Since expanded text ads were retired, the Responsive Search Ad (RSA) has become the only format available in Search campaigns. The principle: you provide up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, and Google's algorithm assembles the best-performing combinations for each search. In 2026, the difference between a campaign that generates leads at a reasonable cost and one that pays far more for them very often comes down to the quality of those 19 assets. Here is the method we apply at Digital Swiss Agency for SMEs in French-speaking Switzerland, with before-and-after examples drawn from a local service business.
Understanding how Google assembles your ads
An RSA generally shows 2 to 3 headlines and 1 to 2 descriptions, chosen dynamically based on the query, the device and performance history. You therefore do not control the display order, unless you pin assets. Three practical consequences:
- Every headline must work on its own and next to any other. "And much more" makes no sense in first position.
- Two headlines saying the same thing cannibalise each other: Google may display them side by side, and your ad repeats "free quote" twice.
- The more varied your assets, the more material the algorithm has to find the combination that converts for each type of query.
The "Ad strength" indicator (from "Poor" to "Excellent") measures precisely this diversity and the presence of keywords. It does not guarantee conversions, but in practice an "Excellent" ad earns more impressions than an "Average" one on the same budget. Aim for it without making it an end in itself.
The 15-headline method: four families
The classic trap is writing 15 variations of the same message. To avoid it, spread your headlines across four complementary families. Each headline is limited to 30 characters, spaces included: every word must earn its place.
Family 1: keywords (4 to 5 headlines)
Use the exact terms your customers type, because Google favours ads that mirror the query and users click on what they just wrote. For an emergency plumber in Geneva: "Plumber Geneva Repairs", "Emergency Plumber Geneva 24/7", "Plumbing Repairs Geneva". One headline per major keyword variant in the ad group, no more.
Family 2: benefits (3 to 4 headlines)
Translate your service into a concrete outcome for the customer: "On Site Within 45 Minutes", "Price Confirmed Before Work", "Durable Repairs, Guaranteed". A good benefit answers the search's implicit question: how fast, how much, what guarantee.
Family 3: proof and differentiators (3 to 4 headlines)
This is the most neglected and most profitable family. Numbers, certifications, local roots: "250 Client Reviews, 4.8/5", "Suissetec Certified Plumbers", "15 Years Serving Geneva". These assets reassure and set you apart from competitors who line up generic claims.
Family 4: calls to action (2 to 3 headlines)
Say what to do and what happens next: "Free Quote in 2 Minutes", "Call Us, Immediate Answer". Avoid the generic "Click Here", which Google may in any case disapprove.
Before and after: an emergency plumber in Geneva
A fictional example, but representative of many ads run by SMEs in French-speaking Switzerland:
- Before: "Plumbing Geneva" / "Best Plumber in the Region" / "Quality and Service" / "Family Business" / "Contact Us" — only five headlines, no numbers, three phrases interchangeable with any competitor.
- After: 15 headlines spread across the four families above, including "Repairs from CHF 120", "On Site Within 45 Minutes" and "250 Client Reviews, 4.8/5".
This rewriting work alone can noticeably improve the click-through rate and the cost per lead, without touching the budget or the bids. Displaying a starting price such as "from CHF 120" slightly reduces click volume, but it filters out window shoppers: every paid click is better invested. This is exactly the kind of overhaul we carry out as part of our Google Ads campaign management in Geneva.
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The 4 descriptions: four angles, zero repetition
Each description has 90 characters. Google shows one or two of them: they must therefore stand alone and complement each other, never continue one another. Assign one angle to each:
- The full offer: what you do, for whom, where. "Leaks, boilers, drains: repairs across Geneva and surroundings, 7 days a week."
- The proof: numbers and guarantees. "Over 2,000 interventions per year, rated 4.8/5. Work guaranteed for 2 years."
- The process: what happens after the click. "Call or fill in the form: phone diagnosis and a firm price before any intervention."
- Urgency or the current offer: "Call-out fee waived for any intervention booked online this month."
Then reread headlines and descriptions together: if a description repeats a headline word for word, rewrite it. The combination "Free Quote in 2 Minutes" + "Request your free quote in 2 minutes" wastes half of your ad space.
Working in keywords and differentiators without stuffing
The right dose: the main keyword in 3 to 5 headlines and 1 to 2 descriptions, no more. Beyond that, the ad reads like a robot wrote it and your click-through rate drops. Reserve the remaining space for what your competitors cannot copy:
- Your numbers: years in business, number of clients, average rating, response time.
- Your prices: "from CHF 120" qualifies the click; staying silent on prices attracts compulsive comparison shoppers.
- Your local roots: neighbourhoods, municipalities, cantons served. "Geneva, Carouge, Lancy" says more than a vague "French-speaking Switzerland".
A simple test: hide your company name. If the ad could be signed by any competitor, your differentiators are too weak. This requirement applies to your ads as much as to your website: a precise ad that sends traffic to a generic page converts poorly, which is why landing page optimisation can be part of advertising management, quoted on request.
Avoiding repetition: the pre-publication checklist
- No power word (free, emergency, guaranteed) appears in more than two headlines.
- Every headline makes sense in position 1, alone, with no context.
- Read three random combinations out loud: they must form natural sentences.
- Pin sparingly: a single asset pinned in position 1 (your brand or the keyword) is enough; pinning everything amounts to writing a frozen ad and losing the benefit of the format.
- Check capitalisation and punctuation: Google disapproves exclamation marks in headlines and excessive CAPITALS.
Measure, prune, replace
After 30 days or roughly 5,000 impressions, open the asset report: Google rates every headline and description as "Low", "Good" or "Best". The monthly routine takes three moves: replace "Low" assets with a new variant from the same family, keep "Best" assets untouched, and never rewrite everything at once, or the ad goes back into its learning phase. Allow two weeks before judging any change: small-budget Search campaigns (CHF 300 to 1,000 per month, typical for SMEs in French-speaking Switzerland) accumulate data slowly.
The essentials
An effective RSA is not an inspired ad, it is an engineered one: 15 headlines spread across four families — keywords, benefits, proof, calls to action —, 4 descriptions with distinct angles, differentiators backed by CHF figures, and zero repetition. This work takes two hours per ad group and pays off for months. If you would rather hand it to us, tell us about your advertising project: we audit your existing ads before making any proposal.