It was a short few months ago when my Google rep contacted me to advise on the various ways that I could improve my ad score. Yes, that all elusive ad score that Google puts together to make sure that you are either doing what they want, which is largely experimental, or at the very least clicking the X and then being forced to provide a reason as to why you don’t want their suggestions.
I used to follow the suggestions very closely. Some are great, others are not so great, but I truly thought Google had my best interests at heart. That was until the Google rep advised that I better move towards Google Smart Ads. He made it clear that this was going to be Google’s preferred advertising style of the future.
So, I tried it, and it failed epically. Not only did my cost per conversion and cost per click skyrocket but the quality of user who visited my website went way down. It was a disaster and I couldn’t really understand why, until now.
The Cookie Cutter Google
In Google’s attempt to make their increasingly complex advertising platform palatable for all consumers to use, they have tried to layer on Smart Ads. These ads take a few pieces of inputted text, a few different images, and test them against each other to find the best combination. When the ads first arrived, they looked unique and even kind of cool. However, as the Google Reps pushed more people towards this new style of search and display advertising, they all began to look, well, the exact same! Yes, the text and images were different, but the overall structure and design are identical.
It’s the same as using Shopify for e-commerce. They offer you a choice of 15 free templates and hundreds of paid ones. Guess what the overwhelming majority of stores choose? Yup, one of the free 15. The web is getting plastered with cookie-cutter content from ads to websites, all at the expense of creativity.
Google Smarts Ads are Sacrificing Creativity
Back to the ads. These identically structured ads are good for Google. They have controllable variables that can be measured which is what their computer algorithms need. If you create something unique there is no way for Google to run a true experiment to see what aspect worked because the variables that you inputted are simply too different or unidentifiable to compare. Yes, they can make broad generalizations, but they can’t really scrape your ad for secrets and useful data about your industry. Not yet anyway.
Therefore, Google needs to control all of the variables such as image, text, placement, sizing, etc., which leads to better information for Google, but also cookie-cutter ads for the rest of us viewers. In essence, Google gains its data points at the sacrifice of your creativity.
Own Your Brand and the Creatives
It is so easy to kick back and say, “OK Google! Create an ad for me.” And then it does. This lazy mentality towards advertising may work in the short term, but in the long-term, your ads will become so similar to everyone else’s that your brand will become almost indistinguishable. Tack on a cookie-cutter website from Shopify and now you not only have undisguisable ads but an easily forgettable website as well.
My point is simple. Just like a child, your brand is unique. It has its own personality, style and way of doing things. Nurture your brand like you would a child. Encourage creativity, individuality and personality and make sure that each of these elements are presented in every aspect of your digital presence from ads, to the website, to your social media.
In an increasingly crowded online marketplace, resist the temptation to take the easy route. Success is always found along the road less travelled.
Have you tested out smart ads? Let me know about it in the comments section below.
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Article Written by:
Dean Horsfield
Founder of Little Bear in the Forest | Digital Marketing Agency
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