Responsive Search Ads: Specs, Pinning & Ad Strength

A responsive search ad lets you provide a pool of headlines and descriptions, and Google automatically tests and shows the combination it thinks will perform best for each search.

1. Fill in up to 15 headlines (30 characters each) and 4 descriptions (90 characters each) — Google shows at least one of each in any given ad.
2. Avoid "pinning" a headline or description into a fixed position unless you have a real reason to (like a legally required disclaimer); pinning shrinks the number of combinations Google can test and can lower your Ad Strength.
3. If you do need to pin something, pin 2–3 different options to that position rather than just one, so there's still some variation left to test.
4. Check your ad's "Ad Strength" rating (Poor to Excellent) — Google reports that advertisers who improve it from Poor to Excellent see 15% more clicks and conversions on average, though that's an account-wide average, not a guarantee for any one ad.

How many headlines and descriptions should I actually write?

Use as many of the available 15 headlines and 4 descriptions as you can write good, distinct options for — more real variety generally means a stronger ad.

Is my ad's Ad Strength good, and does it matter?

Ask datanephew to check your ad's current Ad Strength rating. Poor or Average usually means adding more distinct headlines/descriptions and unpinning anything that doesn't need to be pinned.