[PPC] – How to use ad extensions in Google Ads

Many times you may have wondered how to use the ad extensions in Google Ads. Well, this post will answer all those questions, doubts, curiosities and some advice about the subject.

If what you want is to improve the CTR of your campaigns and at the same time have this reflected in the mythical Quality Level you are on the right track. Knowing how to use ad extensions in Google Ads will make their great influence on the CTR and Quality Level translate into more clicks and lower costs.

In the end, what you’re doing here is making a difference over other ads and making yours different from others. In other words, you are giving an added value to your clients, you are giving them extra relevant information about the search they have made. And that’s more than enough reason to increase the click rate. You can make a difference in SERPs.

We all like to stand out from the crowd, don’t we? With this guide you will understand how to use Google Ads extensions to further strengthen your campaigns and increase your good results.

Ah! And there’s no extra charge.

What are Google Ads extension ads?

Ad extensions are a complementary part that you can add to your ads. These extensions can be of different types, at first they can be automatic (generated by Google) or manual (you create the extensions yourself). Then within these two groups can be call, location, site links, lead form, etc.

If you learn how to use the ad extensions on Google Ads, you will get to make Google Ads more attractive. We already know that Google leaves us few characters for our ads and many times we leave something to tell our customers before they click. Well, with the extensions you can count on more attributes, advantages and so on about your products/services.

You will also gain in visibility over the competition. We already know that the SERP panel is very limited when we do a search, and normally all the results look quite similar. But there is always someone who stands out from the rest because he has some other complement. In the case of search ads, these are the ad extensions.

Before you get your hopes up and think that your ads are going to have more illuminated signs (ad extensions) than the City of Sin, I must tell you that not all your extensions are always shown and in some cases a couple are only shown.

This happens for three reasons:

1. The positioning of the ad is important. The higher this is, the more space you will have to display the extensions.
2. The ranking of the ad. This will take into account the Quality Level, the bidding, the user experience within the page.
3. The expected ranking of extensions will also not want to “get your fingers caught” and will show the best or most relevant ones for each person.

Why use ad extensions on Google Ads?

The million dollar question. I’m going to answer this question in three points that after reading them, I’m sure you’re already starting to add extensions in all Google Ads accounts that are in your possession.

• They improve the CTR and the ranking of your ads in a considerable way. The more information you give your customer the more they will like it (CTR improvement) and the more Google will like it (ad ranking improvement).
• They will give you more visibility to your ads and more information for users. They bring more visibility because adding more elements to your ads will make them look different. They provide more information because, for example, you may be telling them the value you are going to give them, or the price comparison on your website. Among others.
• You can add more call to actions in the form of link extracts from your website.

How do I add ad extensions on Google Ads?

After reading all these advantages, the question of how to use ad extensions on Google Ads is already hanging over your head.

Well, this is easy; you must go to the Google Ads account you want to add ad extensions. In the left panel there is a section called: “Ads and extensions”.

Here you can see the manual extensions that you have, as well as the automatic extensions that Google Ads has created for you. To create them as you wish, go to the “Extensions” section and click on the “+” so that a drop-down menu appears:

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After that it’s time to select the type of extension you want to use.

What kind of ad extensions are there?

I want you to know how to use the ad extensions in Google Ads I will explain you what types of ad extensions exist.

But we must distinguish between automatic extensionsand manual extensions.

Manual Extensions

They are the ones you create, as I explained before; so the good thing about this is that you have total control over the extensions you want to run for each specific campaign or ad group.

Site link extensions

Or better known as sitelink extensions. What you get with this type of extension is to add additional links from your website to the ad. The good thing is that here appears your site link to which you put a text describing where you are going to take it. And below that you can add two lines in which you can describe in brief what it is about or even put a CTA.

In the case of Nike, they put segmented links in the running category for men and women, then a specific one for shoes and another one for clothes.

For example if you have a restaurant you will send it to the menu, in case you have a real estate agency you will send it to the section of flats, houses, premises. And so adapting to each business.

You should keep in mind that computers can display two to six links on the same line or even two. For mobiles up to eight, and in the shape of a carousel. And the description may or may not come up. It’s already a Google thing.

Highlighted text extensions

Here are the famous callout extensions where you want to show a short, clear and concise message.

In this example of Trivago you can see how it looks like at the end: “Compare Prices Online. Free and Comfortable…” These attributes are the highlighted text.

If we continue with the example of the restaurant and the real estate agency an example could be for the restaurant: Heated terrace. Space for children. Live music. And for real estate: Real photos. Price comparison.

These are always separated by points and can be included between two and six. Google decides in which order they appear.

Site extract extensions

Or also known as structured snippets. Here we try to highlight the most key or specific aspects of our products or services.

Following the example of Nike; you can see how they put “Types” and followed by it tells you a little about the products you will find on the page.

Following the example of the restaurant and the real estate agency; in the first one it could appear: meat, fish, seafood, food for coeliacs. With the real estate agency you could add specifications of the type: detached houses, villas with swimming pool, beach apartments.

Google gives you the option to choose type/model/destination and you add values with a limit of 25 characters.

Extension call

This is the call extension so they can call you directly by clicking. So you can see it more clearly:

This extension usually appears, in most cases, when we put the phone tag. In the case of the restaurant and the real estate agency, it would be very appropriate to make an appointment.

It is usually more practical for mobiles, as they click and you are immediately calling. Depending on the type of company, clicks on calls can be counted as conversions. As may be the case with locksmiths.

By the way; put it only on cell phones.

Extension of forms for potential clients

The extension for generating leads is currently in Beta.

However, we are already using it in our Google Ads. It is a form in which you place the fields you want your client to fill in.

In the case of agencies, online courses and any business that is dedicated to attracting clients it is quite profitable to include this extension in your account.

For restaurants it could be something interesting by adapting a form to reserve your table. Por ejemplo esto ya lo For example, this is already done by El Portal. In the case of the real estate agency, in the end, it would be to make a formula that could also be adapted to the client’s needs

Extension of location

These are the location extensionsthat are of great importance for those stores that also have, in addition to the online, a physical store. They usually show up like this:

In the case of restaurants this is very interesting, and also for real estate. But as far as the restaurant or any physical store is concerned we should start counting the click of this extension as an assisted conversion.

At the end you are assisting a customer to a physical store thanks to this extension.

Affiliated Location Extension

Followed by the location extension we go to the affiliate location extension.

I must admit, first of all, when you read the title you may ask yourself: how come there is another location? If the previous one is enough for me.

This is for example if you sell a product online and have third parties sell it as well. But you don’t have a physical store, however, your salesman does. So you’re sending a customer to buy your product. Hence the affiliate thing.

Price Extension

Price extension is the extension in which they show the prices of your products or services. Up to 8 products/services can be configured in it with their respective prices. The good thing about this is that they send you to the product sheet so conversions here can be helpful.

Returning to the example of the restaurant would be applicable but not with such good results as for example in the hotel sector its implantation is very effective, since the prices of the different rooms can be put.

Extension of application

The app extension is exclusively for those apps that when you exercise your search, the name of the app, in the search engines will appear the option to download the application. The good thing is that here Google reads which device they are searching from to send them the download either via Play Store or App Store.

Promotion extension

Promotion extension is really useful at times like sales, Black Friday, Christmas or other annual events.

People before they click will see the percentage discount you will give them or the monetary amount. You can adjust different promotion formats.

Automatic Extensions

They are those that Google generates automatically from the account data that you have added to them. Here the Google AI plays a big role, as it chooses the most suitable extension for each search.

Extension of ratings

The truth is that, in my opinion, it is one of the best extensions because each and every one of us when we go to buy any product or service we look at the reviews it has.

Well, before you go in the store you can see the ratings. For a restaurant house or a real estate agency they are very good. Although in the end: for everything.

You have to configure it from Google Merchant Center. In this guide I tell you a little about the latter.

Then, Google Ads can dynamically/automatically generate the other manual extensions I mentioned. But without you telling him which ones you want and what message you want to send.

What kind of ad extension on Google Ads is best for my account?

It depends. It depends on the objective you have in each advertising campaign, so you can understand it better, I’m going to group the types of extensions I mentioned before in some common objectives.

I want to be bought at my physical store

In this case you would have to make use of the location extensions. In this case the normal location extensions and the affiliated location extension. Then also the length of the highlighted text can be interesting, as you can highlight certain values or positive aspects that can be found on your website.

I want you to download my mobile application

So all you have to do is create an app extension.

I want them to come and get me

If what you want is for them to come and call you or for you to receive information in this case the call extensions and lead forms come into play.

Buy from my ecommerce

To do this, you will have to make use of link and site extract extensions, highlight text, price, promotions and product rating.

This is where you have to make the most of Google Ads extensions. Without ignoring the previous ones.

What benefits do I get from using ad extensions on my Google Ads account?

I have already explained how to use the ad extensions in Google Ads. Well, now let’s see what benefits you can get by implementing them in your account.

• Your ads are going to look better. In the end by adding more things in it you will differentiate yourself from your competition.
• You are giving more information about your products/services to your customers. You’re giving them value, and that’s important.
• It will improve your Quality Level and the adrank of your ads. As well as the percentage of clicks and in turn the CTR.
• In mobile you will gain many more benefits than at desktop level because here the extensions are more visual due to the dimensions of the screen.
• Your performance will be increased. Google will help you make that happen, you’re sure to end up getting the same number of clicks for less money.
• They are very flexible and easy to create. You also control the message you want to convey.
• They have detailed reports so you can see which ones work best.

In the end: it’s all advantages and… no extra costs!

Tips for your ad extensions

Now I’m going to tell you a series of tips so that all the advantages I mentioned earlier will come sooner rather than later.

1. Check out the Google legislations. I imagine you’ve had some trouble with a conflicting ad or keyword. Well, in the case of extensions, the same thing.
2. Add as many extensions as are relevant to your business. That said, more is less, so watch out.
3. The call extension is for mobile phones only. On the computer: what for?
4. Add additional information to your extensions to provide value to your customers.
5. Try to add as many site links as possible. This will allow you to optimize Google.
6. Think about mobile phone. Try to adapt the extensions in mobiles, there are more and more of us who buy with our smartphone.
7. Review the reports and try to do A/B tests to see which extensions work best and which ones are worse and try to make some changes.

This is all you need to know about using ad extensions on Google Ads. If you are still not very determined to launch yourself into the world of PPC, don’t hesitate to ask for your proposal.