Google AdWords: Your Complete Guide to Extensions

In our last post, we talked about some of the latest innovations to Google AdWords.  In this post we will outline Google AdWords Extensions.  Whether you have used them before, or never heard of them before, this guide will provide you with all the information you need to optimize your Google AdWords campaign.

What are Google Extensions?

Ad extensions expand a standard text ad with one or more lines that provide additional information.  Ad extensions help users easily find out more about your business and its offerings.  There is no additional charge for ad extensions.  There are five types of extensions: Location Extensions, Call Extensions, Product Extensions, Sitelinks Extensions, and Social Extensions.

Location Extensions

Location Extensions allow your business address and phone number to appear wherever your ad appears.  Location extensions will appear when viewed on Google Maps and on phones with full internet browsers.  You can include multiple locations in a single campaign, and the one closest to the user will appear in the ad. You can target multiple locations within a single campaign.  This extension is perfect for a retail location such as a restaurant.  With mobile usage continuing to grow, many users will be looking to see what is closest to them when they do a Google Search.  If your ad returns your location when others do not, that will be to your benefit.

Call Extensions

Call Extensions allows mobile users to click on your ad and instantly initiate a phone call to your company.  Rather than have to click on the ad, be directed to your website, and then have to find the number on the page and then call it, they can call instantly right from the ad.  Utilizing Call Extensions will give your ad a leg up on the competition in the mobile arena.  An additional feature, call metrics, will create a custom Google phone number that will forward to your phone number.  This will allow you to track how many calls come in through this particular ad.

Product Extensions

If you are currently selling items in the Google Merchant Center, you can utilize Product Extensions to enhance your ad.  Product Extensions will insert your product into the ad.  This may include an image, price, and description.  You will also see your ad served up if someone does a Google Image search.

Sitelinks Extensions

If you create ads that meet Google’s high quality requirements, you will be eligible for Sitelinks.  Sitelinks are up to six links that will appear just under your ad.  This will help customers direct themselves right to the page they are looking for.  This is your opportunity to let potential customers know about all that you have to offer.  If nothing else, your ad just became larger, capturing more space on the screen and more attention.

Social Extensions

This is the latest innovation from Google Adwords.  With the recent roll out of Google+ business pages, there is now the opportunity to leverage your social marketing effectiveness to increase the effectiveness of your ad campaign.  Social extensions help you advance your social marketing efforts by letting you share +1’s between your AdWords campaigns and your Google+ Page.  This feature helps you build a larger collection of social recommendations that can help your business reach and influence new customers.

What successes have you had with Google AdWords?  What have you learned.  Please share your comments below.  If you have questions on AdWords please do not hesitate to tweet us at or find us on Facebook.