Google is testing a new user interface treatment for the Google Ads diagnostic insights view. This new UI highlighted an issue with low ad strength that drove a lot of concern within the PPC community. In short, Ginny Marvin, Google’s Ads Liaison, said the ad strength and pinning details are not new, but the treatment for the diagnostics insights is a test.

Nate Louis spotted this new UI for the Google Ads diagnostic insights and posted this screenshot on X:

Nate asked, “Will ads no longer show if they have low ad strength?” This led to a lot of concern in the PPC community, here are some of those mentions:

The other shoe has dropped.

Ad Strength can now be used as a tool to directly enforce Google’s wishes:

Feed-only PMax campaign? Limit impressions.
RSAs pinned like a butterfly? Limit impressions.
etc.https://t.co/l7SpivBLmv https://t.co/PZYUp8Y2Uy

— Mike Ryan (@mikeryanretail) March 29, 2024

Came to this same conclusion. I’ve basically settled on pinning my first headline then leaving the rest up to G. Maybe pinning 1 description. Seems to work better than pinning everything or not pinning anything.

— Darcy Burk (@darcyburk) March 27, 2024

probably. this needs confirmation from @adsliaison.

— Mike Ryan (@mikeryanretail) March 29, 2024

Google’s Ginny Marvin replied in detail over here saying:

This is a diagnostics insights view, which provides an overview of potential issues that may be limiting your campaign’s ability to serve and actions you can take to resolve them. The UI treatment seen here is being tested, but the signals are not new. More on diagnostic insights here.

Low Ad Strength could explain a lack of impressions, but this warning (or Ad Strength itself) doesn’t prevent ads from entering into auctions.

To be clear, there hasn’t been a change to Ad Strength. Ad Strength is a diagnostic tool that helps indicate the diversity and relevancy of the assets available to maximize the number of ad combinations that may show for a query. (It looks at 4 categories that have been identified to result in better performance through regression analyses.) It’s meant to be used as a guide to improve the effectiveness of your ads but isn’t used directly in the auction & shouldn’t limit your testing. You can find more on Ad Strength in our RSA technical guide as well (pages 5-6).

For example, we know pinning can be necessary, but it restricts the number of ad combinations that can be matched to a query. That’s why you’ll see an impact on the score. It’s also why we recommend pinning 2 or 3 headlines or descriptions to each position if possible to increase the number of combinations available. Again, that shouldn’t stop you from pinning when needed, but it’s helpful to understand why it’s reflected in the score.

We know pinning can be necessary and recommend pinning 2-3 assets to a position if possible because it provides more combination flexibility than just pinning 1 asset alone. More on pinning here: https://t.co/MZXbvvudsT

— AdsLiaison (@adsliaison) March 29, 2024

Quality score is also an external diagnostic tool & also isn’t an input in the ad auction. It provides an assessment of how your ad quality compares to other advertisers and is based on historical impressions for exact searches of your keyword. More on Quality Score here:…

— AdsLiaison (@adsliaison) March 29, 2024

So, TLDR we are not in trouble.

— Darcy Burk (@darcyburk) March 29, 2024

Forum discussion at X.