The SilverDisc Guide to Google AdWords Ad Extensions

Google AdWords ad extensions are a great way to improve the performance of your PPC ads. Ad extensions use more space in the paid search results and can significantly improve your CTR – these are just two reasons why you should be using ad extensions in your AdWords PPC campaigns.

There are lots of ad extensions to choose from including sitelink extensions, seller ratings and social extensions, and I think many advertisers would agree that keeping track of the different ad extensions and knowing which ones to use for your business can be tricky. That’s why we have compiled a simple guide to AdWords ad extensions to help!

Sitelink extensions

Take users deeper into your site, and closer to converting, with sitelink extensions. Sitelinks are ideal for taking users directly to content that you think they might be interested in so when choosing sitelinks, think about your popular product lines, new releases and best deals.

You can have up to ten sitelink extensions in a campaign, which are supposed to take users to unique landing pages, but many advertisers actually use them as an extension of their ad text and send them all to the same landing page. For example, the sitelink extensions in the below ad, which were triggered for a search on “watches”, actually all take users to the homepage rather than a page for branded watches or to the watches recently advertised on TV.

To make better use of their sitelink extensions, this advertiser should consider taking people to specific areas of the site like “men's watches”, “ladies watches” and “branded watches”. Google is starting to become stricter when monitoring sitelinks so make sure your sitelink extensions go to unique landing pages to avoid them being disapproved!

Call extensions

If your PPC campaigns target mobile phone devices then call extensions are a must! Call extensions are used to insert a click-to-call phone number next to your ad so that people can call you directly from the search results. But don’t disregard call extensions if your campaigns target desktop computers as they are still a useful addition if you want to increase calls. If you offer a service which you want people to book or reserve quickly over the phone then call extensions are ideal. The below example shows call extensions in an ad for a hotel, even though the ad is targeting people using desktop computers.

Google recently introduced ‘call forwarding numbers’ to let advertisers see call metrics like call duration and area code. On mobiles, you are only charged for the cost-per-click, like before, but campaigns targeting desktop computers with the forwarding number will be charged a minimum of £1.00 per call. You can opt-out of using the Google call forwarding number so make sure you do this if you don’t want to incur the extra costs. If you can’t decide whether to use the call forwarding number, ask yourself how many calls you get and whether it would be valuable to get a deeper insight into those calls.

Seller ratings

If you have received thirty reviews in the past twelve months on review sites around the Internet with an average rating of four out of five or better, then you’ll be pleased to hear that your PPC ads are eligible to display seller rating extensions. Seller rating extensions can improve CTR by inserting a star rating into your ads to show people that you are a recommended retailer. Seller rating extensions are absolutely free - you just pay for clicks on your ad like normal. 

Location extensions

Location extensions insert your address into your ad so that people can easily find you and get directions, which is particularly useful if your campaigns target mobile phones. It’s important to remember that location extensions should only be used if your business operates from a physical location like shops and restaurants. If your business operates online then think about using call extensions instead. 

Product extensions

If you use Google Merchant Centre you can show people specific products you sell with product extensions. Google displays products it thinks are suitable based on the user’s search query, along with an image, price and title. Product extensions are ideal if you are a retailer with an e-commerce site looking to increase online sales. With product extensions, you just pay the CPC that you would normally pay when someone clicks your ad to go through to your site. It’s free if someone simply clicks to expand the product extensions box. The below examples of product extensions appeared on a search for “lawnmowers”. 

If you want more advice on how to use Google AdWords ad extensions in your PPC campaigns then get in touch and we will be happy to help!