions to analyze their performance.
Also, every headline or description will not show every time and there is no way to know which ones are performing better than the rest.
Google’s RSA does not specify any kind of variants that we can use to compare between different copy lines. Also, while Google is making the tests and comparisons on its own, it is not releasing any data by which we can understand exactly what is happening, and which copy is standing out from the rest.
Harsh Truth # 6 – Absence of ad customizers:
Responsive search ads are not supporting the feature of ad customizers. This feature had let advertisers to create backend databases for the text of their ads.
This is a detriment to advertisers who make use of ad customizer for developing complex campaign strategies, such as campaign based disclaimer messages, rotating promotions or product specific copy pulled from product feed data.
Only the keyword ad enhancer is working in an RSA. Other advanced copy functions like, IF and Countdowns functions are not working.
It is not clear if the functionality will come later, but at the moment, you will have to keep your headlines static when creating these ads.
Harsh Truth # 7 – Lack of cohesive storytelling:
It is a common practice among advertisers to link one headline with the other. For example, 1H – Buy XYZ now and 2H – Save X% on 2.
But, in RSAs, each headline stands alone. So, you cannot tell a story through your ads. Each ad has to hold on its own and give our clear messages.
Hopefully, Google will come up with a solution to work around this issue. And if not, copywriters need to adopt a new way of thinking.
Winding up
The majority of digital marketers are of the opinion that RSAs are an upgrade in terms of advertising real estate and aligns perfectly well with Google’s drive for automation on its platform.
It will be wise for advertisers to begin experimenting with this format instead of incorporating it with their digital marketing strategy in order to learn the different strategies that will work best when Google assumes more control over how your ad is displayed.
Yes, it does have issues and we hope that they will be solved as Google rolls out new tools and updates, given that presently it is still in the beta version.
The phenomenon of low impressions for approved Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) is a significant challenge identified through large-scale analysis. An examination of over 5000+ ad copies revealed that where an expanded text ad might receive 3,000 impressions in 30 days, a comparable RSA could get as little as one, indicating a severe performance disparity. This issue persists even after implementing Google's own suggestions for headline and description changes.
This problem points to potential issues within the RSA beta version's ad serving logic. Your strategy should involve patience and experimentation, as Google is expected to address these problems in future updates. Keep your expanded text ads running alongside RSAs to maintain campaign visibility and gather performance benchmarks. Continue to test unique and distinct ad copy in your RSAs, but do not rely on them as your sole ad format until impression delivery becomes more consistent. To understand the full scope of this issue, explore the detailed analysis of ad performance.
The pinning feature offers you a critical layer of control over Google's automated ad creation process for Responsive Search Ads. While RSAs are designed to test thousands of combinations, pinning ensures that specific messages always appear in a designated position, which is essential for compliance, branding, or sequential messaging. For example, you can pin your brand name to headline position 1 to guarantee its visibility.
You can pin headlines to positions 1, 2, or 3, and descriptions to positions 1 or 2. This allows you to:
Maintain brand consistency by always showing your company name first.
Display critical information, such as a call-to-action or a key disclaimer, in every ad variation.
Structure a semi-controlled narrative by locking in the beginning or end of your ad message.
However, be aware that over-pinning restricts the system's ability to test combinations and find the optimal performing ad, potentially limiting the format's primary benefit. Discover more about balancing control with automation by reviewing detailed setup guides.
You are correct; the system does not give every asset an equal chance, which creates significant optimization challenges. With 15 potential headlines and 4 descriptions, Google only shows up to three headlines and two descriptions at a time, but it provides no clear data on which combinations perform best or which assets are shown most frequently. This lack of visibility makes it impossible for you to identify and iterate on winning copy.
This opacity means you are perpetually uncertain about what messages are truly resonating with your audience. The primary impacts include:
Inability to identify a 'clear winner' among ad copy variants.
Difficulty in applying learnings from one RSA to another.
Reliance on Google's black-box algorithm without any data to verify its effectiveness.
Until Google introduces more granular reporting, your best approach is to focus on creating distinctly different headlines and descriptions to give the algorithm diverse material to test. Learning more about these reporting limitations is key to setting realistic expectations for RSA campaigns.
Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) represent a major shift from static, manually created ads to a dynamic, automated system. Unlike expanded text ads where you write fixed headlines and descriptions together, RSAs allow you to provide up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions as interchangeable components. Google's machine learning then assembles these components into over 43,000 possible permutations to serve the most relevant ad to each user based on their search context.
This change aligns with Google's broader strategy of increasing automation to improve ad performance at scale. The primary goal is to leverage AI to handle the complex task of ad testing, which is impractical to do manually with so many variables. By automatically identifying the best-performing combinations of headlines and descriptions for different user signals, RSAs aim to increase click-through rates and conversions without constant manual intervention. Understanding this strategic shift is crucial for adapting your ad creation process for the modern search landscape.
The finding that new RSAs receive minimal ad serve share compared to existing ones is a critical insight for campaign management. The core reason is that the initial advantage granted to early adopters of the format has dissipated. When RSAs were first introduced, they were given access to additional ad inventory, but now standard text ads and RSAs compete in the same auction, neutralizing that benefit.
This means a new RSA added to an ad group with an established, better-performing ad (even another RSA) will struggle to gain traction. The algorithm favors what has already proven to work, making it difficult for new ad copy to accumulate performance data. This effectively penalizes iteration and testing within the same ad group. The implication is that advertisers must be more strategic about how they introduce and test new RSA copy, as simply adding a new ad is no longer a guarantee of it being served. To fully grasp the competitive dynamics, it is helpful to explore the evolution of the RSA ad auction.
The rise of Responsive Search Ads, despite their current flaws, signals a fundamental shift in how ad copy is created and managed, requiring you to adapt your strategic thinking. With the system automatically assembling ads and withholding performance data, the focus moves away from crafting the 'perfect ad' to supplying the 'perfect ingredients'. The future of ad management will rely less on A/B testing complete ads and more on creating a portfolio of compelling, unique, and interchangeable headlines and descriptions.
Your strategy must adjust in several key areas:
From storyteller to message supplier: Since headlines must stand alone, you need to write self-contained, impactful messages rather than sequential narratives.
Focus on asset diversity: Success depends on providing distinct angles, benefits, and calls-to-action for the algorithm to test.
Embrace strategic pinning: You must learn to use pinning to control essential brand messages while still giving the algorithm enough flexibility.
This evolution demands a new mindset where you collaborate with the automation rather than manually controlling every detail. Understanding these future trends is essential for staying ahead.
An RSA will fail to assemble properly if the provided headlines and descriptions are too similar or redundant. Google's system is designed to create distinct ad variations, and if your copy assets are repetitive, you severely restrict its ability to generate meaningful combinations. This often results in your ad stopping serving altogether as the system cannot produce unique permutations.
To avoid this, you must ensure each piece of copy is genuinely distinct. Follow these guidelines:
Vary your messaging by focusing on different benefits, features, or value propositions in each headline.
Avoid using the same core text or keywords across multiple headlines.
Write each headline and description as a standalone statement that makes sense on its own.
Do not stuff every asset with the same keywords; let the system combine them naturally.
The key is to think of each asset as an independent building block, not just a slight variation of another. Reviewing best practices for creating diverse ad copy can help you master this skill.
Responsive Search Ads currently lack support for most ad customizers, including IF functions and countdowns, which is a significant drawback for sophisticated advertisers. This limitation stems from the complexity of integrating dynamic data insertion into an ad format that is already generating thousands of permutations automatically. The only supported feature is the keyword ad enhancer, leaving many powerful tools unavailable.
This absence of functionality is a major detriment for campaigns that rely on dynamic content for relevance and urgency. For instance, advertisers can no longer:
Pull product-specific copy directly from a data feed.
Run rotating promotional messages managed through a backend database.
Implement campaign-based disclaimers or location-specific text.
Without these tools, you are forced to keep your ad copy static, reducing your ability to create highly tailored and complex campaign strategies. As you plan your RSA adoption, it's crucial to understand which of your current strategies will no longer be viable.
The inability to link headlines sequentially is a major creative constraint of Responsive Search Ads. Advertisers have traditionally used headlines to build a narrative, such as '1H: Buy XYZ Now' paired with '2H: And Save X% on 2.' In RSAs, since any headline can be combined with another, each one must be a complete, self-contained message. This makes cohesive storytelling impossible and forces a significant change in copywriting strategy.
To adapt, you must shift your thinking from crafting a linear narrative to creating a collection of independent, impactful statements. The new approach requires each headline to deliver a clear message on its own while also being capable of logically pairing with any other headline in the set. For example, instead of a two-part offer, create separate headlines for the product ('Shop for XYZ Now') and the offer ('Enjoy X% Savings on 2'). This modular approach is a fundamental change, and copywriters must master it for RSAs to be effective.
Creating your first Responsive Search Ad is a straightforward process within the Google Ads interface, designed to be user-friendly. The system guides you through providing the necessary components, which are then automatically tested to find the best-performing combinations. You begin by navigating to your ad group and starting the ad creation process.
Here is the simple plan to follow:
Step 1: Go to the 'Ads' tab in your campaign, click the blue '+' icon, and select 'Responsive search ad' from the menu.
Step 2: Enter the 'Final URL,' which is the landing page you want to send traffic to.
Step 3: Write up to 15 unique headlines. Each headline should be a distinct message or call-to-action.
Step 4: Write up to 4 unique descriptions, providing more detailed information about your offer.
Once these assets are provided, Google's system takes over to assemble and test them, serving different variations to searchers. To get started effectively, it's helpful to review examples of strong headlines and descriptions.
The lack of performance visibility is one of the most frustrating aspects of managing Responsive Search Ads, as confirmed by extensive analysis. The core issue is that Google does not provide variant-level reporting that compares one specific ad combination against another. While the system tests thousands of permutations, it does not release the data showing which headlines, descriptions, or combinations are driving the best results, such as higher click-through rates or conversions.
This reporting gap means you cannot see a clear winner. You are left to guess which of your 15 headlines and 4 descriptions are effective. The platform may show asset-level ratings like 'Good' or 'Excellent,' but these are relative and lack concrete performance metrics. This makes data-driven optimization by the advertiser nearly impossible, as you have no way of knowing which copy to remove or refine. Exploring this reporting gap further is key to understanding the current limitations of the format.
The transition from Standard Text Ads to Responsive Search Ads forces a significant trade-off between manual control and automated optimization. With Standard Text Ads, you had complete control over the exact ad copy shown to users. With RSAs, you relinquish much of that control to Google's algorithm in exchange for the potential performance uplift from machine learning.
You must weigh these factors:
Control: You lose the ability to craft precise, sequential narratives and test specific ad variations head-to-head. Reporting is also less transparent.
Flexibility: RSAs provide a much larger and more flexible ad format, automatically adapting to different devices and user contexts.
Efficiency:Automation handles the testing of thousands of ad combinations, saving significant time and resources compared to manual A/B testing.
While the promise of RSAs is superior performance through automated relevance, the current limitations mean you sacrifice visibility and the ability to use advanced features like ad customizers. Deciding which format is 'better' depends on your campaign's specific needs for control versus scale.
Chandala Takalkar is a young content marketer and creative with experience in content, copy, corporate communications, and design. A digital native, she has the ability to craft content and copy that suits the medium and connects. Prior to Team upGrowth, she worked as an English trainer. Her experience includes all forms of copy and content writing, from Social Media communication to email marketing.
