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When you search on Google, I’m sure you’ve seen “sponsored ads” at the top of the page. You’ve probably taken note of an ad listing that has a big headline and two lines of text underneath. Yet, there’s actually a lot more to a Google Search Ad. You can expand your ad copy with ad extensions.

Ad extensions are just that, extended features that can appear alongside your main ad copy. They give you more space to display extra content, take up more space on a search results page and have more opportunities to get clicks on your ads. Here are extensions you should be aware of:

Sitelinks

Sitelinks are basically mini ads that run along with your main ad copy. They can feature a headline and 2 description lines of text. You can use them to direct users to related pages.

If you have an ad on Student Loans, you can use the main ad to take them to the student loan page, but then use sitelinks to direct them to a related page like Rates, Contact Us, or a Locations page. Link to whatever page might be relevant and useful to the user.

Callout Extensions

Callout extensions can be used to highlight other aspects about you and your products. If you have a special on rates going on, 24-hour customer service, or loan pre-approvals, this is the space to shine a light on what makes you different.

Structured Snippets

Structured Snippets highlight types of products or services you offer. Some examples would be to highlight the types of savings accounts you have, checking accounts, or mortgage loans. They are not links, but they provide a quick synopsis of the products or services you offer.

Location Extensions

Location Extensions show along with your ad only if someone is physically nearby your location. This helps draw in actual visits to your branches by showing your address along with the ad. You must have a Google My Business listing for each of your branches for this to work. And Google will know which address to display based on the user’s physical location.

App Extensions

App Extensions are great if you want to encourage people to download your online banking app. You can direct iOS or Android users directly to the appropriate download page that works with their device

These extensions tend to fit best with financial institutions. Be sure to keep an eye out for new extensions rolling out of beta.

Are you unsure if your ads are using extensions? Let us know and our online ads management team can review your account to see if you’re taking advantage of this strategy.