What are two reasons a marketer might use responsive display ads? Choose two.

|

Bhupati Barman

Flat digital illustration featuring a Google Ads question about responsive display ads, highlighting cost-effectiveness and extended reach as correct reasons for using RDAs.

While reviewing Google Ads responsive display ads, this question stood out to me. It gets to the core of why marketers love RDAs — especially those trying to scale performance without juggling multiple designs or ad versions.

Let’s walk through why these two benefits matter and why the other options don’t hold up.

Question:

What are two reasons a marketer might use responsive display ads? Choose two.

  • Improved communication: Respond immediately to any website visitor query with an automated speech system or text.
  • Cost-effective: Get more conversions at a similar cost-per-acquisition to other Display ad formats.
  • Guidance: Give instruction to users on how to adjust ad size, appearance, and format to fit a specific ad slot.
  • Extended reach: Create ads that serve in most ad slot sizes, into both native and non-native inventory.

Here are two correct answers:

  • ✅ Cost-effective: Get more conversions at a similar cost-per-acquisition to other Display ad formats.
  • ✅ Extended reach: Create ads that serve in most ad slot sizes, into both native and non-native inventory.

If you’re interested, you can take the exam here: Google Ads Display Certification via Skillshop.

Why These Two Are Correct:

✅ 1. Cost-Effective

Responsive display ads (RDAs) often deliver more conversions without increasing your cost-per-acquisition (CPA). Why?

Because RDAs:

This saves marketers time and budget by eliminating the need to create dozens of static creatives.

✅ 2. Extended Reach

RDAs are built to fit almost every ad space across the Display Network, both native and non-native.

Benefits:

  • Automatically resize to fit any device or screen size
  • Run across millions of websites and apps without manual design tweaking
  • Let Google place your ads in more places, increasing impressions and potential conversions

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

❌ 1. Improved Communication

  • This describes a live chat tool or chatbot system, not an advertising format.
  • RDAs don’t directly communicate with users through automated speech or messaging.

❌ 2. Guidance to Users

  • Users do not adjust ad size, appearance, or format.
  • This sounds like a misunderstanding of how ad rendering works, not a function of Google Ads.
  • RDAs do the resizing automatically — the advertiser doesn’t guide the user.

Real-Life Example: Alex’s Ad Agency Win

Alex runs a digital marketing agency that manages display campaigns for a handmade candle brand. His team used to build 15+ ad sizes manually — a slow and costly process.

They switched to Responsive Display Ads and uploaded:

  • 3 headlines
  • 2 descriptions
  • 5 product images

Google automatically tested and combined them. Within one month:

  • Reach expanded by 60%
  • Cost per conversion decreased by 28%
  • Time spent creating ads cut in half 🧠

Quick Comparison Table

Reason for Using RDAsValid?Why/Why Not?
Cost-effective✅ YesOptimize automatically, reducing CPA
Extended reach✅ YesFits almost any ad slot on native and non-native inventory
Improved communication❌ NoRefers to chatbots, not ad formats
Guidance on ad adjustment❌ NoUsers don’t control ad rendering — it’s handled by Google

Bar chart showing valid and invalid reasons to use responsive display ads in Google Ads, highlighting cost-effective and extended reach as correct benefits.
Only “Cost-effective” and “Extended reach” are valid reasons to use responsive display ads. Other options like communication or user guidance are not applicable.

FAQs

Q: Are responsive display ads better than static banner ads?

A: Yes, for most advertisers. RDAs scale better, perform better, and require less design effort.

Q: Can I control how RDAs look?

A: You can upload your brand assets and preview combinations, but Google ultimately renders the most effective layout.

Q: Do RDAs work for remarketing too?

A: Yes! RDAs are often used in remarketing campaigns for better performance and easier deployment.

Helpful Resources

Final Answer:

The two valid reasons a marketer would use responsive display ads are:
✅ Cost-effective performance, and
✅ Extended reach into native and non-native inventory across more placements.

RDAs are a smart choice for scaling campaigns efficiently — especially when budget and time are tight.

Conclusion

If you’re a busy marketer or business owner, Responsive Display Ads are one of the easiest and smartest ways to scale your Display campaigns.

With just a few headlines, images, and descriptions, Google does the heavy lifting—testing combinations, adjusting ad sizes, and maximizing placements automatically.

👉 The result?
More conversions, broader reach, and less time managing creatives.

So, remember: if you’re aiming for performance and flexibility, RDAs give you both — with cost-efficiency and extended reach baked right in.

Keep practicing these concepts and you’ll not only ace the Google Ads exam, but run smarter campaigns too. 💡