Inspired by the need to make the acquisition of relevant information even easier and faster for mobile users, Google has announced changes to the way they’ll deliver ads to mobile devices.

Specifically, beginning October 15, 2014, there’s a chance that the second description line on your ads will be shaved off in favor of additional ad extensions when they’re served to mobile devices. This determination will be made in consideration with the ad’s expected CTR, as predicted by Google.

Google provided the following example to illustrate how an ad may be impacted.

Screen Shot 2014-09-11 at 3.43.46 PM

Google points out that in the first ad there are three points of engagement— the headline, and the two sitelink extensions. In the ad modified under Google’s pending optimizations, there are four points of engagement, as a location extension has replaced the second description line.

Account managers don’t need to take any sort of action to ensure that this new functionality , but they are encouraged to utilize Google-sanctioned best-practiced on all mobile ads:

–       Ensure the ad’s most important information is in the first line of the ad text.

–       Enable all relevant ad extensions.

–       Use mobile preferred ads.

Our personal recommendation: put your strongest benefit and call to action in description line 1 to ensure that they show always, and then closely monitor your CTRs in the weeks following the change. Let the data inform how you proceed.

(featured image by Scallop Holden/Flickr)