googleadwordshero
- Jun 3
- 2 min read

PPC | PAID SEARCH | A guide to ad variations in Google Ads

Article by Tim Jensen

Learn to set up clean A/B tests using Google Ads' ad variations feature and get ideas for high-impact tests to run.

Iterative testing is crucial to ongoing success of any PPC campaign.

As we inevitably entrust more of this testing process to ad platform AI, gaining insights into what worked becomes more complicated.

For instance, responsive search ads can consist of up to 15 headlines and four descriptions in a practically endless variety of formats. We receive limited data about top performing combinations and assets, but building a practical takeaway for future advertising tactics can be difficult without a clear plan going in.

Thankfully, Google’s ad variations feature allows you to modify ads across a campaign or multiple campaigns. This ensures that a clean subset of people receive one version and another subset the next version.

This capability allows you to test different offers, types of messaging, asset orders and more. The value of using ad variations over standard Google Ads experiments lies in the ease of setup and the ability to test across multiple campaigns.

Let’s start with an overview of how to set up ad variations and move on to practical ideas for using them in your accounts.