If you’re looking to boost your paid search performance without working late in the office all summer or increasing your budget, try utilizing Ad Extensions. Not only do they require minimal set-up time, they are displayed at no additional cost.
It can be tough to decide which extensions to focus on, so I’ve created a cheat sheet to help you decide which ones will work best for you:
Sitelink Extensions
Google AdWords Ad Extensions Cheat Sheet
- What are they? As you can see above, Sitelink Extensions allow you to promote additional landing pages below your standard ad text. Applying a few more lines to your ad gives you more real estate on the SERP, helping your ad to stand out against your competition. Sitelinks also give the searcher an opportunity to go to a more specific page on your site. For example, in the ad above, the search is for Ray Ban sunglasses and the landing page goes to a fairly generic page. If the searcher knows that they want a particular style, such as aviators, they will be more apt to click on the sitelink and go to a specific page for that style. Google has shown that adding sitelinks to your ads increases your click-through rate, even if people aren’t clicking the sitelink links!
- Who should use them? Nearly every advertiser’s CTRs can benefit from sitelinks. If you’re skeptical, try implementing them for only one campaign or ad group to measure their impact. Keep in mind, Google will only show your sitelink extensions if you are in a top position, so you may not always see them.
Call Extensions
Google AdWords Ad Extensions Cheat Sheet
- What are they? Call Extensions allow you to incorporate your phone number in your text ads, making it easier for customers to contact you directly. Depending on the device, the extensions will be displayed differently. On desktops and tablets, your phone number is applied alongside your text, whereas on high-end mobile devices, your ad will include a “call” button (see example above). With the advent of Enhanced Campaigns, Call Extensions have become increasingly sophisticated by allowing you to measure phone call conversions and view more extensive call reporting metrics.
- Who should use them? If you want to encourage searchers to call your business, because that’s the main way you generate leads or sales, make it easy for them to do so by utilizing Call Extensions. Keep in mind, Google no longer permits you to include phone numbers within ad copy, so this is the best way to ensure your phone number is visible to searchers.
Location Extensions
Google AdWords Ad Extensions Cheat Sheet
- What are they? Location extensions allow you to incorporate your business address and telephone number into your ad. Don’t worry, you don’t have to waste any of your precious ad space! The location extension adds an extra line to your ad and often includes a map reference.
- Who should use them? If you have a brick and mortar business and your clients are likely to value their proximity to your physical location, you should be taking advantage of location extensions. To really kick it up a notch, link your Google Places account to AdWords so your star ratings will be eligible to appear alongside your location extension.
Offer Extensions
Google AdWords Ad Extensions Cheat Sheet
- What are they? Offer Extensions are one of Google’s newest ad extension innovations. They give advertisers the opportunity to present relevant offers within their ad text to drive searchers to click on their ads. When users click the “view offer” link, they are pushed to a Google hosted landing page that provides an option to print out the offer or “save it for later.” These extensions give clients an extra incentive to visit stores and complete a transaction.
- Who should use them? Advertisers who are aiming to bring more foot traffic into their local businesses. They are especially beneficial for places that provide products that don’t work well online. Ideally, once a user has visited the physical store, they will be more likely to return again in the future.
App Extensions
Google AdWords Ad Extensions Cheat Sheet
- What are they? App extensions make apps more accessible to searchers who are using tablets or mobile devices by providing a link to the app within the ad copy. This gives potential customers the opportunity to visit the app store to learn more about it.
- Who should use them? For advertisers who offer an app, this is a no brainer. Using these extensions will make it much easier for searchers to automatically download your app and get started! For current clients who already own the app, you also have the option to direct them to a relevant section of your app, based on their search.
**Keep in mind, Google will automatically apply some extensions, like Seller Ratings and Social Annotations, if you meet their criteria.
Now that you know which extensions are best for you, buckle down for a few minutes and set them up! Be mindful that the set-up process is slightly different for Sitelinks, Call and Offer Extensions, depending on whether you have upgraded to Enhanced Campaigns. If you have any questions, I’d recommend consulting the AdWords help center or your WordStream representative!
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