Google Ads 101: Ad Extensions

Ad Extensions are just what they sound like – extensions to your Google ad. They may include additional information, calls-to-action, phone numbers, location information, or extra links that show up along with the copy you’ve written in your ad. Ad Extensions are a great way to make your Google Ad stand out in the crowd – extensions grab attention and generally increase your ad’s click-through rate (CTR).

The best part of utilizing Ad Extensions is that they are free to use and often lead to higher sales and conversions. Extensions will give you more bang for your buck because your ads will perform better, and you don’t have to shell out more money for them!

Extensions offer more than just increased visibility on the search page and higher click-through rates. The additional and more specific information included in extensions mean that your clicks will be more meaningful clicks. Potential customers have more opportunities to see targeted information that appeals to them. These free tools are essential to improving your Google Ads, even better news – you are not limited to just one ad extension! You can choose as many extensions as you’d like to help improve the performance of your ads, and I recommend setting up as many as possible.

When Do Extensions Appear?

There are a few factors that determine when extensions are eligible to show up for your ads. Your ad quality and bid strength are considerable factors in determining extension eligibility because they are directly tied to your Ad Rank. If your Ad Extensions are not showing due to your Ad Rank, you need to adjust your ads to become more relevant or increase your bid amount.

Your ad’s position on the search results will affect what combination of extensions appear on your ad. The higher your position on the page, the higher the probability your extensions will display. There are some limits to what extensions are allowed to show up, but ultimately this a major reason why you want to optimize your ads for the best performance and Ad Rank possible! Even though extensions are not guaranteed to show up every time your ad appears, they will improve the quality and specificity of your ads. In order to ensure that your extensions are eligible to appear in searches, make sure to fulfill all of the required information and steps for each extension!

Automated vs Manual Extensions:

There are two types of Ad Extensions: automated and manual. Automated extensions are generated by Google when they are predicted to help the performance of your ads. Google gathers information about your business to automatically generate the extra information that is shown in these ads. These extensions are populated through data from your landing pages and the business information you provide to Google (i.e. your Google Business listing). To view which automated extensions have been created for your ads, select Ads & Extensions, then Automated Extensions.

Google offers a great set-it-and-forget-it feature with automated extensions, but manual extensions can be more helpful to businesses because you can choose exactly what information you want to be shown in the extensions. It is preferable to create manual extensions because you can control the copy and eliminate any errors that could be caused by automation. Google suggests creating at least 4 manual extensions to optimize the performance of your ads.

Selecting Extensions:

Fortunately, choosing what extensions are best for your ads is much easier than choosing the right keywords! You can’t go wrong creating Ad Extensions because there is no chance of hurting your ad’s performance – every extension can benefit your ad in some way. Extensions can be created to cover an entire account, a single campaign, or a particular ad group, so you choose how broadly or narrowly your extensions will be applied.

The best place to start is by identifying which extensions are relevant to your business. Then, create manual extensions on an account or campaign level. Once you’ve mastered Google Ads you may want to get more specific with your extensions at the ad group level. Your marketing goals and campaign goals determine which extensions are relevant to your business. For example, what action are you hoping your ads will inspire: website traffic, phone calls, store visits, online purchases, or something else? Select Ad Extensions that provide a 1-click call to action that directly relates to your campaign goals.

Though it is important to choose the right extensions for your business, there are 4 extensions that pretty much everybody should set up for their Google Ads:

Callouts
The Callout extension allows you to add more descriptive text or copy to your ad. This is an excellent option because it takes up more space on the webpage, allowing your ad to stand out from other results and include information that may encourage the user to click.

Sitelinks
This extension allows you to add direct links to landing pages, web pages, and products. Sitelinks are useful tools in targeting even more specific products or pages to customers and encourage them to interact with your business.

Structured Snippets
These allow you to highlight certain features of products or services that your business offers. You are allowed extra headlines and listing options with structured snippets, so they are useful in catching the attention of users through special products or service promotions.

Call Extension
By activating this extension, you allow potential customers to call your business directly from the search page. This extension is especially useful if your business offers a service requiring ca consultation or quote prior to a sale. The call extension makes it easier to get in touch with your business, potentially keeping you ahead of the competition.

Now that you’ve learned how Ad Extensions can help you, take some time to set up your manual extensions and optimize your Google Ads! Next time, you will learn how to optimize your ads for mobile viewing and ensure you are hitting your target audience.

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