How to set up an experiment with ad variations in Google Ads: A Step by Step Guide

Setting up an experiment with ad variations in Google Ads allows you to test different ad copy, headlines, and descriptions to determine which version performs best. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you set up an ad experiment:

1. Sign in to Google Ads: Go to https://ads.google.com/ and sign in with your Google account.
2. Select the campaign: Navigate to the “Campaigns” tab on the left side of the page, and click on the campaign you want to set up an ad variation experiment for.
3. Create a new draft: Click on the “Drafts & experiments” tab on the left side of the page. Then, click on the blue “+” button to create a new draft. Give your draft a name and click “Save.”
4. Modify the draft: In the draft, you can create ad variations by editing the ad copy, headlines, and descriptions. You can also modify the targeting, bid strategy, or other settings as needed.
5. Create ad variations: To create ad variations, follow these steps: a. Go to the “Ads & extensions” tab in your draft campaign. b. Click the blue “+” button to create a new ad or select an existing ad and click the pencil icon to edit it. c. Modify the ad’s components (e.g., headline, description, final URL) to create a variation. d. Save the ad variation and repeat the process for as many variations as you want to test.
6. Create an experiment: Once you have your ad variations in place, go back to the “Drafts & experiments” tab, find your draft, and click “Create an experiment” next to it.
7. Configure experiment settings: Fill out the necessary information, including the experiment name, start and end dates, and the percentage of the campaign budget you want to allocate to the experiment. You can also choose whether you want to split the traffic evenly between the original campaign and the experiment or distribute it based on a specific ratio.
8. Save and launch the experiment: Review your settings, and click “Create” to launch the experiment.
9. Monitor and analyze performance: During the experiment, regularly monitor the performance of your ad variations by going to the “Experiments” tab in the “Drafts & experiments” section. Compare the performance metrics, such as click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and cost per conversion, to determine which ad variation performs best.
10. Apply the winning variation: Once the experiment ends, and you’ve identified the winning ad variation, apply it to your original campaign. To do this, go to the “Experiments” tab, find your completed experiment, and click “Apply” next to it.

Remember to keep an eye on your campaign’s performance after applying the winning ad variation to ensure that it continues to deliver the expected results.