Ad extensions for an optimized use of Google Ads

September 24, 2022

Google Ads is undoubtedly one of the most important and effective marketing tools on the Internet. In the form of so-called ad extensions, you can benefit from additional advantages and raise the success of your online advertising campaigns to a new level.

What exactly is an ad extension?

Basically, an ad extension is used to present your company in more detail. This is a special format of ads that provides Google users with additional information.

The advantages for the respective company are manifold: For example, the ad extensions go hand in hand with improved visibility in the search results and offer the target group meaningful added value. The result is a significantly higher click rate on the respective ad, which ensures more traffic on the associated website.

Furthermore, such an ad extension encourages potential customers to interact: If your ad contains a telephone number and other contact details, for example, interested parties will contact you more often. In this context, it should be noted that the mere use of the ad extensions does not entail any additional costs. You only have to pay when certain ad extension buttons are clicked. This includes, but is not limited to, clicks on a download or call button. Due to the increased number of visitors to your website, however, this investment is definitely recommended.

Sitelinks and location information for high-performing Ads ads

Ad extensions are generally divided into two different categories: accordingly, there are both automatic and manually manageable extensions. The automatic additional information is added by Google if the algorithm predicts an increase in the performance of the ad as a result. If you only want to manually expand your ads, you can deactivate this adjustment under the menu item “Automatic expansions”.

With manual ad extensions, sitelinks are one of the best options for optimizing a campaign in a targeted manner: You can use sitelinks to link to various sub-areas of your website below your actual ads display. In the case of an online shop for bicycles, links to categories such as mountain bikes, bicycle helmets or air pumps would be useful here. Thanks to the sitelinks, customers immediately get an overview of what the company has to offer and get to the appropriate subpages more quickly. Also, the ad with the sitelinks becomes bulkier and catches the user’s eye in Google search results.

You can also offer Google users added value and advertise your company more effectively with the Locations ad extension: By linking your Google My Business profile, users can quickly see exactly where the business is located by marking it on Google Maps. This ad extension is worthwhile, for example, for local shops that want to attract more customers to your store. As an alternative to synchronizing with Google Business, the location information can also be entered manually. In addition, the current opening hours should be listed in the ads so that customers know when they can come by.

Supplement ads ads with additional extensions

With the help of the price extension, individual services or products can be brought into focus. The concrete presentation of the different prices can increase the interest in buying and thus also the conversion rate. If you want to highlight special promotions, you can also use the offer extension: This feature can be used, for example, to communicate sales of individual collections or discounts for new customers. The corresponding data such as the specific duration of the campaign periods are displayed below your ads display.

More and more companies are developing their own apps to differentiate themselves from the competition. If your company also offers an app, you can promote the corresponding software in your ads. As a result, you have an app extension available that you can use to link directly to the app download. With just one click, users can access the Apple and Google app stores, which definitely has a positive effect on the number of downloads.

Another ad extension on Google Ads is the publication of additional information. Depending on the company in question, information about the range of goods or the respective delivery time can be provided here, for example. In the best case, the information is formulated as briefly and concisely as possible. The corresponding formulations are clearly structured in the form of bullet points. In contrast to the sitelinks, however, the additional information cannot be provided with a link, but only appears as additional lines of text.

Positive ratings and comments are of great importance for effective online marketing. With the ad extension reviews and information from social networks, you can also take advantage of this fact with Google Ads: With appropriate buyer ratings and feedback from third-party providers, the trust of a company can be significantly enhanced. For a supplier of kitchen appliances, for example, positive test results from relevant specialist magazines come into question here. Although Google pre-screens reviews, you should verify that the reviews listed are from reputable sources only.

Final conclusion on the subject of Google Ads ad extensions

Overall, Google Ads extensions make a valuable contribution to the efficiency of your ads. Thanks to the large selection, suitable supplements can be selected for companies from all sectors. Ideally, the effects of the adjustments are regularly checked with analysis tools in order to be able to optimize your own ads step by step.