Introduction

The traditional or classic Google Search Ad consist of a maximum of three clickable text headlines, with one or two unclickable descriptive phrases or sentences below the headline(s). Theoretically, you can add as many as 11 Ad Extensions (now called Assets) to enhance the effectiveness of your search Ads.

 

An Ad extension does exactly what the name implies. It extends or enlarges or broadens or augments the classic search Ads, giving the classic search Ad more meaning, explaining more of what the Ad’s functionalities are and what it can do or is designed to do. For instance, a sitelink extension is a direct link to a particular webpage in your website; a call extension provides a phone number that your search Ad visitors can call for enquiries or to place an order. Each Ad extension has its specific functions. There are as many as 22 Ad extensions.

 

You should add as many Ad extensions as you consider necessary to resonate with your prospective customers. This can increase your click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate and your cost-per-click (CPC) rate.

 

What You Need to Know About Ad Extensions (Assets)

• Ad Extensions are now called Assets but in this article, we shall main the traditional name: Ad Extensions as it is still popular with advertisers and content creators.
• They are free additional advertising real estate that Google provides the advertiser at no extra cost.
• Most Ad extensions are added to a search Ad manually but Google may automatically add an Ad extension to your search Ad if it will improve the performance of your Ad.
• You may add more than one Ad extension to your search Ad.
• Google reserves the right to display all the Ad extensions you create, or to display some of them or none of the Ad extensions you have created. Notwithstanding this possibility, it is best to add as many Ad extensions as you consider applicable to your classic ads and let Google make the decision it considers best for your search Ads.
• Ad extensions can be added at three vertical levels; namely,
  • At the Accounts level to apply to all campaigns.
  • At the Campaign level to apply to all Ad groups within a particular Campaign.
  • At the Ad Group level to apply to a narrow set of Ads and keywords.
• Ad extensions increase the size or the advertising real estate of your search Ad and improves your Ads’ visibility. By creating more clickable opportunities, they have the capacity to increase your click-through rate (CTR) and lower your keyword bid cost-per-click (CPC).
• Ad extensions provide the advertiser more opportunities to attract clicks because Ad extensions invite customers to take a particular action. For instance, Promotion Extensions invite the prospective customer to take advantage of a sales promotion. A Location extension shows a prospect the location of your physical store on a map and provides direction. A call extension invites an interested prospect to dial up your phone number immediately without necessarily clicking your website.
• Ad extensions also improve your Ad Rank in the Search Engine Result Page (SERP) and your click-through rate (CTR) because they invite specific clicks to specific landing page that is relevant to your Ad. So, your Ad rank improves because you will have a higher click-through rate (CTR) and this will lower your cost-per-click (CPC) for your target keywords.

Types of Ad Extensions (now called Assets); Their Functions and When to Use Them

 

There are as many is 22 types of Ad extensions; however, this article will be devoted to most of the 11 Ad extensions that you have to manually add and they include the following:

 

Sitelink extension

As the name suggests, a sitelink extension is specific search Ad link between a specific landing page in your website and a specific sub-headline of a specific sitelink of your search Ad extension. This Ad extension creates the largest extra advertising real estate than any other Ad extension. And like all Ad extensions, it does not ad more cost to you search Ad budget. Sitelink extensions have clickable headlines and will lead your prospective customers to the exact landing page in your website that is linked to them. This will result in higher click-through rate (CTR) and cost-per-click (CPC).

 

Callout extensions:

Callout extensions help you highlight the benefits associated with your products or services. They can be used to answer such questions as whether you are open for 24 hours each day; whether you are open on weekends; whether you offer free delivery; whether you offer same day delivery and so on.

 

You can use them to differentiate your products or services or to call out the unique selling proposition (USP) of your products or services. Use callout extensions to draw attention to what you consider impactful and unique about your business, products or services. Callout extensions include such selling propositions like:

• Free shipping
• Same Day Delivery
• Next Day Delivery
• 24-Hour Customer Service
• Free Consultation and so on.

 

Callout extensions can be added at the Account level. They can also be added at the Campaign level and at the Ad group level.  At the Account level, the callout extension will apply to all campaigns. At the campaign level, the callout extension will apply to all the Ad groups within the campaign. However, at the Ad group level, the callouts are specifically very narrow as they apply to Ads withing the Ad group.

 

For each search Ad, 10 callout extensions are allowed but they are continent on your character spacing, type of browser, and type of device, whether desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile phone

 

Call Extensions:

Google call extension (this is different from callout extension) is used by a business that desires to be reached by its prospects immediately through the phone number the advertiser provides in the call extension. With call extensions, you can set up your call ads to show only when you are open for business and there is someone to answer the calls.

 

You can setup your call extensions at the account level or the campaign level or at the Ad group level.

 

Usually, customers who call your business from your call extension search Ads are frequently your best prospects because they have higher buyer intent. Therefore, you can setup call extension as a conversion in conversion and tracking Ad setup.

 

Price extension:

In Google search Ads, Price extensions are important for certain types of goods and services. If price is your unique selling proposition (USP), or if you compete mainly on the basis of price compared to your competition, then displaying your products or service prices in their respective categories could make you stand out.

 

Also, if you compete exclusively at the high-end price spectrum of your market segment, for instance, if your sell Rolex watches, then displaying your prices will discourage customers who do not fall within your market target segment from clicking on your search Ad and wasting your Ad budget.

 

Promotion extension:

In Google search Ads, if one of your key goals is to run a campaign to sell more of a particular product or service; if volume is key to your business success or you have a large unsold stock of a particular product, then Promotion Extension should come in handy.

 

Promotion extensions, like other Ad extensions can be setup at the Accounts level or the Campaign level or at the Ad group level. We suggest that you setup your promotion extension at the Ad group level. This is because when you are running a promotion, it is usually for specific products and Ad groups are the best suited level for the most specificity of Ad targeting.

 

However, if you are running a sales promotion for everything you sell, then setting up your promotion extension at the campaign level should be okay.

 

In most cases, promotions are usually targeted for special occasions like

• Independence Day
• Labour Day
• Mother’s Day
• Christmas Day
• New Year’s Day
• Boxing Day
• Back-to-School, and so on.

 

Promotion types varies and could be of any of the following types:

• Monetary discount
• Percent discount
• Up to monetary discount, and
• Up to percent discount.

 

You may also include:

• a Promotion Code.
• The start and end dates of the your campaign.

 

Structured snippets extension:

In Google ads, it helps to provide your customers with as much information as is necessary to encourage then to click your search Ad. By highlighting specific elements of your goods or services, you will be minimizing clicks from customers who do not desire your products or services. For instance, if you run a hospitality business (a hotel), you don’t want wasted clicks from someone who is searching the web for college education. Structured snippets make it possible for you to provide industry or interest-specific bits and piece of information details about what you do. This will increase your click through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and cost-per-click (CPC).

 

Structured snippets can also be set up at three vertical levels; namely, at the Account level, or at the Campaign level or at the Ad group level.

 

Structured snippet extensions have categories called headers. Headers include:

• Amenities
• Brands
• Courses
• Degree programs
• Destinations
• Featured hotels
• Insurance coverage
• Models and so on.

 

You can use only the headers that Google provides for use in structured snippets.

 

Each header has provisions for filling in what Google describes as values. For instance, the values for a header like Amenities in a hotel business may include stating that you provide Wi-Fi, swimming pool facilities, a fitness centre and so on.

 

If you are in the Sporting goods business, the your header could be Brands like Adidas, Nike, Reebok, etc.

 

A Degree program as a header may have as values things like Marketing, Finance, Business Administration, Chemical Engineering and so on.

 

Final thoughts

In this article, we have provided useful information about six of the 11 Google Ad Extensions (or Assets) that you must manually setup to operate. Ad extensions (now called assets by Google) are very useful. Like we stated already, they expand your classic search Ads by providing you with larger advertising real estate to expand your communication with your prospective customers. They do not attract extra cost but they have enormous capacity to attract and engage the interest of your prospective customers. They can also increase you click-through rate (CTR), increase your Ad Rank, decrease you cost-per-click (CPC) and help you extend the value you get from your search Ad budget.