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Understanding Googles Ad Extensions

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eb june 2015

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Understanding Google’s Ad ExtensionsHow these simple add-ons can boost the visibility of your text ads.

Google is constantly testing, innovating and rolling out new ways to present advertisements to online shoppers in an effort to walk that fine line between helping searchers find what they need and keeping advertisers happy.

Google ad extensions not only provide helpful information for your shoppers, but they also help boost your ads’ visibility in search results. Because ad extensions count toward your Ad Rank, including relevant extensions can help your ad appear higher than a similar ad without an extension.

Google offers a variety of ad extensions in AdWords — so many that it can be hard to keep track of them all. (Plus, some appear automatically, and some require some setup on your part.) To give you an overview of your ad extension options, we’ve created this guide to get you started.

AD EXTENSIONS

DYNAMIC STRUCTURED

SNIPPETS

LOCATIONEXTENSIONS

SOCIALEXTENSIONS

SITELINKSAPP

EXTENSIONS

CALLEXTENSIONS

REVIEW EXTENSIONS

PREVIOUS VISIT EXTENSIONS

SELLERRATINGS

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CALL EXTENSIONS

Call extensions allow you to display a phone number within a regular text ad. Google requires that any included phone number be accurate, relevant and local for the country the ad is targeting. Also note that your phone number shouldn’t include letters, and shouldn’t lead to extra charges to callers.

ü WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

When implementing call extensions for mobile campaigns, you can choose to set the ads up as call only. This is great for driving in-store traffic and encouraging people to call you directly, instead of, say, going to your website and getting distracted by something else. (Call-only campaigns, like the name implies, don’t include website links.) You also have the ability to include phone numbers only on mobile devices.

ü EXPECTED OUTCOME

According to Google, including a phone number in an ad can increase the click-through rate (CTR) by 6% to 8%.1 We think that having a visible phone number in an ad also encourages conversions simply because it instills trust. A customer knows that should their experience go south, they’ll be able to easily call someone. Call extensions are also hugely helpful on mobile, enabling people to call with just one click.

ü COST

Cost is the same as a standard CPC.

1 https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2453991?hl=en

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SITELINKS

Sitelinks are those glorious little lines of clickable text that make paid search ads look even more like organic search results. They’re designed to drive someone deeper into your site with just one click. Sitelinks work for every type of advertiser, but keep in mind that the goal here is to get more specific, not less.

ü WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Include sitelinks on nearly every campaign, but monitor to make sure you’re not actually lowering your conversion rate on campaigns with sitelinks that are irrelevant to the ad group. Also make sure that the text of your link accurately describes the landing page that it goes to (and don’t include multiple links to the same page).

ü EXPECTED OUTCOME

Increased CTR and increased conversion rate, as long as you’re doing them right!

ü COST

No incremental cost. You’re charged the same as a standard CPC text ad.

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DYNAMIC STRUCTURED SNIPPETS

These are automatic extensions that Google adds to your ads (though you can always opt out if you’d like). Your campaigns are eligible if they’re marked as “Search Network with Display Select” or “Search Network only.” Dynamic structured snippets include an additional line of text within your ad that highlights information about the content on your site, which can help your ad stand out from similar ads. Note that dynamic structured snippets are a new type of extension and are gradually being rolled out across all verticals.

ü WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Dynamic structured snippets will reflect the content of the landing page included in your ad. If you’re a retailer, for example, a dynamic structured snippet may include information about the brands or products featured on your site. They can be used alongside other extensions, but if Google determines that other extensions perform better, then Google will likely remove the dynamic structured snippets.

ü EXPECTED OUTCOME

Not only can dynamic structured snippets increase your CTR, but they can also help boost ROI by enticing shoppers who know what they’re looking for and can see those details directly on your ad.

ü COST

No incremental cost. You’re charged the same as a standard CPC text ad.

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LOCATION EXTENSIONS

Location extensions show your standard text ad with local business information such as address, phone number and a map marker. (Your address is synced via Google My Business.) These ads can show on Google.com, search partners, some display network sites (if opted in) and Google Maps. When viewed on mobile devices, your ads will include a link with directions to your business.

ü WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Be aware that location extensions can be set at the campaign or ad level. If you have many retail locations but are running a promotion at only one or two of those stores, you can associate only one or two locations with specific ad copy. You can also bid by location and adjust bids based on a certain radius around your physical location.

ü EXPECTED OUTCOME

According to Google, using location extensions can increase your CTR by as much as 10%.2

ü COST

No incremental cost. You’re charged the same as a standard CPC text ad.

2 https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2404182

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SOCIAL EXTENSIONS

Social extensions link the Google+ endorsements of your verified Business Google+ page to your AdWords campaigns. Google shows your number of Google+ followers and +1s if it determines that doing so would add value to your campaigns.

ü WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Set up a Google+ Business page and make sure to link it to your website. Then, check to see that the URL domain displayed on your ad matches that on your Google+ page. (They can be different webpages as long as they’re on the same site.) Also good to know: Google won’t show your social info unless you have over 100 Google+ followers.

ü EXPECTED OUTCOME

If you have a strong presence on Google+, showcasing your follower number can go a long way in quickly boosting your credibility with shoppers. (The power of knowing who else likes something is strong!) Social extensions are also a good way to direct people to your Google+ page, entice them to follow you there and potentially start a longer term relationship.

ü COST

There is no cost for someone to +1 your ad directly or to click through to your Google+ page. You’re charged only for clicks through to your website.

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SELLER RATINGS

Seller ratings show your online business ratings, from a variety of sources, in your ads. You don’t need to set these up manually; they will automatically show once your site receives 30 or more seller ratings in the past 12 months, with a combined average of 3.5 stars. Google collects reviews from sites like Google Trusted Stores, Google Consumer Surveys and independent review sites and ranks them according to its five-star scale.

ü WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

If you don’t have any (or many) reviews, signing up with Google Trusted Stores can be a great place to start. The program collects customer reviews and then displays them via AdWords. And good news: the program is free.

ü EXPECTED OUTCOME

Increased consumer confidence in your product, and along with it, increased CTR.

ü COST

No incremental cost. You’re charged the same as a standard CPC text ad. When clicked, seller ratings take you to the actual review page URL for that retailer. The ads themselves are clickable in the normal places, and you’re charged the same CPC as a normal ad.

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APP EXTENSIONS

App extensions are a great feature for retailers that have their own app. Viewers either click a link that will allow them to download your mobile or tablet app directly from your ad by clicking on a link. After clicking this link, the viewer will be taken to the app’s page in either the Apple App Store or Google Play. Or it will begin downloading immediately. Viewers who click on your ad’s headline, however, will be directed to your website. Google is also able to detect the type of device viewers are using, ensuring that users are taken to the appropriate app store. Identifying device type also ensures that, say, a tablet-specific app isn’t linked to an ad on a smartphone.

ü WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Test your ad’s messaging by monitoring clicks to both the headline and to the app extension. Compare these results with other campaigns, ad groups or ads to determine which messaging combinations drive the most desired traffic.

ü EXPECTED OUTCOME

Increased app downloads.

ü COST

No incremental cost. You’re charged the same as a standard CPC text ad.

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REVIEW EXTENSIONS

Shoppers are constantly searching for reviews for reassurance that they’re making a sound buying decision. Review extensions allow you to share positive third-party quotes, awards and rankings with potential customers in an extension below your Google Search text ad. It’s important to note that review extensions are intended to support your company as a whole. Reviews for specific products and services are not supported at this time.

ü WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Make sure that you have prior approval to mention the third party in the review extension. Also, the review should always be from a publication or organization and not an individual.

ü EXPECTED OUTCOME

Your CTR can increase by up to 10%.3

ü COST

No incremental cost. You’re charged the same as a standard CPC text ad.

3 https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/2404182

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PREVIOUS VISIT EXTENSIONS

Previous visit extensions help encourage one-time buyers to become repeat customers by reminding them that they’ve shopped on your site before. Based on previous clicks on search results and search ads, Google calculates which ads are served with previous visit messaging to boost campaign performance. When shoppers are logged in to Google, they may see an ad extension that tells them the last time they visited that particular site, or how many times they’ve visited the site.

ü WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Previous visit extensions are automatically enabled for search ads. If the feature doesn’t bring value to your business, you can easily opt out of the service by contacting Google.

ü EXPECTED OUTCOME

Improved CTR and ROI. There’s also the potential that a one-time shopper turns into a loyal customer, with just a gentle reminder of past activity.

ü COST

No incremental cost. You’re charged the same as a standard CPC text ad.

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IN SUMMARY

There you have it — a summary of the ad extensions currently available and how they work together. As a general rule, here at ChannelAdvisor, we’ve never met an extension we didn’t like.

Set ’em up, keep ’em fresh and monitor key metrics like CTR and conversion rate to make sure they’re working for you. We think some of these extensions may indirectly improve conversion rate by increasing buyer confidence, but the main metric we expect to see move is CTR. Remember, increasing CTR means more traffic. If you’re already struggling with conversion rates that are too low for profitability, you’ll want to address that before you drive a lot more traffic that may not have a significantly different conversion rate.

Ad Extensions at a Glance

Extension Type Best For

Call Extensions Retailers with customized or expensive products; local businesses.

Sitelinks Everyone

Dynamic Structured Snippets Retailers with clearly defined content on website landing pages.

Location Extensions Retailers with both physical and online presences.

Social Extensions Everyone, especially if you have 100 or more Google followers and want to drive traffic to your Google+ page.

Seller Ratings Retailers; anyone that can collect a survey for goods/services.

App Extensions Anyone with a mobile (smartphone, tablet) presence and an app.

Review Extensions Retailers with positive reviews from publications, not individuals.

Previous Visit Extensions Anyone who’s looking to build brand loyalty and encourage one-time buyers to become repeat customers.

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Understanding Google’s Ad Extensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

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