The 7 Best Google Search Ad Extensions You Aren’t Using

So, you’ve been using AdWords successfully – utilizing the standard format of a 25-character headline, URL, and 35-character description to maximum effect. You’ve gotten quite good at finding your keywords, creating your short, punchy text and getting the most out of the supplied analytics. You’ve tweaked and tested your copy and found the sweet spot that brought in conversions. But now it’s time to step up your ad game. AdWords Extensions has expanded your options. You’ve got a whole lot of new toys to play with and here are at least 7 I am sure you aren’t using…yet! And the best part? They are all free!

So what are AdWords Extensions? Basically, they are mighty little snippets of additional information you can include in your text advert. You can write more cool stuff about your product or service that will get more clicks and improve conversion rates. We’re going to look at your manual options you are probably not utilizing at the moment.

Head on over to your AdWords page and simply click on the “Ad Extensions tab in the upper menu on the page, and choose one of the options currently available to you.

They include:

• Sitelinks extensions
• Location extensions
• Call extensions
• Review extensions
• Callout extensions
• Price Extensions
• App Extensions
• Structured snippet extensions

Let’s unpack seven of the key AdWord Extensions that you might not have embraced yet.

1. Sitelinks Extensions

You get more opportunities to add links under your text ad copy. You can get super specific and users can click directly to your Podcast, Webinar or Product Guide, etc. You can give them the shortcut to the desired content they want to see regarding your offering upfront.

• Select Sitelinks Extensions
• Click on the red “+Extensions” button
• Select the relevant campaign
• Click “+New Sitelink”
• Add your chosen links text headline, URL and description

Note: The great part is that you can now select “mobile” as your device preference which means that these links will only be displayed on mobile devices.

• Select “Save”

This features allows for a 25-character maximum but always try to keep it below 15. You are given 6 Sitelinks for desktop and 4 on mobile devices. It’s an ideal match for branded campaigns where you can have a broader reach.

2. Location and Call Extensions

You can really expand your ad real estate on Google when you use the location extension. It allows you to show your address, phone number (Call extensions) as well as a map marker, right next to your advert for users that are currently in your vicinity. Your address must be verified through Google My Business to make use of this local ads feature. This option is perfect for in-store sales.

Location extensions are ideal for your geo-targeting efforts where you can offer special deals or draw attention to your proximity to the user.

Note: I’m including Call Extensions in here because adding a phone number sees click through rates soar by up to 8% (especially on mobile). You can use this feature with keyword matches that reveal a user is wanting to convert over the phone, but this means that someone must be on the other end of the line. This can be achieved by setting up an Ad schedule bid adjustment.

3. Review Extensions

This AdWords Extensions gift let’s you include third-party reviews in your adverts. The review can’t be taken from your own site, they must be verified by Google as being legitimate, reputable third-party sites. Google has created a guide on the complexity of adding a review extension. If your review makes the grade, your credibility can skyrocket.

4. Call Out Extensions

You get to add more meat to your ad. You are now allowed more short blurb text to draw attention. Many businesses are using this feature to expand on offers like “free shipping”, “same-day delivery”, “money back guarantee” etc. The additional text that you add is a non-clickable line of text solely for the purpose of highlighting specific benefits. You can choose to mic it up with two features and a benefit. You want to use this function to add your unique selling points. These are the benefits that differentiate you from your competition. You can even decide to use different call outs for different search keywords.

5. Price Extensions

You can now add transparent pricing on your text ad. It is however only for mobile devices (which is great because that’s where everyone is doing their shopping these days). Be aware that these price extensions are only displayed when your ad rank is at #1. When added, that takes up an enormous amount of real estate on Google, which really makes your ad stand out and they are swipeable. You can add these at the account, campaign and ad group level showing various tiered services. You can show each service with a short description and the price. They can each be sent out to a different landing page.

6. App Extensions

This extension lets you place a mobile app download button adjacent to your text ad. The user will see your thumbnail icon, CTA and company name underneath your ad. You can set up both iOS and Android app conversion tracking. You might not necessarily need the users to download your app, but it offers your brand more credibility. You could receive a higher conversion rate because you’ve caught the user’s attention with your many brand offerings.

7. Structured Snippets

We welcome this latest extension into the Adwords family. You get another line of space for your ad where you can add info on your product or service using these categories:

• Amenities
• Brands
• Courses
• Degree Programs
• Destinations
• Featured hotels
• Insurance coverage
• Models
• Neighborhoods
• Service catalog
• Shows
• Styles
• Types

Pretty impressive.

Expanded Horizons

So, those are 7 manual AdWords Extensions for you to use to expand the size and reach of your text ads. Well, actually 8 extensions with Call added into the Location mix. Extensions are little bursts of information that can offer a prospective customer more insight into your offering at a glance. The expanded size of the ad obviously makes them more visible. If you execute them with clever text copy, you can look forward to increased impressions, clicks and conversions.