Everyone who sets up contextual search advertising on Google uses ad extensions in one way or another. If they are properly configured in the contextual advertising system, they can be regarded as a competitive advantage.
With their help, they attract additional traffic, increase the space occupied by the ad on the page and the overall effectiveness of the advertising campaign. Therefore, in order to achieve the goals set for the search campaign, it is necessary to know and understand what add-ons exist and how they are applied.
What are Google Ads extensions?
In general, these are blocks of additional information about the properties of the advertiser’s product, which is added to the structure of the advertising offer in a certain order. For example, a physical address, a rating, a call button, and so on. They make the offer visually more interesting and attractive, and also make it easier to navigate.
Important! Google ad extensions are only displayed if the algorithm deems it necessary and ad impressions are made in the top ad unit, so all basic parameters should be contained in the text.
What are ad extensions for?
Their key purpose is to add additional information about the advertiser and his product to the standard Google Ads text ad. In this case, the information will be highlighted in blocks and shown in cases where the search network considers it relevant to the target query.
In addition, the presence of more information makes the offer voluminous and attractive, allows the client to see contacts, call or write a message already in the search results, without even going to the page.
Some ad extensions in Google Ads are created in auto-mode to increase the effectiveness of text ads. However, do not place high hopes on artificial intelligence. It is most advisable to do manual configuration from the very beginning.
Hint! Additional information distinguishes the advertiser’s company from the rest and allows you to get more clicks. Consequently, the conversion rate will increase, which will lead to an increase in the Quality Score and a decrease in the average CPC.
The Benefits of Using Google Ads Extensions
Improved quality score and text ad rating without increasing costs. Google has officially announced that it takes into account the correct application of AdWords ad extensions when calculating the Quality Score. Thus, correct tuning equates to improving it. In turn, higher rankings are more likely to increase CPC as they are higher in the search results. At the same time, there is no additional payment for clicks on add-ons. The cost is equal to the normal cost per click;
Increased total clicks. According to Google statistics, as a result of the introduction of extensions, CTR increases by an average of 10-15%;
Large structured advertising space. Ads increase significantly in volume and have a well-defined structure that users’ eyes cling to;
Increased click-through rate on smartphones. Today, more and more people prefer mobile devices to desktop ones, so Google is adapting to them. On mobile devices, ads with extensions look aesthetically pleasing and attractive, in addition, they are very voluminous, and the first positions in the search results occupy the entire screen space.
What types of extensions are there in AdWords?
There are three main varieties:
self-configured;
automatic;
automatic and customizable.
The difference lies in the fact that in manual information about the product is developed and entered independently by the advertiser, and in automatic – using the built-in AdWords algorithms.
It is preferable to set up Google Ads extensions yourself. Thus, the process of displaying information becomes controlled, and each ad is unique.
Varieties of manual contextual advertising extensions
In most cases, when it comes to PPC ad extensions, we mean manual extensions. The reason is that they are given priority in ranking. Let’s consider their varieties in more detail.
Additional links
The point is to direct a potential client to the right pages before he goes to the advertiser’s resource. When displayed, text is shown that describes the direction of the transition (sections of the site). When setting up, you need to pay attention to the fact that the links are either universal or correspond to the request as much as possible and are not out of place. It is also advisable to place additional links to accounts in social networks.
The text and URL of links can be updated at any time without changing the content of the ad itself. The description under the link is added in auto-mode, but with the possibility of writing manually. The minimum number of links to display is 2, the maximum is 10.
Addresses
Determinant for a local business with a specific physical location. Allows you to show the address, the mark on the map, the work schedule and the phone number before going to the site. It greatly simplifies the navigation of a potential client to your location. It works provided that there is a linked My Business account and these data are entered in it. It is added by default on the machine, but can be configured manually.
Phone numbers
According to Google, using a phone number results in an average 4-5% increase in clicks. An interactive button appears in the search results on smartphones, by pressing which you can call without typing numbers manually and without going to the target resource. This reduces the number of steps required to contact the company.
Although Google Ads pulls the phone from the site, it’s better to add it yourself right away. When scheduling impressions, take into account the working hours of the operators, choose only those hours when the phone call will be answered.
Messages
Modern young people increasingly prefer to write messages instead of making phone calls. Similarly, as with phone numbers, the user gets the opportunity to ask a question of interest directly from the search results.
FAQ templates can be provided. The condition of display is the obligatory registration of the advertiser and payment by him of the cost of sending the message. For correct operation, you need to specify the display time corresponding to the working hours of the operators.
Application Links
To begin with, it should be noted that if the subject of advertising is the application itself, then this option is not suitable. The title of the ad will link to the web page, and the link to the application will be below.
Its main purpose is to give the user a choice between the mobile version of the page and the application. You can link to both Google Play and the Apple App Store – depending on the type of device (selected in auto mode).
Reviews
In human psychology, trust in stories about someone’s experience is embedded and decisions are made easier on its basis. Many marketing strategies are based on this. The principle of work is based on building trust among the target audience.
Reviews from third-party resources on a product or service are tied to an ad. You should pay attention to the trust of these resources (the trust of users in them, attendance) and, accordingly, monitor the responses for negative. Reviews are only displayed when searching from a computer.
Clarifications
Represents a block of non-clickable text. Emphasizes the uniqueness of the sales offer, what distinguishes it from competitors in a particular market segment.
It is advisable to highlight the main competitive advantages, reflect them in the form of specific indicators (guarantee, service, quality). In search results on computers and smartphones, it is displayed as text at the bottom of the ad, containing from 2 to 6 refiners.
Structured descriptions
They allow you to display information about certain aspects of the company’s advertised products within standard headings. It is only necessary to choose those headlines that correspond to the target market segment. The list of titles available for placement can be seen in the Google Ads help materials.
In text ads, 2 structured descriptions are available for desktop impressions, and 1 for smartphone impressions.
Prices
The ability to show information about the cost of products directly under the text. If the user is satisfied with the cost, he clicks on the URL and gets to the page of the product of interest.
Pricing and landing pages for each product or service are specified during setup. It is worth describing the advantages of your product, its features. Do not forget to update prices, take into account promotions and discounts.
Affiliate addresses
If the advertiser’s product is sold through a network of distributors, then you can connect their location in the Google My Business system, thereby helping to increase your sales as well.
By publishing partner addresses, customers will find out in which store they can purchase goods. Connection is as simple as possible – you only need to specify the location of the points of sale where the advertiser’s product is sold. Then the system works offline.
Promotions
Designed to tell a potential audience about the company’s promotions. Such things are striking and greatly raise the CTR. Often, promotions are tied to significant dates or events in order to stir up the interest of the target audience, to remind you of a product or service.
Form lead
You can add a form to your ad that collects leads directly from search. The system allows you to upload information from it to your CRM system. Both the form for collecting contact data and the message about sending them are already included in the extension. Both can be customized to suit your needs.
Images
Images have a positive effect on the CTR (click-through rate) of advertising. The service allows you to add up to 20 pictures to each ad, but the optimal number, if you compare costs and profits, is 3–4 pieces.
This extension performs well when promoting e-commerce projects, as long as the “One product – one ad group” structure is used. This allows you to link the product image to the key query of the buyer.
Automatic URLs
The extension shows the interested user where your company’s office or point of sale is located, as well as the shortest route to get there. An interactive map or a link to the address you specified will appear in the ad, by clicking on which the user will see information about the company and will be able to build a route.
Automatic phone numbers
If the maximum number of calls is set as one of the goals of your advertising campaign in Google Ads, then the system can automatically add a phone number to advertisements. So the user will be able to call you with one click of the mouse.
Payment for this ad format is charged per click. Thus, if call tracking is enabled on the site, you can count a click on a phone number as a separate conversion.
Types of automatic extensions
When the algorithm of the AdWords system considers that it is advisable to add an extension to increase the effectiveness of an advertising campaign, it will be automatically created based on the content presented on the resource and shown under the ad. The disadvantage of such add-ons is that they are unmanaged and have a lower priority than manual ones. However, it is not recommended to disable them.
Because it is not possible to manage their display, it is preferable to use custom ones to control the campaign process and its effectiveness.
There are seven types of automatic extensions supported by the Google Ads system.
Seller Rating
Generates an advertiser’s rating of 5 stars based on data extracted from trusted review sources. At the same time, there are certain requirements for the quantity and quality of reviews on third-party sites in order to form an adequate assessment.
Dynamic sitelinks
Generated link to the most popular categories or landing pages. If there are relevant additional links configured manually, dynamic ones are not shown.
Dynamic structured descriptions
They are generated automatically, based on the content of the target site. You should not leave descriptions at the mercy of the system algorithms – there is a risk of getting slurred machine text that scares off potential consumers.
Dynamic refiners
Created by AdWords to make it clear to the user whether to go to the site or not (whether the content of the site matches the request). The situation is similar to dynamic descriptions – manual configuration is required.
Linking to your Google My Business account unlocks the following automatic add-ons:
Phone number;
Messages;
Addresses.
How does Google decide which extensions to show?
By default, not all added ad extensions in Google Ads will appear in the SERP. The visibility of extensions depends on:
Ad rating. And its value is influenced by the set bid amount, the minimum value of the ad rating, the context of the search query, the quality indicators of both the ad itself and the landing page. The expected effect of displaying extensions and advertising in other formats also plays a role. The extension will be shown only if the rating matches the given criteria.
The position the ad occupies on the search results page. Priority is given to those ads that are in higher places. The lower the ad is located, the less likely it is to display its extensions.
Advice on using extensions
There are a few things to consider when deciding whether to include extensions in your ad campaign:
The set is automatically selected. Since the contextual advertising system itself decides which ones to display and which not, the best solution is to add as many extensions as possible. Ideally, multiple versions of the impression are created so that Google chooses the most suitable one;
Increase CPC. Often, as a result of adding extensions, the average position in the issue increases, and, consequently, the cost of the transition. Some erroneously remove them when in reality one should adjust the price using bids;
Quality requirements. Even though custom ads have a ranking advantage, a weak call or incorrect offer will drag the entire campaign to the bottom;
Relevance. Google is constantly in dynamics, optimizing the work of the search engine, so advertising offers containing only the most relevant content get into the tops of the results.
