If you’re running Google Ads without testing, you’re probably leaving money on the table.
No two audiences are the same. What works for one campaign might fall flat in another.
That’s where Google Ads A/B testing comes in.
It shows you what earns the click. Whether you’re tweaking headlines, testing new bidding strategies, or trying different landing pages, A/B testing gives you the data to back your decisions.
Let’s walk through how to run A/B tests on your Google Ads and choose the right elements to improve your results. With the average Google Ads conversion rate at 6.96% across industries, even small improvements can bring a higher ROI for your advertising spend.
What Is A/B Testing in Google Ads?
A/B testing is when you create two versions of an ad and measure which one works better.
For example, you might run the same ad but change the call to action. One version can say “Buy Now,” and the other can say “Shop Today.” Both will run in the same campaign, and Google Ads will track which one gets more clicks.
With Google Ads A/B testing, you can:
- Test calls to action to see which gets more clicks
- Compare images or videos to find what catches attention
- Test different landing pages to increase conversions
- And more
The goal is to find the ‘winning’ version of your ad that helps improve clicks, sales, or other results.
Why A/B Testing Matters in Google Ads
You might wonder why A/B testing deserves your time when you're already busy running campaigns. Here's why it matters:
- It saves you money. When you test different ads, you see exactly what works and what doesn't. This means you can put more money toward what brings in sales and stop spending on what doesn't.
- It shows you what connects with customers. Sometimes what we think will work falls flat. Testing reveals what your actual customers respond to instead of what we assume they want.
- It gives you a competitive edge. Most businesses guess what might work or copy others. When you test, you build your own playbook based on real data from your customers.
What to Test in Google Ads?
Now for the part you've been waiting for: choosing what to test in your Google Ads.
There are several elements you can test to improve your campaign results. Each test gives you insights about what works with your specific customers.
Get started by testing:
Ad Headlines
Headlines are the first thing people see in your ad. People scan search results quickly, so your headline needs to grab attention fast. Test different types to see what makes your customers stop and look.
Try questions against statements, like "Need New Shoes?" versus "Running Shoes On Sale." Test different lengths to see if short and punchy blogs beat detailed ones. Even small word changes like "Half Off" instead of "50% Off" are worth a test.
Call-to-Action Words
The words that tell people what to do matter. Try "Buy Now" against "Get Yours." Test "Learn More" against "See How." Find which words make people act.
Ad Descriptions
Some customers want lots of details. Others want just the facts. Test long descriptions against short ones to see what your audience prefers.
Dynamic Keywords
Dynamic keywords are a feature that puts the exact words people search for into your ads. When someone searches "red running shoes," your ad can show that exact phrase. Test if this personal touch makes more people click than standard ads.
Ad Extensions
Extensions are those extra pieces of information that show up with your ad. You can add phone numbers, links to specific pages, your location, and more. These give people more ways to connect with you without clicking your main ad.
Test different types to see which ones work best for your business. Some extensions work better for local businesses, while others help online stores.
Images in Display and Performance Max Campaigns
If you run Display or Performance Max campaigns, images do a lot of the heavy lifting. Test different types of images. For example, you can try lifestyle shots with people versus clean product photos. See which type gets more clicks.
Also, make sure your images fit the right formats. Use square, landscape, and portrait images to give your ads more placement options across devices.
Landing Pages
The page people see after they click your ad must work hard. Test these parts:
- Headlines: The first words people read must grab them
- Layout: Try different looks, move pictures around, change colors
- Buttons: Test different colors, sizes, and words
- Content Length: Test short content against long content
- Customer Reviews: Try putting them in different spots
- Navigation: Test with and without menu links
Ad Targeting
Who sees your ads matters as much as what they say. Test these options:
- Customer groups: Show ads to different types of people by age, location, or interests. For example, test if your product sells better to people in their 20s or people in their 40s.
- Ad scheduling: Test morning against night, weekdays against weekends. You might find people buy more on Tuesday mornings than Saturday afternoons.
- Bid strategies: Try "Maximize Conversions" against "Maximize Conversion Value." One focuses on getting as many sales as possible while the other tries to get the biggest sales.
- Match types: Compare different ways Google matches your ads to searches. Broad Match shows your ad to more people (even if their search is only somewhat related to your product), whereas Exact Match shows your ad only when someone searches for exactly what you sell.
- Audience signals: Test different audience hints to help Google find the right people. Try showing ads to people who visited your website before versus people who search for topics related to your business.
Where to Find Your A/B Test Results?
Once your test is running, you need to know where to look for the results. Google Ads and Google Analytics both provide the data you need, but each focuses on different parts of the journey.
In Google Ads
Google Ads tracks how your ads perform before the click. This includes impressions, clicks, conversions, and costs.
To find your A/B test results in Google Ads:
- Go to the “Experiments” tab on the left-hand side of your dashboard.
- Here, you’ll see a summary of your running and completed tests.
- Google makes it easy to compare key metrics between your original campaign and the variation.
One helpful feature is that Google highlights whether the differences you see in performance are statistically significant or likely due to chance. This gives you more confidence when choosing the winning version.
In Google Analytics
Google Analytics tracks what happens after someone clicks your ad. This is where you measure landing page performance.
To check your landing page test results:
- Go to the “Engagement” section under the “Reports” tab.
- From there, open the “Landing Page” report.
- You can adjust the columns to focus on metrics that matter most to your business, like average engagement time, events per session, purchases, or revenue.
For example, if you’re testing two landing pages for an ecommerce site, you can compare how long visitors stay on each page, how many add items to their cart, and how many complete a purchase.
Pro tip: If you aren’t running a formal A/B test through Google Ads but have made changes to a page, you can use the date range selector in Analytics. This lets you compare performance before and after the change to see if your updates made a difference.
How to Analyze A/B Test Results?
Once your A/B test ends, it’s time to make sense of the numbers. This is where real decisions happen.
Here’s how to dig into your data the right way.
▶️ Check Impressions First
Impressions show how many times each ad appeared.
If one ad showed 5,000 times and the other only 2,000, the test was not even. You cannot trust those results.
Make sure both ads were seen by a similar number of people before you look at anything else.
▶️ Look at Conversions to Find Out Who Acted
After clicks, you want to know how many people took action.
If one ad gets 100 clicks and 10 sales, that is a 10 percent conversion rate. If another gets 150 clicks but only 5 sales, that is just over 3 percent.
Even though the second ad got more clicks, the first ad turned more clicks into real results.
▶️ Check Cost Per Conversion
Cost per conversion shows how much you spent to get each sale or lead.
If one ad gets conversions for $10 each and another for $25 each, the cheaper one helps your budget go further.
This number helps you decide which ad is more efficient.
▶️ Measure Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
Finally, check return on ad spend (ROAS). This shows which ad made the most money for every dollar you spent.
The formula for ROAS is
ROAS = Revenue earned ÷ Ad spend
Let’s say you ran two ads. One cost $300 and brought in $900. The other cost $150 and brought in $270.
Plugging in the numbers:
- Ad A ROAS: 900 ÷ 300 = 3.0
- Ad B ROAS: 270 ÷ 150 = 1.8
Even though Ad B cost less, Ad A gave you a higher return for every dollar spent. ROAS helps you see where your money truly works best.
Put It All Together
The best ad is the one that balances CTR, conversions, cost per conversion, and ROAS.
If you only look at clicks, you might choose an ad that brings no sales.
Always review the full set of results. That is how you make better decisions and improve future campaigns.
What are Advanced A/B Testing Ideas?
Once you’ve tested headlines and images, you can try more advanced experiments.
These tests help fine-tune how your ads perform and how far your budget goes.
Compare Bid Strategies
Try testing Maximize Conversions against Maximize Conversion Value.
If you sell items at different price points, Max Conversion Value helps Google focus on higher-value sales. Max Conversions focuses on getting as many sales as possible, no matter the price.
Test both to see which brings better returns for your business.
Test Match Types
For search campaigns, compare Broad Match with Phrase Match or Exact Match.
Broad Match reaches more people but can pull in unrelated clicks. Exact Match focuses on specific searches but might limit your reach.
Testing these helps you find the right balance between volume and quality.
Adjust Audience Signals in Performance Max
Performance Max campaigns let you guide Google with audience signals.
Try swapping different signals like interests, purchase intent, or website visitors. Testing these helps Google find the right people faster.
You can also test new creatives in each asset group to see which mix of images and text gets the best results.
The Role of Critical Thinking in Google Ads A/B Testing
Critical thinking means looking at information, asking questions, and finding out what is really true.
When you run A/B tests in Google Ads, you use critical thinking to make sure you are picking the right winner.
Let’s say one ad gets more clicks. That sounds great. But what if that ad ran during a big sale or had less competition?
Instead of guessing, critical thinking helps you ask why. It helps you see what really worked and what didn’t.
To apply critical thinking in Google Ads A/B testing:
- Check the dates: Did both ads run in the same weeks or months of the year?
- Look at other ads: Were there more or fewer competitors running ads at the same time?
- Check clicks and sales: Did more clicks turn into more sales, or did people just click without buying anything?
- Think about your audience: Did something special (like a holiday) happen that changed how people clicked?
Google Ads A/B Testing Case Study
Marketing Link, a US-based marketing agency with offices in Tampa, worked with a German horse saddle manufacturer who wanted more form submissions from their website.
The agency used Google Ads' built-in experiment feature to test two different destination URLs while keeping the same ad content. They tested whether sending traffic to the client's full website would perform better than a simplified landing page with a lead magnet (free downloadable price list).
After running Google Ads to both destinations for a month with equal traffic split, they discovered the full website significantly outperformed the landing page, generating 59% more conversions at just one-third the cost per conversion.
This test challenged the common marketing assumption that focused landing pages always convert better than full websites. Real data proved more valuable than industry "best practices."
Final Thoughts on Google Ads A/B Testing
A/B testing is one of the easiest ways to improve your Google Ads performance. Every test helps you understand what connects with your audience, whether it’s a headline, a landing page, or the way you bid.
But don’t stop at the ad.
Once someone clicks, the experience they have on your website matters just as much. That’s where Relevic helps. You can use what you learn from your A/B tests to personalize landing pages for each visitor, whether they come from Google Ads, social media, or email.
Pair your Google Ads A/B testing with Relevic’s website personalization to turn clicks into conversions faster. Create distraction-free pages that match user intent and adjust the content based on where they came from.
Get started for free and see how Relevic can help you make the most of every click.
Google Ads A/B Testing FAQs
How long should I run an A/B test in Google Ads?
A good rule of thumb is at least 2-4 weeks or until you’ve reached enough conversions to make the data meaningful. If your industry has longer buying cycles, consider waiting for 3 conversion cycles before making a decision.
How much budget should I set aside for A/B testing?
Set aside about 10-20% of your ad budget for testing. This gives your experiments enough reach without risking too much of your core campaign.
What if my A/B test results are too close to call?
If the difference between your ads is small and Google Ads shows the results aren’t statistically significant, it’s best to keep testing. You can either extend the test or try a bigger change, like a different headline style or audience.
Can I run multiple A/B tests at the same time?
You can, but be careful. It’s easier to track results if you test one variable at a time. Running too many tests at once makes it harder to know what’s really working.
Do I need to use Google’s Experiments tool, or can I test manually?
Google’s Experiments tool makes it easier to split traffic evenly and track results. You can test manually by duplicating campaigns and adjusting settings, but it’s more work to manage.
What about A/B testing Google Shopping Campaigns?
Shopping campaigns are different because you can’t split test them directly inside Google Ads like search or display ads. To test things like product images or titles, many businesses use feed management tools that let them swap elements and see what gets more clicks.
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