Ad extensions give you sharp elbows in the fight for space on the google search page and can massively improve your CTR (click through rate). Delivering more information and visual engagement literally gives you more ‘physical’ presence, pushing the competition down the page and helping you rise to the top.
Managing ad extensions, in conjunction with an aggressive bidding strategy, means Google will show the best possible combination on each and every auction.
Ad extensions are auto-optimised by Google but you can still have a big say in their success. Google automatically tests and optimises them to find the right combination based on past performance. So, the more relevant your extensions, reflecting a deep understanding of your customers, the better they’ll perform.
Here’s our guide to ad extensions and how to manage them successfully.
Top performing ad extensions
Ad extensions basically provide additional information, so when linked to your site, they draw people in and increase your click-through rates (CTRs). In many cases, you can specify the dates, days of the week or times of day that your ad extensions appear.
Google offers a range of ad extensions and these are my top 8 – the ones to take notice of whether you are a veteran or new to the process:
Location extension
With location extensions, you’re literally driving traffic to your business, whether it’s a coffee shop, or manufacturing plant. This is more than displaying your address – the Google user can actually calculate the distance and get directions to your premises. Together with opening hours, photos of your business and maybe a call ahead option, this represents a dynamic conversion opportunity. This extension is more likely to appear the closer you are to the businesses physical location.
Call extension
Call extensions simply encourage prospective customers to get in touch with your business directly. They come in two forms: your phone number (on desktop versions) and a call button (for mobile) which you can set to appear only when your business can take calls. Remember, a call is a click so each click on your number costs the same as a standard CPC.
Sitelink extensions
Sitelink extensions allow you to take prospects to specific pages on your website. They can be updated easily by simply changing the link text and URLs, eg for sales and special offers – and no need to reset their performance statistics. Sitelink extensions really do help you command the space. As you can see sitelinks take up a huge chunk of real estate on the page when displayed like this – an integral extension to utilise.
Callout extensions
Callout extensions are shout outs about your business – unique selling points to your prospects, like free shipping or 24 hour customer service. You’re basically highlighting significant aspects of your business with just a few choice words.
Structured snippets
As with callout extensions, structured snippets are designed to help you differentiate yourself by providing additional information about your services or products. They’re shown in a list below your ad description, preceded by a header such as ‘Facilities’, ‘Courses’, ‘Destinations’ or ‘Models’.
Price extensions
If price is a major factor for you, then so is having a price extension. However, keeping on top of updating your information is really important. It can backfire badly if, when prospects click through to your website, they don’t find the same price as listed on the ad.
App extensions
Displaying a link to your app, enables prospects to jump straight to Google Play or the Apple App Store, find it and download. You can also display ratings and the price, if appropriate.
Image extensions
Relatively new, Google allows you to add a number of images to your ads to highlight the product or service you are selling. These can be added at Campaign or ad group level. Here are two top tips to help you get the best out of them.
- Create multiple images of your product – change angles, use different backgrounds, feature in-store and well as lifestyle versions, etc.
- Image extensions appear as small squares or rectangles off to the side of your ad, so create images that have a single focal point and aren’t busy. You want someone to be able to quickly ‘scan’ an image and decide if it’s what they’re looking for.
Track how well your ad extensions are performing
As you know, Google tests and optimises your ad extensions. And like Google, you need to find the right information to highlight based on performance.
Fundamentally, you will need conversion tracking and use reporting from google ads and analytics to form insights as to what works and what doesn’t. Mix and match your images to see which combo performs best. You can break statistics down by campaign, ad or group, and compare performance. You can also add multiple versions of each extension to compare performance as well.
Be aware that the big defining metric isn’t the same for everyone, and you need both time and traffic to judge the success of an ad. You also need to react to the data – analyse those ads attracting a low CTR and take the appropriate action to improve the statistics.
Tailor your ad extensions to each ad
Select your extensions based on your primary advertising goal – a mix of what you want to sell and how you’ll motivate your customers to buy. That means tailoring your extensions to each ad group or campaign, rather than assuming that one size fits all.
Click and convert is your overall goal, but what’s the best way? What’s the prompt for your prospects? You need to know enough about them to select the journey they’ll be motivated to take. Is it location? Is sale or price a pull? Do you encourage them to contact you direct or visit a relevant landing page?
Four top tips:
- Keep it relevant – you want extensions that maintain your place on the page not increase your bounce rate
- Use keyword phrases carefully, and constantly monitor the performance
- Create good, relevant landing pages
- Keep the content updated – if you’re offering 75% off, make sure that’s what they find when they clic
Use ad extensions wisely and they’ll serve you in two important ways: space on the page and a richer experience for the prospects Google puts in front of you.
