One of the many perks of AdWords is that it allows you to claim more of the search engine results page (SERP) than you could ever claim through organic reach alone; paid ads buy you access to corners of online real estate that SEO simply cannot penetrate. It stands to reason, then, that anything you can do to make your paid ads bigger—that is, to expand them to further corners of the SERP—is ultimately going to be worthwhile. And as it happens, there are some effective ways to do exactly that, specifically by including AdWords extensions.
What Are AdWords Extensions?
It’s all right there in the name, really: An AdWords extension is an optional add-on or bonus to your text ad, allowing you to increase the online real estate it takes up. And this is definitely a case where bigger is better: By enlarging your ad, you make it that much more visible, that much more enticing for a buyer to click on. What’s more, many extensions actually provide users with more channels to click on, more ways for them to fulfill their own goals. As you consider ad extensions, though, it is important to remember that not all of them are created equal; in this post, we’ll summarize just a few of the ones we recommend most emphatically.
Choosing the Best AdWords Extensions
Here are just a few of our favorites, in no particular order.
Sitelink Extensions
One of the most commonly used ad extensions, this one allows you to showcase different links within a single ad—for example, linking to different product pages or different areas of your website. This allows you to provide more paths to conversion while also claiming more of the SERP space. Sitelink extensions allow you to enhance your regular ad with four additional links, which means you can make it look like five ads instead of just one.
Local Extensions
For brick and mortar businesses, this extension type is highly recommended. Basically, it shows your physical address to search engine users who are in close proximity to your business. If you are looking to increase foot traffic, this extension can really be effective and advantageous.
Call Extensions
A good, straightforward option, the call extension allows you to include a phone number with your ad. As a result, search engine users can more easily call you directly, without having to actually click through the ad. This can really help you get more bang for buck out of each ad, as you can benefit even from ads that don’t get as many clicks.
Review Extensions
Has your product or business been well-reviewed by a third party source, like the local newspaper or a prominent blog? You can showcase your rave reviews by using the review extension, which allows you to include a snippet of review text inside the body of your ad. This can be a tremendous way of building brand reputability and instilling buyer confidence.
Callout Extensions
Another great way to build credibility, the callout extension enables you to list key selling points, benefits, or features of your product. For example, if you are running an ad for an automobile, you might “call out” things like “fuel efficient,” “generous leg room,” or “powerful V8 engine.” The upshot? You can showcase the things that make your product special, and again, you can reap benefits even if you don’t always get clicks.
Price Extensions
The good thing about price extensions is that they can allow you to take up quite a bit of online real estate; you can effectively create a small menu of your products/services, showcasing the individual price for each. Our only caveat here is that not all businesses will benefit from showing off their prices in this way; we only recommend this if your prices really give you a competitive edge.
Previous Visit Extensions
This one is a little bit different from the other ad extension types, as it’s not really something you can implement or control. It is worth noting, however, that sometimes AdWords will automatically provide search engine users with data on when they last visited your site—potentially a good way to remind previous customers of their past experiences with your brand. If you happen to get any of these elusive extensions, count yourself lucky!
Using Ad Extensions
There are many more extensions where those came from, but for now, let’s turn our attention to how you implement them. Start by going into your AdWords account, then clicking on the Ad Extensions option. This is where you’ll find a menu of the extension types that are available to you; select the one you want, and Google will walk you through the rest of the process.
It is important to note that, while ad extensions can enhance your AdWords strategy, they also complicate it somewhat, as there are more variables to consider and ultimately to track. We recommend being judicious in the extension(s) you choose, and make sure you’re acting in alignment with your stated PPC marketing goals.
If you ever need help choosing or implementing a good AdWords extension, our team is here to help. The enCOMPASS crew believes in the significance of AdWords, and in the value of ad extensions. We’d love to talk with you more about this unique and oft-overlooked tool. Reach out to us today and get the ball rolling!
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