Creating a successful Google Ads campaign can be challenging. Among several factors that can influence your success is how you use Google Ads extensions. If you know what you're doing, implementing extensions can have a powerful and positive impact on rank, click-through-rate (CTR), and conversions.
An Introduction to Google Ads Extensions: What Are They Exactly?
Technically, ads extensions, sometimes also referred to as rich snippets, are small, individual pieces of information about your business that appear within a web browser. With that, your business' ads extension information is typically featured next to one of your website's links appearing in Google's search results. Consequently, these types of ads extensions are an excellent addition you should include in the search advertisements you run on Google to increase your overall CTR and conversions.
With this in mind, ads extensions usually come in the form of text, visuals, or both to incentivize people to click on your business' page found within Google's Search Engine Results Page (SERP). In the example that is pictured below, you can see that Goodreads used a rating extension to attract their users' attention. In turn, the visual of the 4-star rating extension is a great way to stand out among the millions of other links online.
In such a case, more often than not, your Google Ads extension will include a call-to-action (CTA) to increase the likelihood of someone clicking on your link. In the example above, Goodreads is calling upon its users to learn how to cook like a professional in a simple way. Thus, the power of an ads extension is that it offers specific information and prompts the user to take immediate action.
The List of 9 Powerful Google Ads Extensions
Google Ads extensions come in several varieties. The ones which you choose to deploy with your advertisements should depend upon your overall advertising campaign objectives or what action(s) you want a user to take after seeing your advertisement and its extension. Subsequently, below is a list of the 9 most powerful Google Ads extensions to increase your CTR and number of conversions.
1. Sitelinks
Think of sitelinks as "quick links" or "shortcut links." The purpose of using sitelinks as ads extensions is to enable you to display important information from your website's web pages directly within the search results. These special links route you to specific pages with which you particularly want your users to view and interact. Typically, Google's SERP displays sitelinks labeled in vertical columns below your website's main or homepage and direct your users' attention to click on your most important web pages, such as "About Us," "Contact Us," or "See Special Offers."
2. Phone/Call Extensions
Call extensions allow you to integrate your business' telephone number within your ad on Google. When a user clicks your call extension, this allows them to directly reach your business line. Please keep in mind that this kind of ads extension is only viewable on mobile devices. However, with over 50% of business searches being conducted on mobile phones, this is a hugely effective extension.
3. Message Extensions
Similar to call extensions, message extensions displayed in the search results allow you to message a business directly. In turn, this enables potential customers to contact you promptly after seeing one of your ads that appeared within the SERP. It also reduces the click-trail, path to the sale, or sales funnel, breaking down many of the attribution model barriers that advertisers often face when trying to determine which advertisement actually led to the contact lead or sale, especially if they are running cross-channel campaigns.
4. Callout Extensions
A callout extension works similarly to a sitelink. However, the difference with callout extensions is that they don't have any links routing users to specific web pages. Nonetheless, callout extensions allow you, as the advertiser, to highlight your business offerings within your ad's text to entice the user to click on it.
For example, the kind of information you can include in your callouts could relate to detailed offers, business services, or special product features. Though, there's one thing to keep in mind when using callout extensions. Usually, callouts are the last words placed in a Google search ad, so you must be sure that yours are unique and make sense in regard to the advertisement you're running, as well as differ from keywords in your ad's copy so you don't sound repetitive.
5. Structured Extensions
Structured extensions give you three added headers that you want to feature about your business. There are several structured extension categories that you can choose from on Google Ads. For instance, if you offer yoga courses, implementing structured extensions would be the best choice to use with your ad, as you could showcase the types of courses you offer.
As a result, this leads to better CTRs and more conversions, in turn increasing your return on advertising spend. On that note, these structured ads extensions are ideal for highlighting unique value propositions (UVPs) about your product or service. You can even customize your structured extensions by adding them to the account, campaign, or ad group level.
6. Location Extensions
If you have physical offices of any kind, location extensions are invaluable. You can have your business' address displayed alongside your ad, directly leading them to your yummy restaurant or beautiful art gallery.
You can leverage location extensions to include your map of where your business is located, directions on how to get there, and its hours of operation. Again, this is a wonderful feature that gives you an edge over other competitors in the area when your prospect is using a mobile device and ready to act immediately.
7. Price Extensions
If the focus of your campaign is on products or price advantages, this extension could be the one for you. Google's SERP will display your advertisement as well as the details about your product's offering and pricing. Here, this is another extension that allows you to differentiate yourself from your counterparts, especially if you have really competitive prices.
8. Promotion Extensions
If your advertising campaign is set to lead users to landing pages related to price reductions, promotions, deals, or other special offers, you should consider using a promotion extension. In such a case, promotion extensions can be so powerful if your keyword of choice is specific to your potential customers' relevant queries, which, for example, might include a search for discounts on certain products. Your promotional offer appears in the search results with your ad and encourages a higher CTR than of results that don't highlight them in this way.
9. Application Extensions
If you have an app for your business, choosing to set up an application ads extension is an easy decision. Your ad has a link to your application embedded in it. Your prospects only have to click to download your app, and then you instantly have them in your sales funnel.
Other Advantages of Google Ads Extensions
A standard Google advertisement limits your message to 140 characters. However, several extensions give you more text to capture your prospects' interest or provide detailed information about your product or service. Even more, ads extensions also give you more "real estate" on the SERP.
By occupying more space on the page, your ads stand out from the competition. Google's own statistics suggest that adding a suitable ads extension increases your CTR by 15%. Besides also increasing conversions, ads with extensions score higher in Google Ads ranking and gain more visibility and bidding power.
Takeaway
Any business operating online, offline, or both can benefit from these 9 Google Ads extensions tips. If you're running an online advertising campaign but aren't using ads extensions, you're missing out on the opportunity to increase your CTR and conversions significantly.
Online advertising, and particularly search engine marketing (SEM), is already a competitive field, so it's a good idea to leverage every advantage you can through your online campaigns in order to stay ahead of your competition.
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