Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) have become the default ad format in Google Search, but until recently, optimizing them felt like working with a black box. You could test multiple headlines and descriptions, but knowing exactly which ones drove clicks or conversions was difficult—until now.
Google’s newly released headline-level performance metrics give advertisers unprecedented insight into what's actually working. This deep dive explores what the feature offers, how to use it effectively, and how to blend it into a broader optimization strategy.
What’s New: Headline-Level Performance Data in RSAs
Historically, Google RSAs only offered performance insights at the ad level or vague asset ratings like “Best,” “Good,” or “Low.” This made it hard to connect the dots between individual headlines and actual outcomes.
Now, Google Ads offers:
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Click metrics per headline
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Conversion metrics per headline
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Impression-weighted performance tracking
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Asset contribution scores
This shift empowers advertisers to move beyond guesswork and base their optimization efforts on real data.
Where to Find and How to Interpret the Data
You can access the new data in your Google Ads asset report under the “Assets” tab for your RSA campaigns.
Here’s how to break it down:
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Clicks and Impressions: Shows how often each headline is shown and clicked.
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CTR (Click-Through Rate): Indicates attention-grabbing effectiveness.
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Conversions per headline: Available if your conversion tracking is set up correctly.
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Asset Combinations: Lets you see which combinations of headlines and descriptions appear most frequently.
💡 Tip: If your campaign uses multiple headlines with similar messaging, this new data helps you pinpoint subtle differences in performance and audience response.
How to Use Headline Data to Improve Performance
Instead of replacing assets based on assumptions or performance labels alone, advertisers can now optimize iteratively based on direct impact.
Actionable ways to use the data:
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Pause underperforming headlines: Low CTR + low conversions? Time to cut.
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Duplicate and test high-performers: Take strong headlines and test variations (e.g., value-based vs urgency-based versions).
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Refine message alignment: Align top-performing headlines with keywords and landing page copy for consistency and Quality Score lift.
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Re-test old assets: Sometimes timing or audience behavior changes. Use data to decide whether to revive or retire.
Should You Pin Headlines or Let Google Decide?
Google allows advertisers to “pin” headlines to specific positions (e.g., headline 1 always being your brand name). With the new data, you can now more clearly see how pinned vs. unpinned assets perform.
Pros of pinning:
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Guarantees brand or legal terms appear
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Helps with compliance-sensitive industries
Cons of pinning:
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Limits Google’s testing flexibility
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May reduce overall performance if pinned headlines underperform
The new headline metrics help advertisers test both strategies and make data-informed decisions. For example, if a pinned brand headline consistently underperforms, you might try rotating it into other positions.
Rollout Timeline and Regional Availability
This feature is still being gradually rolled out. As of mid-2025:
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Available in most US, UK, and ANZ accounts
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Slowly expanding across EU and APAC
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Requires active RSAs with sufficient traffic to populate meaningful data
If you don’t see the metrics yet, ensure you’ve updated your interface and have conversion tracking fully set up.
Integrating with Other Google Ads Tools for Smarter Decisions
The new feature shines when combined with other optimization tools. Consider:
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Performance Max insights: See how RSA headlines align with Performance Max campaigns to identify winning themes.
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Google Analytics 4 (GA4): Match high-performing headlines to user paths and behavioral data.
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Campaign Experiments: Run structured A/B tests of different RSA asset groups using Google’s built-in experiments feature.
And if you use external tools like AdsPolar, you can layer this RSA headline-level insight into your cross-platform reporting dashboard to benchmark performance across Meta, TikTok, and Amazon in one place.
Real-World Impact: Case Snapshot
Let’s say you run an online skincare brand. Your RSA headlines include:
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“Gentle on Sensitive Skin”
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“Rated #1 by Dermatologists”
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“Shop Now and Save 20%”
Your asset report shows:
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Headline 1: High CTR but low conversions
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Headline 2: Average CTR, high conversions
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Headline 3: Low CTR and low conversions
What do you do?
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Keep and test variations of headline 2 (e.g., “#1 Recommended by Experts”)
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Reposition or remove headline 3
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Rework headline 1’s landing page or call to action
Within two weeks, your ROAS increases by 28%. That’s the power of headline-level insight.
Final Thoughts
Google's RSA updates are giving advertisers more control and clarity than ever before. By identifying high-performing headlines accurately, you can stop wasting impressions on weak copy and start amplifying what actually converts.
The takeaway: Don’t just write headlines—track them, test them, and evolve them. With the right data and a disciplined approach, RSAs can become a major growth driver in your paid search strategy.