A new feature that allows marketers to undo changes in Google AdWords is welcome and probably long overdue, though it begs the question: is the AdWords Editor dead?
Right now, the AdWords “Undo” button seems to be a limited test, available only in select accounts. What it does, however, is gives advertisers the ability revert to the way their campaign was before changes, or to download a fresh version of account or campaign specifics. This should make testing much easier.
With all of this functionality in the web interface, are we now hearing the death knell for the Google AdWords Editor, desktop version?
Why I Used to Use AdWords Editor
Back in the day, AdWords Editor had a ton of advantages, including:
- Offline editing, which was a real issue in and around 2005. Now, however, we have wi-fi availability almost everywhere.
- The copy & paste feature, which allows for faster campaign creation and makes it easier to break a large ad group into smaller ones.
- Bulk editing, which you can now access in the web version, as well.
- Sheer speed: the desktop version used to be much faster, though that’s changed. In fact, the web version has far outpaced the desktop editor.
- Undo or Redo, which has now been added to the web interface with this update.
- Draft campaigns: previously, you could only edit on the web version. Now, you can save as draft.
Why I No Longer Use AdWords Editor
We’ve seen a massive loss of feature parity over the past few years; there is generally lag between feature releases on the web version and the same coming to the desktop version. For example, we waited several months for certain enhanced campaigns support features to come to Google Adwords Editor. This is particularly a big issue given that Google releases so many features at an increasingly fast pace.
Personally, I no longer have any use for the Google AdWords Editor, though I’m interested in learning whether any of you still prefer it for one reason or another.
The desktop Adwords Editor was necessary early in the new millennium, when wi-fi coverage sucked and even with a good connection, you’d find the web interface clunky and almost painfully slow. Rich editing functions like copy/paste, undo and bulk edits weren’t even available in the online version.
Today, the offline version can cause synchronization issues, ie.: two people working on the account simultaneously and one overwriting the other, and can even crash resulting in lost work. It doesn’t have the benefits inherent to working and storage in the cloud, like all the other Google Apps. It’s not even a priority for Google, as far as adding new features. One thing is clear: when Google stops innovating and deprioritizes a product, it’s usually on its way out the door.
Do You Still Use AdWords Editor?
In 2014, I predict that we will see Google retire the Google AdWords Editor. After 9 years, it’s finally outlived its usefulness in my personal opinion. I expect it to join the Google Graveyard of discontinued products soon!
Do you use Google AdWords Editor? Why or why not? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Hit me up on Twitter:
0 Comments