What Are Ad Extensions?

A mockup of google ads on mobile and desktop devices

Whether your business advertises on Google or Bing, you can take advantage of ad extensions. With ad extensions, which include additional information about your company, your business can improve your click-through rate (CTR), conversion rates, and campaign successes.

Learn more about ad extensions, from what they are to which ad extensions to use, now!

Ad extensions, which you can access for free in Google Ads and Bing Ads, provide additional information about your business to users. With an ad extension, your company can share your phone number, product pages, customer reviews, and more.

While you can add extensions to your ad, advertising platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads do not guarantee that your ads will appear with these extensions. A few factors determine whether your ad shows with ad extensions, including its relevance and quality.

Even if your ad doesn’t appear with an extension all the time, it’s worth including ad extensions. They increase the value of your ad (from a user perspective) by offering valuable information, like your prices, phone number, ratings, and more.

5 ad extensions to improve your ad campaigns

Now, are you ready to take advantage of ad extensions in your company’s advertising campaigns? Whether you’re using Google Ads or Bing Ads, your business should take advantage of ad extensions to offer a better experience for web browsers.

Get started with these five powerful ad extensions:

1. Sitelink extensions

A sitelink extension updates your ad with links to at least two (and up to six) specific pages on your website. If you offer heating and cooling services, for example, your sitelink extension may feature links to your emergency, maintenance, and installation services.

If you decide to use sitelink extensions in your ad campaigns, you can specify the title and description of your links. You may title your emergency services as “24/7 Emergency Services” with the description, “Get immediate assistance 24/7/365 from a certified team.”

You can also schedule your sitelink extension to appear on specific days, times, and even dates.

2. Call extensions

A call extension updates your ad with a phone number to your business. Users can click on this phone number to call your business, which is invaluable when someone on mobile searches for your company, services, or products.

The best part is that your business can set your call extension only to appear when your team is available to answer. You can also track or count calls as a conversion, which is helpful for companies offering emergency services, like for heating, plumbing, or electricity.

If you decide to use call extensions in your ad campaigns, you cannot use the following numbers:

Vanity numbers
Premium numbers
Fax numbers

When your team creates your call extensions, you’ll also need to verify your phone number.

3. Message extensions

Message extensions update your ad for mobile users to include a messaging option. With a message extension, your business can chat with users in real-time, helping them schedule an appointment, receive a quote, and more.

If your company adopts message extensions, you must have a valid number for receiving messages.

You can, however, forward messages to a designated email address. When you (and your team) reply via email, your response looks like a regular text message to the user. Your team can also create an auto-reply message.

For email forwarding, your company must use one of the following email addresses:

Gmail
Outlook
Yahoo

Keep in mind that when a user messages your business, it serves as a click. That means your business will pay for a user to contact your company. You will not, however, receive charges from Google or Bing for your responses or their replies.

4. Structured snippet extensions

Structured snippet extensions change your ad to include a snippet that highlights specific products or services. For example, a heating and cooling company may use the following snippet, “Services: Installations, Repairs, Maintenance.”

Ads can feature up to two snippets on desktop devices — mobile devices will only have one snippet.

When you create structured snippets, it’s essential for your team to create snippets that follow-up on your headline. If you advertise emergency services, for example, your snippet can highlight what specific emergency services you offer.

If you use Google Ads, you must choose from a predefined list of headers:

Services
Models
Types
Amenities
Styles
And more

For the best results with this ad extension, make sure your content aligns with the header selected. If you choose “Services,” for example, list your services. Don’t include the brands or models your heating and cooling company stocks.

It’s also essential for your team to include at least four values for every header. A “Service” header, for instance, should feature at least four services. While not required, Google recommends using four values for the best results.

5. Callout extensions

Callout extensions update your ad to include unique company offers or benefits. For example, your callouts may highlight free shipping, 24/7 service, free returns, and price matching. These are excellent and competitive advantages that can drive a user to click on your ad.

Like call extensions, you can schedule callout extensions to appear at specific times.

Companies can make the most of callout extensions by creating ultra-specific callouts. A car dealership, for example, may highlight the miles-per-gallon of a vehicle, finance rates for it, and inventory numbers at the dealership.

With callout extensions, you can capture the attention of users quick with your unique perks.

Build better PPC campaigns with ad extensions

Are you looking to earn more from your pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns? With ad extensions, your business can enhance the look and value of your ads, as well as make it easier for users to contact your team for more information.

Ready for real growth? Trust IndustrialFX for your company’s PPC campaigns!

With a history for driving hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue each year for our clients, as well as a reputation for collaboration and innovation, IndustrialFX is the trusted partner of companies across the U.S. when it comes to SEO and PPC.

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What Are Ad Extensions? (Plus 5 Must-Use Ad Extensions)