Google Ads is updating its display URL policy, requiring your display URL to match your destination URL’s root domain. This means you can’t use different display URLs pointing to the same destination. The enforcement date is April 1st, so you need to adjust your campaigns accordingly to avoid disruptions.
Changing display URLs impacts your ad’s quality score. Updating the display URL essentially creates a ‘new’ ad, resetting its quality score. To mitigate this, clone your existing ads with policy-compliant display URLs and run them alongside the originals. This allows the new ads to build history and quality score before the deadline. Once the new ads have a sufficient quality score, pause the old, non-compliant ads. For low-volume or less critical ads, you can directly update the display URL; they should regain their previous quality score relatively quickly.
Don’t be afraid to update your ad copy to improve quality score. A higher quality score can lower bids and increase profit margins. Since a keyword’s quality score is influenced by the historical performance of all related ads, improving ad copy can positively impact your bids. However, if you believe your ad copy is already optimal, the short-term quality score dip from changes might not be worth it. Generally, it’s best to experiment with ad copy early in a campaign to allow ample time for data accumulation. Poor campaign performance often stems from factors beyond just the ad copy.