Paid search advertising can be a highly effective channel for bringing qualified traffic and conversions to your website. However, to get the most out of your PPC campaigns, it’s important to go beyond standard text ads and use the various ad extensions available through platforms like Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising.
Extensions allow you to append additional information to your ads, making them more informative and attractive to searchers. Implemented properly, extensions can improve ad relevance, click through rates (CTR), and conversion rates.
In this post, we’ll explore some of the top extensions you can use to enhance your PPC ads and performance.
Sitelink Extensions
Sitelink extensions display additional links to deep pages on your website under your main PPC ad. Each sitelink includes a link description and URL.
For example:
Main Ad
Shop Running Shoes
Sitelinks
Running Shoes for Men domain/men
Running Shoes for Women domain/women
Shoes for Marathons domain/marathon
Sitelinks help searchers quickly navigate to the most relevant pages on your site without needing extra clicks. According to Google, ads with sitelinks can achieve up to a 10-20% increase in CTR on average [1].
To implement sitelinks in your Google Ads campaigns:
- Make sure your landing page URLs are formatted correctly. Sitelinks won’t work with pages that have tracking parameters after the domain name.
- Create separate ad groups around topics or products you want to feature in sitelinks. Target keywords accordingly.
- Use descriptive anchor text in the Link Text fields when adding sitelinks in your ad group.
- Monitor performance to identify your best performing sitelinks. Add or remove links accordingly.
Call Extensions
Call extensions display a clickable phone number in your text ads. When a searcher clicks your number, their device automatically dials your business.
Call extensions are extremely effective for service-based businesses like plumbers, tow truck companies, and contractors who want to make it easy for prospects to call. Studies show call extensions can improve CTR by 5-10%.
To add call extensions in Google Ads:
- Verify your business phone number in Google My Business. This links your number to your account.
- In your ad group, click Extensions > Call > Add Call Extension.
- Select your verified phone number and set a schedule if desired.
- For tracking, forward your call extension number to your actual business line using a call tracking service.
Location Extensions
Location extensions append your business address, map snippet, and/or clickable directions link to your PPC ads. This makes your proximity more discoverable for nearby searchers.
According to Google, ads with location extensions get a boost in ad rank and can achieve up to 10% higher CTR [2]. They work well for businesses with a local customer base like restaurants, retail stores, real estate agencies, etc.
To add location extensions in Google Ads:
- Confirm your business address is accurately listed in Google My Business.
- In your ad group, click Extensions > Location > Add Location Extension.
- Select your verified business address. You can also enable map snippets and directions links.
- Target keywords and set bid adjustments that imply intent for nearby offerings.
Structured Snippet Extensions
Structured snippets pull details from your website into your PPC ads in a structured format. The snippets automatically update based on live inventory, price, event date, job listing, etc.
For example, a retail ad can display product info like price, brand, color, availability, etc. Snippets like these provide more transparency to searchers.
According to Wordstream, product ads with structured snippets can achieve a CTR boost of up to 30%.
To implement structured snippets in Google Ads:
- Install the Google Merchant Center and Google Tag Manager on your site.
- Submit product inventory feeds to the Merchant Center.
- Create a Search Ads 360 account to access dynamic ad features.
- In your campaigns, choose Responsive Search Ads and enable Product schema markup.
Monitor performance over time and refine your snippets as needed.
Review Extensions
Review extensions prominently display star ratings and pull-quotes from credible third-party reviews of your business. Highlighting positive sentiment builds trust and social proof.
According to Google, review extensions can improve CTR by up to 10% [3]. They work for most categories but are especially effective in industries like restaurants, hotels, automotive, etc.
To add review extensions in Google Ads:
- Confirm your Google My Business and other review profiles (Facebook, Yelp) have enough credible reviews.
- In your ad group, click Extensions > Review > Add Review Extension.
- Select data sources and review quotes to feature.
- Monitor performance to identify your most impactful reviews.
Image Extensions
Image extensions allow you to append a relevant, high resolution image to your text ads. Visual content tends to attract more attention, especially for visual products like apparel, home goods, photography services, etc.
According to Crealytics, image extensions can improve CTR by 5-10% in some cases [4]. Just make sure your images are clear, attractive, and designed for small screens.
To add image extensions in Google Ads:
- Upload images to your Media Library in image extension format (1280×720 pixels).
- In your ad group, click Extensions > Image > Add Image Extension.
- Select a relevant image and add a short description.
- A/B test different images to see which ones perform best.
Implement Extensions Strategically
When adding extensions to your PPC ads:
- Focus on the extensions that are most relevant to your business offering and customer needs. Don’t just add every extension available.
- Be selective about which ad groups you enable extensions for. Target keywords appropriately.
- Monitor analytics to identify your best performing extensions. Remove or pause the ones that aren’t working.
- Adjust bids on keywords and match types where extensions are performing well.
- Follow extension best practices around formatting, image specs, etc. provided by the PPC platform.
With a strategic approach, PPC ad extensions can enhance relevance for searchers and improve your clickthrough rates, conversion rates, and ROI over time. Test new extensions periodically to keep improving your ad performance.
References
- Add site links to your ad – Google Ads Help. https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7365594?hl=en
- Location Extensions – Google Ads Help. https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6175009?hl=en
- About ad review extensions – Google Ads Help. https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6193742?hl=en
- The Power of Ad Image Extensions – For PPC Success. Crealytics. https://www.crealytics.com/blog/ppc-image-extensions/
