Let's take a look at the customization options available for text ads on the Search and Display network. Topics include: Countdowns, Keyword Targeting, Location Targeting, Recurring Events, and more!

1. AdWords Ad Customizers
September 2015
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How They Work
Ad customizers are implemented using parameters within { } braces, similar to keyword insertion.
The contents of parameters will be replaced by dynamic text when an ad is triggered by a user’s
search. Customizers pull data from CSV files.
The above example would look
like this:
Customizers can be used within any text ad on the Google Search or Display Network, except in
URL fields.

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Benefits
Tailored Messaging: Easily hyper-specialize
an ad (or ads) to specific searches or
webpage views.
Time-sensitive CTAs: If you’re running a
limited-time promotion, the COUNTDOWN
customizer (demonstrated on the right) will
show a user how much time is left to take
advantage of the deal.
Scalability: Rather than manually write out hundreds of ad variations for different
locations and products, customizers will dynamically show the most relevant ad
variation to each potential lead.
Reporting: Concerned that all the potential ad variations will tamper with your
reporting process? Don’t worry: Different triggers for customizers do not have any
effect on resetting an ad’s performance data.

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Countdown
s The Countdown customizer
functions just as its name
implies: When given the date
of an upcoming deadline or
event, the Countdown
parameter will tell a user how
many hours or days are left
to take advantage of the
advertised deal.
The syntax:
• {=COUNTDOWN(“2015/12/25 09:00:00”)}
• Include this anywhere but URL fields in text ads
You can also pass an argument for display language:
• {=COUNTDOWN(“2015/12/25 09:00:00”, “en”)}
And for the number of days before the end date that the countdown should start serving:
• {=COUNTDOWN(“2015/12/25 09:00:00”, “en”, 6)}
• Otherwise, countdown customizers start showing their ads 5 days before the
specified end time

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Dynamic
Keywords
Here, the advertiser is choosing to trigger customization at the keyword level. That is, whenever a
user searches for a keyword in the “Target keyword” column of the table, the customization will be
triggered. This can also be accomplished at the ad group and campaign levels.
Thus, if someone searches for “prowhip 300 price” before May 15, 2015, the customizers will cause
the following ad to be served:

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Recurring
Events
Progression
If a venue has an event series that highlights a new
guest every week or month, the owner can show ads
that countdown to when each talk is scheduled.
By default, the countdown customizer serves ads five
days before an event takes place.
In Image 2, an ad is written using data from Image 1.
The following images show how that ad is served on
days and times leading up to individual events.
1 2

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Location-Specific
Text
Text ads can be customized for location just as easily as for keyword. As the above
example illustrates, it’s just a matter of specifying a Target_location in the customization
spreadsheet.
From there, messaging can be customized per location.

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Example
Applications
• To estimate shipping to a searcher’s specific
location, an ad could use customizers to
target that location and serve a custom
“Ships in X Days” in the message (via
location customizer)
• Serve ads with product-specific messaging to
potential customers searching for related
terms (via dynamic keywords)
• Present ads for a recurring concert or show
as upcoming dates approach (via
countdowns)
• Let a user know how close the nearest
location of a business is, and what the hours
of operation are (via location customizer)
• If the price of a specific product or service
varies from city to city, customization can be
used to show different prices to users in
different locations (via location customizer)

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Customization
Specs
Countdown functions can be customized so that the ‘deadline’ adjusts to the timezone of
users in different locations, or the ‘deadline’ stays consistent with the advertiser’s
specific timezone.

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Customization
Specs
Language codes for
countdown customization, as
provided by Google.

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Customization
Specs
Customized ads can be targeted by keyword (with various match types), ad group,
campaign, or location.

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Customization
Specs
These are the standard attribute types that can be included in a customization
spreadsheet. An advertiser can specify a schedule for ads, which devices to advertise
on, a start and end date for customized ads, and other custom attributes.

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Customization
Specs
These are the data types that can be used to create custom attributes for ad
customization:
• Text (combinations of letters and numbers)
• Numbers (whole numbers)
• Prices (Numbers with decimals and valid currency signs)
• Dates (in a variety of formats).

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What You Need
To set up ad customizers, you will first need to upload a “customizer data template” into the Business Data
section in the Shared library in AdWords. The template can be found here:
https://storage.googleapis.com/support-kms-prod/CC6B1FCD3EFA81DC3D5F68F20CF07E3DA6DB
This template contains targeting attributes and other information, such as device preference, scheduling,
product price, product detail, event timing, custom ad copy, etc.
For the above example, assume the filed is saved and uploaded as ‘Mixers.csv’
You can then access the data from the spreadsheet using parameters in your text ad copy (other than in the
URL).
An example ad using the data above:
Headline
Desc. Line 1
Desc. Line 2
URL Yields

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Summary
• Ad customizers are implemented using parameters within { } braces, similar to
keyword insertion. The text in the brackets will be replaced by dynamic text when an
ad is triggered by a user’s search.
• Ad customization can be used on any campaign in the Search or Display
network.
• Ad customizers rely on data from “customization spreadsheets,” which can be
uploaded into the Shared library in AdWords.
• Text ads can be customized for:
• Countdowns to deadlines
• Recurring events
• Location-specific language
• Keyword insertion
• Product-specific keywords
Google resources:
https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6072565?hl=en
https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/6093368?vid=1-635809552704459332-
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