What Are ACAs?
One of the features available in Google Ads for responsive search ads is something called an automatically created asset (ACA). This feature will enable Google to automatically generate headlines and descriptions for your responsive search ads (RSAs). This is a campaign-level setting, so enabling ACAs will potentially impact every RSA within the campaign.
How Do ACAs Work?
For your responsive search ads, ACAs will utilize your landing page, existing ads, and your keywords within the ad group to generate copy. Those are the main parameters that go into the algorithm when automatically generating new headlines and descriptions. According to Google Ads Help, “When your ad is eligible to serve for a query, responsive search ads will use the pool of eligible advertiser-created assets and automatically created assets and serve the combination predicted to perform best.”
What’s important to note is that some of the headlines and descriptions you created may be used in combination with Google’s automatically created ones.
Should You Use ACAs for RSAs?
The answer, in my opinion, is most definitely no. You should not enable automatically created assets for your responsive search ads. The bottom line is that they just simply aren’t reliable enough to be trusted. As advertisers, we have to make sure our ads always convey headlines and descriptions that make sense and work well in combination with each other. Enabling ACAs for your RSAs simply takes away the control you have over your messaging. I have seen multiple instances of ACAs adding headlines and descriptions that are either redundant, irrelevant to the ad group, or just don’t make sense.
Furthermore, if you are running ads for a client, the last thing you want is for them to call you upset because they saw an ad with ACA-generated headlines and descriptions that they don’t like. This can be a major problem because it can damage your credibility with that client. You don’t want your client to think that you don’t know their business or are incompetent, all because ACAs generated bad copy for an ad.
Enabling ACAs
If you do decide to enable ACAs for your ads, it’s best to experiment with it first. Try it on a smaller spending campaign, or create a duplicate campaign of one where you want to enable ACAs. From there, you can give it a smaller budget to be safe, and see how the ads perform. It is important that you monitor the campaign and see what headline/description combinations are showing. Always make sure you check the ACA-enabled campaign often enough in case poor-quality headlines and descriptions start showing.
Automatically created assets for responsive search ads is a new feature from Google. Enabling this feature allows Google to generate headlines and descriptions based on keywords, landing pages, and existing ads. As of now, it’s generally not a good idea to enable this feature. If you want control over your ads, don’t enable ACAs for your campaigns.
By enabling ACAs, you may lose control over your ad copy and run the risk of serving RSAs with irrelevant or bad headlines and description combinations. If you decide to try them out, experiment on a campaign with a smaller budget first, and monitor them. You don’t want to potentially waste money serving ads with awful copy.
