Are you looking for a way to push your Google Ads account to the next level? Maybe you feel that things are getting stale, or like any PPC master you just want to drive constant improvement. You might even just want to impress your stakeholders with some fancy new bells and whistles in the account. If that’s the case, a great idea is to get your account into some Google Ads betas. Throughout the years, we’ve been whitelisted for numerous betas and alphas. In some cases, our team was the first to go to market with new betas and our feedback played a critical role in improving them.
So, in this blog post, we wanted to give you some of our top tips for how to get whitelisted into Google Ads betas. Some of them are straight from our friends at Google, while the others are just a bit of insider info!
Know About Them!
Seems like a no-brainer, right? But, the first step to getting into different betas for Google Ads is simply to know that they exist. If you are lucky enough to be assigned a Google Ads rep (whether via your agency, or through your individual account), you can email them to request a Google Ads beta deck at any time. The decks are usually released quarterly and are hefty – usually 50 slides or more – covering all the latest happenings. They are typically organized by Search, Display, Video, Shopping and DoubleClick to help you navigate to the sections most relevant to your account. Be sure that you are requesting this deck every quarter and reading through to ensure you don’t miss out on any opportunities. Once you find one that’s right for you, email your Google rep to request to be whitelisted (but hey, finish this blog post first).
Push Up Your Optimization Score
Before you request to be whitelisted, remember that this is an “ask”. There is no guarantee. So, how do you increase your chances of getting in? We start by making sure that our account is fully in order. If you’re familiar with Google Ads, you are likely very aware of your “Optimization Score” – and that it is based on how well your account meets best practices, and that it can be improved by implementing select features on the Recommendations tab.
Now, I will be the first to say that we know Optimization scores are not always accurate and are a bit arbitrary to the more seasoned professional. They don’t recognize things we’ve previously tested in our accounts or take into consideration when we are trying something different or working to break the mold. There are lots of things that we do that might ding our Optimization Score, but we are doing so with years of experience under our belt, and so, although we always check the Recommendations tab, there are things that we won’t implement for specific reasons. But, your Google rep is, at least in-part, evaluated on the Optimization Score of the accounts that they oversee, so if there are some Recommendations you can implement that are not going to thoroughly blow up your account, definitely do it just to put your account in better standing when the request is made.
Make a Clear Use-Case
When you request to be added to a Google Ads beta, having a clear use-case can help your Google rep help YOU get access. A simple email, like “Hey, I saw the lead extension beta. Can I have access?” doesn’t tell your Google rep much, and likely means they’ll have to hunt down some additional info before they even make the request on your behalf. And, you shouldn’t be trusting that they know EXACTLY how the beta will help your business anyway – remember, most Google reps have TONS of accounts and it’s likely a challenge to keep everything straight some days. So, give them some information that they can work with! Try this:
Hey John,
I was reviewing the latest Google Ads deck beta that you sent over (thanks again for that!). On page 22 in the Search section, I found one that looks interesting. The Lead Extension beta would be perfect for our business, Parkside Windows & Doors (CID: 143-560-0124). We are currently at $X CPL, and I am hoping to be able to get a X% conversion rate boost from this beta, which would put us at a CPL of $X. If we could move the needle that much, I have approval from my manager to spend an incremental $XXXX next month on Google Ads. So, how can we get our account whitelisted and what are the next steps?
Thanks,
Tom
Note that Budget Might Matter
If you paid close attention in our email template above, you may have noticed that I specifically mentioned that I was approved for an increase in budget if the beta worked in our favor. I did this because budget matters. Though every Google Ads beta will have different requirements (and good luck getting those!), we do know that budget is a major factor. In most cases, we assume there needs to be substantial budget and spend history so that there is enough traffic, and therefore data, to help inform the beta to work properly, and so that Google can assess the results of it post-implementation.
If you want the beta just because – and it’s not mutually beneficial to the Google team – they are less likely to whitelist you. Additionally, while you might need significant spend to get INTO a beta, the promise of more budget might help your Google rep work harder to get you into the beta. Why is that? It’s been rumored that another part of your Google rep’s evaluation is determined by how much they can increase spend in their client’s accounts. You scratch their back, they’ll scratch yours (I mean, maybe).
Foster a Strong Relationship
Not to be downplayed, our last tip is to foster a strong relationship with your Google Ads rep. Make yourself available to them, and realize that they need to have meetings with you often, even if you don’t feel that you need to have meetings with them. Keep up a good rapport and treat them with the respect of a partner and not just a vendor. You can’t underestimate the value of kindness.
Have any other tips for getting access to Google Ads betas? Drop them below! We’d love to hear them.