Managing your own Google Ads campaigns can feel like juggling. Between writing ad copy, selecting keywords, and optimizing landing pages, it’s hard to know if your efforts are truly paying off. One of the most effective ways to find out is through Google Ads A/B testing. By comparing different elements of your ads, this process provides data-driven insights that can help you understand what’s really driving clicks and conversions. Whether you run manual tests or use Google Ads’ Experiments tool, A/B testing is essential for optimizing your ad campaigns and maximizing your ad spend.

At Odd Dog Media, we help businesses like yours take the guesswork out of Google Ads A/B testing, so you can make informed decisions and get the most out of your marketing budget. In this guide, we’ll explore how Google Ads A/B testing can transform your campaigns—and how we can help.

What is A/B Testing?

A/B testing, also referred to as split testing, is a simple yet powerful way to compare two variations of something to see which performs better. In A/B testing, you’re running a small experiment where you change just one element at a time to determine its impact. In everyday life, you might think of A/B testing as trying two different recipes for the same dish; one of the recipes is your go-to recipe you’ve made numerous times, and the second recipe is a variation of the original recipe with one ingredient swapped out. After trying your new recipe, you may find that the flavor is better than you had imagined!

In the context of Google Ads, A/B testing is a data-driven approach that allows you to compare variations of your ad campaigns — such as different headlines, images, or targeting options — to see which version drives more clicks or conversions. This helps you refine your campaigns so you’re not wasting valuable ad spend on elements that don’t resonate with your audience.

Within the Google Ads platform, there are two primary approaches you can take for A/B testing: manual A/B testing and using the Google Ads Experiments tool.

Manual A/B Testing: This approach involves creating two variations of your campaign, ad group or ad, and running them side by side to test a specific change.
Google Ads Experiments Tool: For a more organized testing process, Google offers an Experiments feature. This tool allows you to duplicate a campaign, apply changes to the test version and split your traffic evenly between the two versions.

The Odd Dog mobile site A/B testing top call to action text

While manual A/B testing is ideal for simple tests such as those related to ad copy or ad extensions, Google Ads Experiments are often better suited for more significant, structural changes to your campaigns. For instance, transitioning from enhanced CPC to target ROAS bidding can lead to substantial shifts in clicks and conversions. With Google Ads Experiments, you can run a test version of such changes on a smaller portion of traffic, allowing you to assess the potential impact before officially implementing it across the entire campaign.

Keep in mind that because both of these A/B testing methods occur within Google Ads, you will only be able to test variables that you can change within that platform, which excludes specific features of landing pages. The only way to test specific features on your landing pages — like calls to action, header text, images, or general page design — is to opt for one of the following options:

Create two unique versions of the landing page within your CMS, and two unique ads within Google Ads (one using each landing page). Use one of the two A/B testing methods to determine which ad performs better.
Use a 3rd-party tool, like VWO, to run dynamic landing page tests (the easier option in our opinion!).

A/B Tests In Action: Corcentric ran an A/B test to find out which call-to-action worked best on their landing page. The result? A 99.42% rise in the interaction rate of users arriving on the page. Learn more about how A/B testing helped them.

Why A/B Testing Matters for Your Google Ads Campaigns

By testing different elements of your campaign, you gain valuable insights into what drives performance. While it may seem straightforward, the impact of these small adjustments can be huge, transforming your campaign from good to great and maximizing your return on investment.

Here’s why A/B testing should be a part of your Google Ads strategy:

1. Understand What Works (& What Doesn’t): Without clear data, it’s difficult to know which changes make a difference in your campaign performance. By testing one change at a time (like a new headline or a different image), you can see exactly what’s driving better results. Plus, finding out what doesn’t work is often just as valuable as discovering what does.

2. Move the Needle: Google Ads is constantly evolving, and campaigns left on “autopilot” can quickly become outdated. Regularly conducting a split test ensures your ads stay relevant and optimized for success. Over time, these small tweaks can lead to big gains in click-through rates, conversions, and overall performance.

3. Boost Your ROI: A/B testing allows you to continuously improve your ads and make your budget work smarter, not harder. By discovering which campaign or ad elements perform best, you can refine your campaigns, increase conversions, and ultimately get more bang for your buck.

How to Devise a Google Ads A/B Test

Remember the scientific method from grade school? Turns out, Google Ads A/B testing follows that same structure.

If you’re ready to start A/B testing, the first step is to devise a test based on something you’ve observed about your account performance. Ask questions about what you observed, and develop a hypothesis as to why it could be happening.

Say, for example, you notice that your average clickthrough rate (CTR) for an ad is lower than expected. Ask questions that could inspire a test:

Why aren’t users clicking my ad?
How many impressions is the ad earning?
How does my ad copy and positioning compare to competitors?
Which headlines perform best or worst at this point?

By asking and investigating these questions, you notice that your worst-performing headlines are those that contain your call to action and theorize that perhaps the calls to action you’re using aren’t clear or compelling. You guess providing a call to action that better outlines what happens after a user clicks your ad will improve your CTR.

Hypothesis? Check ✅

While you can test almost any element in a campaign, the key to successful A/B testing is to change only one thing at a time. You might focus on the ad copy, audience targeting, placements, or images, but testing them all at once makes it impossible to pinpoint which change made the difference.

Here are some key elements to consider testing in your campaigns:

Ad Copy Testing

Start simple. Create two responsive search ads in the same ad group and change just one element, like the headlines or the call-to-action. Keep it focused on a single hypothesis; if you change too much at once, you won’t know what made the difference.

Landing Page Testing

Your landing page plays a critical role in turning clicks into conversions. By testing different landing pages, you can see which layout, messaging, or call-to-action prompts more people to buy, call, or sign up. For example, you could test a different CTA, modify form fields, or tweak the layout to see which version leads to more conversions.

This is where your SEO efforts can complement your Google Ads strategy, as optimized landing pages can drive success in both organic and paid campaigns.

Visual Asset Testing

Visuals are key when running Display, Video, or Performance Max campaigns. Try comparing different images or videos to see which ones capture attention and drive engagement. Even minor changes to color or composition can greatly impact performance.

Manually Conduct a Google Ads A/B Test

Setting Up a Manual Ad Copy A/B Test

Propose a Test: Ask a critical question, and take an informed guess as to what the answer to that question is (a.k.a., your hypothesis). Determine which ad you will need to manipulate to execute this test.
Create Your A/B Test: Duplicate your chosen ad using the following steps. The original will be the “A” version, and the duplicate will be the “B” version.
1. Click the checkbox next to your chosen ad.
2. Hit “edit” and choose “copy”.
3. Unselect the checkbox next to the ad, and click “paste” in the menu bar.
4. In the pop-up window, choose the duplicated ad’s destination (this should be the same ad group as the original ad).
5. Click the checkbox that says “If ad already exists in destination, create duplicate”.
Make Changes: Implement your ad copy changes in the “B” ad. Leave the “A” version unchanged.

Run the Test: Ensure both the “A” and “B” versions are enabled. Give your test at least 2–4 weeks before concluding.
Analyze Results: Once your ads have generated sufficient data, determine whether there is a clear winner, and pause the lower-performing ad.

Note: Optimized Ad Rotation May Impact Results

By default, Google will show your best-performing ads more frequently — meaning, if you’re running manual A/B testing and have this optimized ad rotation setting enabled, one ad will begin showing more frequently than the other, which may skew your results. To disable this setting, go to Campaign settings > Additional settings > Ad rotation and select “Do not optimize: Rotate ads indefinitely”.

Using Google Ads Experiments for A/B Testing

While an A/B test can be conducted manually by creating variations of your campaigns, ad groups, or ads, the Google Ads Experiments feature provides another option. With Experiments, you can duplicate your campaign, apply your changes, and allocate your budget across both versions to compare their performance.

Setting up an Experiment

Propose a Test: Ask a critical question, and take an informed guess as to what the answer to that question is (a.k.a., your hypothesis). Determine which aspect of your account you need to manipulate to execute this test.
Go to the Experiments tab: In Google Ads, navigate to the Campaigns section and click Experiments. Then, hit the plus button to select “Create Experiment.” You’ll then choose a category and campaign type.

Choose a Base Campaign: Select the campaign you want to experiment with. This will be the “A” version. Google Ads Experiments will automatically create a duplicate of your chosen base campaign, which will be the “B” version.
Make Changes: Decide what you want to test (ad copy, landing page, bidding strategy) and implement these changes in the trial campaign. Example of setting up a new ad variation below:

Configure the Experiment: Specify your goals, when you want the experiment to begin and end, and determine the percentage of traffic to allocate to each version (A and B). It’s recommended to use a 50/50 split of traffic, but 70/30 or other ratios might also be suitable depending on your needs.

Launch the Test: Once configured, click “Start Experiment.” Google Ads will then begin showing both versions to your target audience.

An advantage of using Google Ads Experiments is that you’ll be notified when the results reach statistical significance. This means you can be confident that the findings are reliable. Given there isn’t enough data for a statistically significant result, the test will be marked as inconclusive. Even in these cases, you can often still gain valuable insights into your campaign’s performance. Once concluded, you can apply it to your base campaign or end the experiment without incorporating the changes.

Key Takeaways on Google Ads A/B Testing

When running effective PPC advertising campaigns, embracing Google Ads A/B testing can be a game changer. This strategic approach allows you to discover what truly captivates your audience. Even small adjustments can lead to big results over time.

However, we understand that as a business owner, your time is limited. Running A/B tests, analyzing the data, and staying on top of all the variables can feel overwhelming when you’re already wearing multiple hats. That’s where Odd Dog Media comes in. Our team of digital marketing experts specializes in managing Google Ads campaigns and A/B testing, allowing you to focus on running your business while we focus on driving results.

Ready to take your Google Ads to the next level? Contact our team today, and let’s talk about how we can help you unleash the full potential of your Google Ads campaigns.