We have gone through several concepts under Google AdWords by now:

Remember Plumbing Pipers. Co? It has a good max CPC bid and good ad ranking now. Before we go into what ad extensions are and how they help make your ads stand out from the rest, let’s introduce you the dynamic keyword function in text ads first.

Let’s reuse our previous examples – the ‘leakage & minor repairs’ ad group and keyword ‘clogged drain’. Let’s say that I only used broad modifiers on this keyword, so that the keyword appears as ‘+clogged +drain’ in my keyword list.

Remember, using broad modifiers means that the ad for that ad group will be triggered as long as the words in the search query are synonymous with my keyword.

If for example a user searches for ‘In need of jammed sewers fixing’ on Google, it might have triggered the keyword ‘+clogged +drain’ from my keyword list. My text ad for ‘leakage & minor repairs’ then appears. Using dynamic keywords, here’s how my ad might appear to the user:

In my text ad write up, The first headline would appear like this:

Looking For {KeyWord:Clogged Drain} Fix?

The {KeyWord:} is the dynamic text insert. The most relevant keyword that’s similar to the user’s search will show up inside the {KeyWord: ____ } text, helping to enhance the ad relevancy experience. You can also apply dynamic keyword insertion in the description line, so that the keyword appears twice – once in the headline and once in the description line as shown below:

Now, that’s how a regular ad can appear without any ad extensions. It’s short and sweet, sure, but it is definitely not as attention grabbing as this example below:

Using ad extensions, we can add in extra information that we can’t add due to the text ads character limits and editorial guidelines. We are not allowed to put our contact numbers in the text ads, but we can add a call extension, a message extension, location, sitelink, callouts, structured snippets and so on! In my first blog post about Google AdWords I have mentioned that ad extensions can be added at ad group, campaign or account level.

If your AdWords account is based only on one shop in a single location, you can choose to add your location extension at account level so that every campaign & ad groups automatically adopt the location extension. As an example, Plumbing Pipers. Co has only one shop based in Bandar Sunway, so their address is added as a location extension on the account level.

Next, they might have two different campaigns. One targeting only Bandar Sunway for their repairing services while the other targets Malaysia as a whole for plumbing tools supplying. Those interested to get plumbing supplies will get directed to the phone number 012-345678, while the other group will be directed to 013-456789. In this scenario, call extensions can be added at their respective campaign levels.

Alternatively, this same action could be performed at ad group levels. One ad group could be linked to their repairing services website with 4 callouts – Fast Services, Quick Fix, Reliable & Trustworthy, & Long-Lasting Solutions. The ad group for plumbing tools supply might have another 4 – High Performance, 30% Off Old Tools, Free Delivery & Lowest Pricings. When these callouts are added at their respective ad group levels, these phrases only appear for ads under their own ad group and never the other.

To get an idea of what these extensions are, below are examples of text ads with extensions on it. These are the ones that I personally use more often, but other options are also available.

Callout extensions are where you can add special features such as free delivery, no minimum order, 20% off and so on.

In structured snippets, which can be even more advantageous when put at ad group levels, can work as a quick read-through menu of the products & services you provide. As an example, Plumbing Pipers. Co might have these structured snippets – Type: Leak Repair, Piping Overhaul, Sewer Installation, etc.

In message extensions, you can set a message template which brings users to their texting interface when they click the extension on their phone. Some extensions are only available on mobile, such as the message extension and call extensions.

Which extension appears alongside your ad depends on whether or not the combination of extensions you have can improve your campaign performances, and if your ad rank is high enough for the extensions to show. From the last blog post, you might have gotten a rough idea of how your ad rank is influenced. With a good quality score & max CPC bid, your extensions have a better chance of showing under your text ads and help make your ad more informative & prominent for users!

All these information & procedures might sound tedious to go through, and so here comes the shameless self-promotion. I do work in this sector afterall, and so if you want to know more about how Google AdWords can help you or perhaps if you are thinking of signing up for AdWords services, our company provides this service where we plan, run and optimize your campaigns for you so that your potential clients can find your business whenever they are looking for you! You can sign up at this link so that we can provide you with more information or help guide you through the process.