Responsive Search Ads have been Google’s default search ad format since 2022. The format is powerful: rather than writing one static ad, advertisers provide up to 15 headlines and four descriptions, and Google’s machine learning tests different combinations to find what performs best for each individual search query. The result, when done well, is ads that are more relevant to more searches than any manually written variant could be. But the quality of what Google can optimise is entirely dependent on the quality of what you give it. Fifteen headlines that all say the same thing in different words give Google no variation to test. Headlines that exceed 30 characters get truncated and look broken. Descriptions that repeat the same value proposition provide no differentiation. Ads without keywords in the headlines lose relevance. A structured RSA creation process addresses all of these — ensuring every headline and description is distinct, keyword-relevant, and following the ad structure that produces “Good” or “Excellent” Ad Strength — which Google data shows produces 15% more clicks and conversions than “Poor” Ad Strength. This free checklist gives PPC managers and Google Ads practitioners a structured framework for creating, reviewing, and optimising RSAs.
| Element | Limit | Recommendation | What Google shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headlines | Max 15 / 30 chars each | Write 10+ covering brand, features, benefits, social proof, and CTA | 2–3 headlines per impression |
| Descriptions | Max 4 / 90 chars each | Use all 4; cover different themes (benefit, proof, process, CTA) | 1–2 descriptions per impression |
| Pinning | Any headline/description can be pinned to Position 1, 2, or 3 | Maximum 2–3 pins per RSA; use only for legal/compliance requirements | Pinned elements always appear in their assigned position |
| Ad Strength target | — | “Good” or “Excellent” | Excellent = 15% more clicks and conversions on average vs Poor |
| RSAs per ad group | Max 3 | At least 2 with Good/Excellent Ad Strength | Adding a 2nd RSA produces 6.6% more conversions at similar CPA |
Seven phases from campaign structure review through headline and description writing, Ad Strength assessment, pinning strategy, asset setup, and ongoing optimisation.
RSAs are most effective when ad groups have tightly themed keyword sets. An ad group covering ten unrelated keywords cannot be served by a single RSA that is relevant to all of them.
Every headline must be under 30 characters. Every headline must make sense in combination with any other two headlines — they are served in random combinations. Every headline should be distinct from the others.
Ad Strength is Google’s assessment of whether your RSA follows best practices — not a direct determinant of ad rank. But improving from “Poor” to “Excellent” produces 15% more clicks and conversions on average.
Ad assets expand the ad and improve click-through rate without additional cost per click. Google recommends using all relevant asset types. Assets are especially important for RSAs because they provide additional context that headlines and descriptions cannot.
This checklist is available as a free, runnable template in CheckFlow — with headline and description review tasks, Ad Strength assessment, asset confirmation, and 30/90-day optimisation reviews scheduled automatically.
Use This Template FreeNot enough headlines or descriptions entered to run the ad. Must be completed before the ad can serve. Minimum: 3 headlines and 2 descriptions to save.
Below best-practice threshold. Headlines lack variety, keywords not included, or descriptions are too similar. Likely means fewer combinations are viable. Act on Google’s specific improvement suggestions.
Meeting most best practices. Good variety in headlines and descriptions; keywords included. A viable baseline. Continue optimising asset performance ratings over time.
Following all best practices. Maximum variety, keyword coverage, distinct themes. Associated with 15% more clicks and conversions than “Poor” on average.
Ad Strength does not directly affect your bid auction eligibility or ad rank. A “Poor” RSA can still rank and convert. But the data shows Excellent Ad Strength is correlated with better performance — because more variety means Google can serve more relevant ads to more queries.
RSA quality varies enormously across a large account with multiple ad groups and campaign managers — some ad groups have excellent RSAs with 15 distinct headlines; others have 6 nearly identical ones. CheckFlow’s RSA checklist runs the same structured process for every ad group: keyword-relevant headlines, distinct descriptions, Ad Strength reviewed, pinning audited, and assets confirmed.
RSA optimisation decisions made before sufficient data has accumulated produce noise, not signal. CheckFlow’s recurring checklist schedules the 30-day and 90-day optimisation reviews automatically — ensuring asset performance ratings are checked when there is enough data to act on them, and “Low” rated assets are replaced on a consistent cadence.
When a PPC agency or in-house team audits a Google Ads account, the history of RSA iterations — what was tested, what was changed, and why — is as valuable as the current performance data. Every RSA creation and optimisation task completed through CheckFlow is timestamped and attributed to the responsible team member.
RSAs work in conjunction with keyword strategy — the ad groups that perform best are built around tightly themed keyword clusters. CheckFlow’s Keyword Strategy Checklist covers the keyword research process that informs RSA structure. See the Keyword Strategy Checklist →
Ad copy consistency with brand voice is a quality consideration for RSA headline writing. CheckFlow’s Brand Development Checklist covers the brand voice and messaging framework that RSA copy should reflect. See the Brand Development Checklist →
Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) are Google Ads’ default search ad format, in which advertisers provide up to 15 headlines (30 characters each) and 4 descriptions (90 characters each), and Google’s machine learning algorithm tests different combinations to find the most effective ad for each individual search query. Rather than manually writing and A/B testing multiple ad variants, RSAs allow Google to automatically optimise across up to 43,680 possible headline and description combinations. Over time, Google identifies which headlines and descriptions perform best together for specific query types and serves those combinations most frequently.
Google recommends at least 2 RSAs per ad group with “Good” or “Excellent” Ad Strength. Google’s data shows that advertisers who add a second RSA to an ad group (from 1 to 2) see a 6.6% increase in conversions at a similar cost per conversion. The maximum is 3 RSAs per ad group. Each RSA should have a different angle or emphasis — for example, one RSA focused on features and benefits, one on pricing and social proof — so that they serve different combinations and test different messages rather than duplicating each other.
Pinning in RSAs locks a specific headline or description to always appear in a specific position — Position 1 (leftmost headline), Position 2, or Position 3 — or to always appear somewhere in the ad. Pinning should be used sparingly and only when there is a genuine requirement for a specific element to always appear — brand name visibility, legally required disclosure, or compliance requirement. Excessive pinning (more than 2–3 headlines) significantly reduces the number of valid combinations Google can serve, undermining the optimisation benefit of the RSA format. When pinning is necessary, pin multiple headlines to the same position so Google can still rotate between them.
Ad Strength is Google’s feedback metric rating how well an RSA follows best practices for variety, keyword inclusion, and distinctiveness of assets — rated as Incomplete, Poor, Good, or Excellent. It does not directly affect ad rank or serving eligibility, but it correlates with performance: advertisers who improve Ad Strength from “Poor” to “Excellent” see 15% more clicks and conversions on average. Ad Strength is not the same as actual performance data — an RSA with “Good” Ad Strength that converts well should not be altered purely to achieve “Excellent”; actual conversion performance is the primary success metric.
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