If you are looking for an ad type that allows you to target entire websites, or portions of them, without creating keywords and ads for all the possible matches, dynamic search ads (DSAs) are for you. Creating DSAs allows for broader exposure to your inventory without making any changes to existing keyword campaigns.
In addition to broadly targeting an entire website or domain, DSAs can serve as a “catch-all” or backup option for your existing campaigns and keywords.
Whenever a relevant user search occurs, the DSA system dynamically generates an ad with a headline based on the query and matches it to text based on the most relevant landing page. The ad then enters the auction and competes as it usually would, appears in the same location, and looks the same as a regular text ad.
DSAs can also be used to “mine” for new keywords outside of your existing campaign setups. Search terms in the DSA campaigns can be added to your existing search campaigns as new keywords. Mining for keywords this way works particularly well when you have a website with many pages of products or have products that change frequently, which would make it hard to get complete keyword coverage.
DSAs are available on Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising platforms. They both work similarly, but one noticeable difference between them is that Microsoft has recently updated their DSA ad type to allow for static headlines. This change allows for more control over the ad messaging when a DSA is shown.
DSAs can be set up as a separate campaign, or dynamic search ad groups can be added to an existing search campaign. Whichever route you take, it’s crucial to add negatives to either the campaign or ad group for your existing keywords. Otherwise, you may show in the DSA campaign for keywords you are already targeting.
How to Set up DSAs
DSAs can be targeted to the website only, page feed only (create the feed, if it hasn’t been already), or both.
- Enter the domain;
- Select the language;
- Then select the targeting source. You can select from:
- Categories like landing pages or targetable categories (sets of landing pages organized by theme)
- URL targeting: you can choose specific URLs or use filters for URLs that contain a particular piece of text
- Custom Labels: which are set up via page feeds
- Page Title: based on words you specify
- Page Content: based on words you specify
- All webpages
- Create at least three ads;
- Add negatives of keywords you are already running to prevent overlap;
- Create various ad groups based on your website.
Optimizing DSAs
DSAs can be optimized similarly to regular search ads:
- Test Smart Bidding solutions — if you’re using enhanced cost-per-click (eCPC) bidding, ad group-level bids can be adjusted.
- Adjust daily budget as you would your regular search campaigns.
- Add negative keywords to help mitigate non-converting spend.
- Mine for converting search queries for new keyword opportunities and add them to your existing search campaigns.
- Optimize ads as you usually would.
Benefits of DSAs
Google has been rolling out various smart campaign types, that not only help marketers save time, but also strip any means of control over the campaigns. Unlike some of these campaign types, DSAs still allow for control over bidding, adding negatives, updating targeting, and viewing search query results.
An obvious benefit to the DSA ad type is that they are dynamic — they will change and produce the most relevant result based on the user’s search terms. These ads provide a personalization level that helps drive a more tailored experience to the searcher.
Utilizing DSAs in addition to keyword-based campaigns helps increase your potential conversions. By adding another layer of available ads to serve your potential customer, you are opening your messaging up to a broader audience.
Another benefit to DSAs is that they help save marketers time while still maintaining a level of control over managing the campaign. These are essential levers to control while managing the campaign and analyzing what drives performance.
DSAs are a great way to supplement your existing paid search strategy. This ultra-effective ad type allows the marketer to effectively leverage page content to capture searches that are not covered by keyword-based campaigns. When optimized correctly, DSAs can increase conversions, help discover new keywords, and ultimately boost your account performance.
