What Are Google Ad Extensions?

Running a Google Ads campaign but feel like your text ad is only telling half the story? You can make your ads more powerful and informative by using ad extensions to include extra details like your phone number, store location, or links to specific pages on your website. This article breaks down exactly what Google Ad extensions are, which ones you should be using, and how to get them set up correctly.

What Are Google Ads Extensions, Anyway?

Google Ads extensions are additional snippets of information that can be appended to your core text ad at no extra cost. Think of them as free upgrades for your ad creative. They allow you to showcase extra details that make your ad more useful to a potential customer, grabbing their attention and enticing them to click.

For example, instead of just showing your headline and description, you could use extensions to display:

• Your business's physical address and a link to Google Maps
• A clickable phone number for easy calling from a mobile device
• Direct links to specific pages like "Pricing," "Contact Us," or "Shop Now"
• Special promotions like "20% Off All Orders"

Google's algorithm decides which extensions, if any, to show based on what it thinks will be most helpful to the user and improve your ad's performance. The better your Ad Rank, the more likely your extensions will appear.

So, Why Bother Using Ad Extensions?

Using ad extensions is one of the easiest ways to improve your campaign performance. Here are a few key benefits:

• Increased Visibility: Extensions make your ad physically larger, taking up more valuable real estate on the search results page. This pushes competitor ads further down and makes yours harder to ignore.
• Higher Click-Through Rate (CTR): Because extensions provide more information and ways to engage, they naturally lead to more clicks. Google has stated that using multiple relevant extensions can boost CTR by several percentage points.
• Better Ad Rank and Quality Score: The expected impact of your extensions is a component of Ad Rank. Better extensions lead to a better Ad Rank, which means you might get a better ad position for a lower cost-per-click (CPC).
• Improved User Experience: Extensions provide useful shortcuts. A user looking for your location can get directions instantly, while someone ready to call can do so with a single tap. This reduces friction and makes it easier for customers to convert.

The Must-Have Google Ads Extensions to Use

While there are numerous ad extensions available, there's a core group you should aim to have in place for nearly every campaign. Let's break down the most popular types and when to use them.

1. Sitelink Extensions

Sitelinks are additional links that appear below your main ad copy, directing users to specific pages on your website. Instead of just a single link to your homepage, you can guide them to your "About Us," "Services," "Pricing," or blog pages instantly.

• When to use them: Always. Sitelinks are arguably the most versatile and valuable extension. They give users more options and help them find exactly what they're looking for faster. For an e-commerce store, you might link to categories like "Men's Shoes" or "Women's Jackets." For a SaaS company, links to "Features" and "Book a Demo" make perfect sense.

2. Callout Extensions

Callouts are short, non-clickable snippets of text (25 characters max) used to highlight key benefits or features. They appear directly after your ad's description and help you pack more persuasive language into your ad creative.

• When to use them: Use callouts to list compelling qualities of your business. Think of things like "Free Shipping," "24/7 Customer Support," "No Contracts," or "Price Match Guarantee." They work great for quickly communicating why a user should choose you over a competitor.

3. Structured Snippet Extensions

Similar to callouts, structured snippets highlight specific aspects of your products or services. The difference is that they must fit into a predefined header category chosen from Google's list, such as "Services," "Brands," "Amenities," or "Types."

• When to use them: Use structured snippets to provide helpful context about what you offer. A hotel could use the "Amenities" header to list "Free Wi-Fi, Pool, Gym." A marketing agency could use the "Services" header to specify "SEO, PPC, Content Marketing."

4. Location Extensions

For any business with a physical storefront, a location extension is non-negotiable. It displays your business address, a map, and the distance to your location below your ad. On mobile, users can tap to get directions instantly in their mapping app.

• When to use them: An absolute must for local businesses like restaurants, retail stores, clinics, and local service providers. To use these, you need to link your Google Ads account to your Google Business Profile.

5. Call Extensions

This extension adds your phone number directly to your ad. On mobile devices, it becomes a clickable "call" button, removing the friction of a user having to visit your site, find your number, and then dial it manually.

• When to use them: Essential for any business that relies on phone calls for leads or sales. This is great for service businesses (plumbers, lawyers), B2B companies, or any business where a direct conversation can expedite a sale. You can even set them to only show during your business hours.

6. Image Extensions

A picture is worth a thousand words, and image extensions allow you to add a relevant visual alongside your text ad. These eye-catching additions help your ad stand out on the search results page and give users an immediate idea of what your product or service looks like.

• When to use them: Fantastic for e-commerce brands showcasing products, travel companies showing destinations, or any industry where visuals are an important selling point.

7. Lead Form Extensions

This extension lets users submit their contact information (like name and email) directly through a form within your ad, without ever visiting your website. It’s an incredibly powerful tool for lead generation, as it minimizes the steps needed for a user to convert.

• When to use them: Perfect for B2B advertisers, service providers, and anyone trying to build an email list. Use this when your goal is to capture leads quickly and you can follow up with them later.

How to Set Up Google Ads Extensions

Adding extensions to your campaigns is a straightforward process. You can apply them at the account, campaign, or ad group level.

• Account Level: Good for general information that applies to all your ads (e.g., your main business phone number).
• Campaign Level: Good for information that applies to a specific set of ads (e.g., callouts for a particular product category).
• Ad Group Level: The most specific option, perfect for tailoring extensions to highly targeted keyword groups (e.g., sitelinks that go to specific product pages related to the ad group's theme).

Here’s a general guide to setting them up:

1. Navigate to your Google Ads dashboard.
2. In the left-hand navigation menu, select Ads & assets, and then click on Assets.
3. Click the blue “+” plus icon.
4. From the drop-down menu, choose the type of extension you want to create (e.g., Sitelink, Callout, etc.).
5. Fill out the required information. For a sitelink, this would include the link text and the final URL. For a call extension, it's just your phone number.
6. Choose where to add the extension (Account, Campaign, or a specific Ad Group).
7. Click Save.

Google will then review your extension. Once approved, it will be eligible to show alongside your ads.

Best Practices for Using Ad Extensions Effectively

Setting up extensions is easy, but optimizing them for performance requires a bit of strategy. Here are a few tips:

• Use at Least Four Extension Types: The more extensions you have active, the more chances Google's algorithm has to serve the perfect combination to a user. Best practice is to enable at least four different types where relevant (e.g., Sitelink, Callout, Structured Snippet, and Call).
• Get Specific with Ad Group Extensions: Account-level extensions are better than none, but the real power comes from customization. If you have an ad group for "women's running shoes," create sitelinks that point directly to brands of women's shoes, not just your homepage or general "shoes" category.
• Align with Your Campaign Goal: If your campaign's key performance indicator (KPI) is phone calls, make sure the Call Extension is front and center. If it's online form submissions, a Lead Form Extension is your best bet.
• Regularly Monitor Performance: Don’t just set extensions and forget them. In the "Assets" tab, you can view performance data for each extension, including clicks, impressions, and CTR. Pause underperforming extensions and test new copy for your callouts and sitelinks.

Final Thoughts

Google Ad extensions are no longer an optional add-on, they are a fundamental part of a successful search advertising strategy. They improve your ad’s visibility, give customers more ways to interact with your business, and ultimately drive better results - all without increasing your ad spend. By selecting the right extensions for your goals and keeping them highly relevant to your campaigns, you give yourself a significant competitive edge.

Of course, knowing which campaigns and extensions are truly effective versus just getting clicks can be its own challenge. At Graphed, we eliminate the need to manually export data and wrangle spreadsheets to figure this out. By connecting your Google Ads account, you can simply ask questions in plain English like, "Which campaign had the highest CTR last month?" or "Show me the cost per conversion for my lead form campaigns" and get instant visualizations and dashboards. It's about turning that performance data into actionable insights in seconds, not hours. See how we're making data analysis painless with Graphed.