Google Ads are a staple of any savvy digital marketer’s toolbox, but did you know they now allow for HTML 5 uploads? This clever way to make your Google Ads more eye-catching is a powerful tool in the right hands- so, of course, the Zebra 360 Online Marketing team are here to help you harness their power for your own brand.
Why HTML 5?
That’s a good question! Back in the day, Steve Jobs (of Apple fame) claimed there was no need for flash to run on the iPhone as HTML 5 could do it all, and so an international standard was set. HTML 5 is now the gold standard for powerful web development, and Flash has been relegated to the discard pile.
HTML 5 is simply the latest incarnation of the HTML standards, so web developers globally are more than familiar with its nuances. New, creative ways to use it evolve daily, however, so it’s good to never get too complacent when you’re planning the look of your campaign. Packed with dexterity and interoperability, it’s a versatile coding framework that allows you to do all sorts of things, from apps to framing video and much more. It’s free of the need to use plugins (which caused many a security issue with Flash), and everything happens in the browser. It’s widely supported, and offers the perfect all-frills, no-fuss solution to many creative design needs.
HTML 5 and Google Ads
The original lure of Flash was the ability to create smart advertising- no need for boring static banners. Interactive animation was the tip of the iceberg, and an advertising dream. But the problematic nature of the third-party element was always a downside. Today, flash is fairly dead… but HTML 5 stepped admirably into the breach. Google discontinued the use of flash in adverts in 2016. From 2018, however, ‘responsive’ ads became the Google standard. Of course, they have pretty stringent guidelines for how to create these ads, which also gives all their HTML 5 protocols too. The process of creating these ads is not as arduous as you may think. It’s simply a matter of getting a smart web developer who understands Google Ad requirements, and can help you make sure your ads fit all their guidelines seamlessly. As always, there’s no future in misleading or malicious content. Google even converted many existing flash ads into the safer HTML 5 format for you, but this automatic conversion process will soon be at an end. It’s time to refresh your campaigns with a newer, safer lease on life!
What are the Google Ads HTML 5 requirements?
To run HTML 5 in your Google Ads isn’t too arduous of a process, and their guidelines are pretty reasonable.
- HTML 5 ads should be SSL compatible: If you want your ads to appear on https:// secure sites, your ad needs to meet SSL standards.
- Use the ‘Display and Video’ environment if you’re using Google Web Designer
- State dimensions properly: Your size meta tag must specify the display size, with no dynamic sizes, and no 0 minimum dimensions
- Follow ‘click tag’ guidelines: Shorn of jargon, this means your landing page must be properly set.
- Use their specified guidelines: From file type and contents, to file size when zipped, specific ad sizes, local images, and the presence of Ad Name, destination URL and the compressed files, these are pretty simple to adhere to. Do remember video and maps aren’t supported, however. Google asset validation can be used to make sure you’re hitting all the benchmarks.
- Meet their image quality standards: This ensures a great experience for the viewer, too, so it’s common sense.
HTML 5 is, without a doubt, the future standard of the web, so it’s time to make sure your ad campaigns have evolved to match. We’re unlikely to see a move to ‘HTML 6’ either, with an ongoing evolution of iteration 5 far more likely. It’s a versatile language that allows for any number of creative uses, so there’s no hardship in the upgrade. If you want your Google Ads to ‘pop’, make sure you’ve fully updated and integrated HTML 5 into your Google Ad designs today. Need a little help? As always, the Zebra 360 Online Marketing gurus are on hand to help your brand look it’s best!
