Extensions increase the ad copy’s size noticeably - the sitelink extensions, for instance, can increase the ad copy’s height up to 100%. The bigger the ad copy, the more likely it is to be noticed, and the more likely it is to be clicked on. Since we know that the percentage of clicks matter when it comes to deciding how much we pay, adding extensions to our AdWords account, whether at the account, campaign or adgroup level is no longer an option.
In order for us to start creating extensions, we will need to have then, an AdWords account, a campaign and inside the campaign(s) at least one adgroup. We walk you through the best way to build an AdWords campaign in a different article.
There are 11 different extensions you can use, so long as they fit your business’ goals - we’ll go over the main 8 extensions in detail. Let’s go!
To get started, simply navigate to the tab “Ad Extensions” and select “Sitelink Extensions”. You can now select whether you want to create it at the account, campaign or ad group level - that will make the extension available to be displayed in all ad copies within the account, the campaign or the ad group respectively.
Next, click on the button “+Extension” and add the title and the description of each page you feel comfortable driving your potential visitors to.
Next, click on the button Save, and that’s it!
It’s proven that the location extensions increase the click through rate and make the ad more engaging - this extension applies so long as your business has a physical location, a brick-and-mortar location that is open to the general public. The increase in the click through rate is 12% - which makes it one of the most effective extensions. Bear in mind that over 50% of searches are made from mobile. Mobile searches seek an immediate response, an immediate outcome - the address and contact information of a business offering the product or service I am interested in fits this intention nicely and increases not only the percentage of clicks, but also the likelihood of that visitor becoming a customer.
Akin to the Sitelink extension, we will navigate to the Extension tab and click on Location Extension. We will be asked to connect our Google My Business account, which is a free-1-minute-sign-up account needed to run the extension.
We’ll select the campaigns we want this extension to be applied to and click on Save.
Both the sitelink and the location extensions are contingent on your website having multiple worthy pages to drive traffic to and on your business having a physical location that potential customers can go to. The callout extension, on the other hand, is an extension that is universally applicable to all advertisers regardless. This is what makes the callout extension a must-use. Its implementation is also fairly easy and straightforward. Textbook examples of what makes a good callout extension - you can add as many as you wish, but only 4 at a time will be displayed, are: customer support 24/7, or 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. Using numbers, whenever possible, has shown to increase the click through rate even more.
Akin to the other extensions, we will navigate to the Extension tab and click on Callout extensions
We will add what makes our business unique, better and click on Save.
Both the sitelink and the location extensions are contingent on your website having multiple worthy pages to drive traffic to and on your business having a physical location that potential customers can go to. The callout extension, on the other hand, is an extension that is universally applicable to all advertisers regardless. This is what makes the callout extension a must-use. Its implementation is also fairly easy and straightforward. Textbook examples of what makes a good callout extension - you can add as many as you wish, but only 4 at a time will be displayed, are: customer support 24/7, or 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. Using numbers, whenever possible, has shown to increase the click through rate even more.
Akin to the other extensions, we will navigate to the Extension tab and click on Callout extensions
You can add the phone number as well as the schedule - not adding the schedule will make the phone number be displayed 24/7 or whenever the campaign within which the extension is added is scheduled to run.
You can restrict the extension to be displayed only in desktop and tablet devices
Review extensions increase the click through rate 10% - which is in line of the benefit caused by most other extensions, according to Google. This extension, however, is one of the trickiest to create and one of the least likely to be approved given the tight policies surrounding it. For the review extension to be approved it needs to:
- Come from authoritative sources: A review coming from a local blog, or a biased publication will not be accepted. Period. Unless the review comes from a reputable source, don’t bother creating this extension.
- Be somewhat new: The review needs to be one year or newer.
- Be true: While you can paraphrase ever so slightly the review, it cannot change the true meaning.
You can create the extension by navigating to the Extensions tab, and adding it - most times, this extension can be added at the Account level, since it is applicable to all products and campaigns, unless for some reason it’s only applicable to some of them.
We will choose whether the review is an exact quote or we are paraphrasing it and click on the Save button
Price extensions are proven to be one of the most effective, since they increase the height of the ad copy sometimes by over 100%. You can add the price of any product / service / brand - you name it. This is a fairly flexible extension applicable to most businesses whose product or service has a set or minimum price that can be publicly advertised.
Similarly to the other extensions, we will navigate to the Extensions tab, select the price extension and choose one of the categories we will be setting the price to - whether brand, product, service, and so on.
We can define also the currency.
And write the name of the product alongside its URL where the user can find it.
Both price and message extensions are newer than sitelink, callout, call, location which have been available to AdWords advertisers for a fairly long time. Whereas the price extension has proven to be very effective, the message extension has been a hit or miss most times. Like the call extension, it relies on having somebody reply to the message communication rapidly and accurately. We are paying for the initial message the lead is sending us, so the fact that we don’t reply fast enough or do so with partial information that does not help the lead become a customer, will not avoid the cost of the click.
The message extension is only available for mobile devices and can be created by clicking on the Extension tab and later on selecting message extension.
We will complete the information that will display alongside the ad copy, as well as the mobile phone number and click on save.
Both price and message extensions are newer than sitelink, callout, call, location which have been available to AdWords advertisers for a fairly long time. Whereas the price extension has proven to be very effective, the message extension has been a hit or miss most times. Like the call extension, it relies on having somebody reply to the message communication rapidly and accurately. We are paying for the initial message the lead is sending us, so the fact that we don’t reply fast enough or do so with partial information that does not help the lead become a customer, will not avoid the cost of the click.
The message extension is only available for mobile devices and can be created by clicking on the Extension tab and later on selecting message extension.
Should we want to opt-out, which is not recommended, we can navigate to the option not to display them. This, however, can impact negatively on the account's performance.
To sum up, AdWords extensions are no longer decoration. They have proven instrumental to lower the cost per click, outclick the competition and are a must-have for small-budget advertisers, whom many times compete with big-budget advertisers for the same short-tail and long-tail keywords.
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