Google Changes Display URLs for AdWords Ads

Google will be changing the way display URLs look in AdWords ads in the next week or so. The domain portion of the display URL will always be showing in lowercase letters. For example, Subdomain.Example.com/Subdirectory will appear as subdomain.example.com/Subdirectory. Google suggests that the move can actually boost clickthrough rates.

"In any given month, we experiment with hundreds of subtle variations of the Google search results page, testing everything from font sizes and colors to layouts and spacing, as well as dozens of other variables," says Lisa Shieh of Google’s Inside AdWords Crew. "Recently, we found that by standardizing the look of the URLs on the page, we were able to improve many of our user metrics, including ad clickthrough rates."

"As you’ve probably figured out by now, we believe that regular website testing is the best way to ensure an optimal user experience, and we encourage you to test variations of your own website," she says.

More specifically, Google suggests using its own Website Optimizer tool for such testing.

Advertisers need not worry about editing their own ads. Uppercase letters in display URL domains will automatically be changed to lowercase when the change goes into effect.

Google also introduced a new way to manage negative keywords across multiple campaigns in negative keywords lists.

With the lists, advertisers can manage groups of negative keywords in their account’s Control Panel and Library, and associate them with multiple campaigns.

"For example, say you have a set of negative keywords you always add to any campaign running on the Search Network," explains Google’s Dan Friedman. "Previously, you’d need to copy that set to every new search campaign you created in your account. Now, with shared lists, you can simply create a single negative keyword list and associate it with each search campaign. If there’s a new negative keyword you’d like to add to all of those campaigns, just add it to your list and it will automatically update across each campaign. Similarly, if you create a new campaign, you can add your negative keyword list to exclude all of the necessary terms with just a few clicks."