11 Google Assets: How to Set Them Up (+Examples and Tips)

Google Assets (formerly Google Ads extensions) provide information about your product or service to help drive more clicks and conversions. Learn the different types and how to use them to grow traffic and conversions.

Google assets are like the Swiss Army knife for your campaigns — versatile, powerful, and useful for cutting through the noise of advertising. But having a Swiss Army knife and knowing how to use one are entirely different.

Many brands and marketers already use Google assets. But some aren’t seeing the results they desire.  If you’re in this boat and want to increase your click-through rates (CTR) and conversions, then continue reading.

In this article, we’ll guide you through the details of Google assets and how to properly use them in your Google Ads marketing strategy.

What are Google assets?

Google assets are snippets of helpful information Google includes in your pay-per-click (PPC) ad’s text to make it more helpful to the reader. They come in 19 varieties, eight are generated by Google, and 11 you set up manually.

Extensions amplify your ad text with supplemental text, additional links, and various other ad formats that integrate with your primary Google ads campaign on the SERPs.

How do they work?

Google assets enrich your Google search ads, offering a dynamic callout to your additional business information. They activate based on Google’s sophisticated algorithm backed with SEO (search engine optimization) efforts.

This system looks at many factors, including:

• Whether the ad contains relevant information that relates to the Google search query
• The context in which the search is made
• Historical performance of your ad extensions

Adding extensions is free and boosts your ad’s potential at both the account level and campaign level.

How Google displays your extensions depends on how relevant your ad is to potential customers.

Pro tip: Make sure your landing page matches the intent of the ad. For instance, if you’re an ecommerce brand attracting customers with a sale, then it should lead to the product’s sale page with more details on the offer.

Why should you use them?

Using Google assets should be a part of your advertising strategy because they:

1. Provide additional information to boost clicks and potentially increase traffic relevance and quality.
2. Make your ads more visible by taking up more space in the SERPs, which often leads to a higher click-through rate (CTR).

Using ad extensions strategically can enhance ad performance. They improve lead quality because searchers have more information, which decreases irrelevant traffic and wasted clicks.

The increased CTR from extensions can also positively impact your ad rank and lower your cost-per-click (CPC), giving you a higher ROI.

For instance, by implementing an ad extensions strategy, we increased Wind River’s click-through rate by 294%.

Automated and manual assets

Google Ads offers manual and automated assets. Manual assets put you in the driver’s seat by initiating setup and customization — think location, promotion, and sitelink.

Automated assets are Google’s autopilot. They activate when the algorithm determines they’ll boost your ad’s performance. It’s Google’s way of helping your brand’s visibility by applying dynamic extensions based on predictions, increasing your ad’s effectiveness.

The 2022 update for Google ads automated rules allows you to manually craft sitelinks, callout extensions, and structured snippets that match Google’s automated selections. This broadens your SERP presence and potentially increases click-throughs.

You can tailor automated extensions at different levels of your account and even appear in your Google ads custom reports to show how they impact your ads.

With this dual approach, your ads can occupy more digital real estate, pulling more weight and clicks in the competitive SERP landscape.

11 types of Google assets

Expanding your ads with the right assets can be the difference between a gloss-over and a click. Here are 11 types of Google assets that can improve your ad performance:

Location extensions

Bring a real-world aspect to your online ads with location extensions. These include your business’s physical location and phone number in your ad  to increase in-store visits and local recognition. You can even add a call button to Google callout extensions underneath the ad.

Promotion extensions

Use promotion extensions to highlight your deals and discounts in your ads. Mention things like sale percentages or special terms to grab attention quickly.

Direct links to your offers make it easier for users to convert, especially during holiday seasons.

Sitelink extensions

Sitelink extensions place links under your main ad, leading to different parts of your website. They’re like quick pathways offering a fuller picture of your offer.

So make each link count with engaging text with a clear purpose.

Callout extensions

Enhance your ad with short, eye-catching callout extensions. These highlight what’s unique about your service or product to stand out from competitors.

Structured Snippets extensions

Use structured snippet extensions to showcase your products or services. This format can increase clicks, with studies showing more than 35% of all clicks.

List key items under categories like ‘Models’ or ‘Services,’ giving a clear view of what you offer.

Call extensions

Add call extensions to make it easy for people to phone you straight from your ad.

This is most effective on mobile devices and can be great for businesses where a quick call can lead to a sale.

Price extensions

Show off your products or services with price extensions. This acts like a mini catalog, leading customers directly to what they want to buy.

Including a link to your mobile app or a testimonial can further boost interest.

App extensions

App extensions link directly to your app’s download page, simplifying the process from interest to download.

Lead form extensions

Lead form extensions embed a form right in your ad to gather qualified leads right into your CRM software — a top challenge for 61% of marketers.

This cuts down on the steps users take, potentially increasing conversions. Just be sure to follow Google’s policies and create a smooth form experience.

Affiliate location extensions

Use affiliate location extensions to show your products’ physical location.

This taps into the high intent of local searches, especially important for mobile users who often visit a store soon after searching.

Image extensions

Enhance your ads with image extensions. Adding relevant pictures can make your ad more engaging and convey your message more effectively than text alone.

Quality images can improve your ad’s performance and make your offering more appealing.

How to set up and create Google assets

Ready to create Google assets? Here’s a streamlined guide to get you started:

1. Sign into Google Ads: Access your Google Ads account by signing in.

2. Navigate to Ads & extensions: On the left page menu, click on ‘Ads & Extensions’ to access the extensions section.

(Image: Grow My Ads)

3. Choose extensions: From the page menu on the left, click ‘Extensions.’ You’ll find this under the ‘Ads & Extensions’ menu. This is your hub for creating and managing your extensions.

4. Create extension: Click the blue plus button and choose the type of extension you want to create. Google will present a list of extension types available for your account.

(Image: Grow My Ads)

5. Fill in extension details: Each extension type will require specific information.
For example:

• • Sitelink Extensions: Provide text for your link, a description, and the final URL
  • Callout Extensions: Enter short, impactful phrases (up to 25 characters)
  • Lead Form Extensions: Agree to terms of service, set up questions, and define a submission message

6. Set the extension level: Decide whether to add the extension to an account, campaign, or ad group level. This will depend on how targeted you want the extension to be.

7. Review settings: Some extensions have additional settings, such as scheduling for promotion extensions. Review these options in your Google ad settings and adjust them to match your advertising goals.

8. Save your extension: After completing all necessary fields and reviewing your settings, click ‘Save.’ Your extension is now created and will be reviewed by Google before it goes live.

Remember, while some extensions can be automatically applied by Google, setting them up manually gives you greater control over the messaging and performance. Once set up, monitor the performance metrics of your extensions to understand their impact and optimize accordingly.

Best practices and expert strategies for Google assets

Using Google assets effectively goes beyond picking the right ones — it’s about using them strategically. Here are five key tips to ensure your ad extensions boost your campaigns:

1. Select extensions that match your goals: Start with basics like Sitelinks, Callouts, and Structured Snippets, but only if they fit your needs. It’s better to have a few relevant extensions than lots that don’t help your main goal.
2. Don’t panic over CPC changes immediately: If you notice your cost-per-click (CPC) rising after adding extensions, don’t rush to remove them. A higher CPC may mean your ads are more competitive and visible. Look at other ways to optimize CPC before removing extensions — they might be worth the extra cost.
3. Boost your ad rank for better extension visibility: Your ad rank determines how often your extensions appear. If your ads are lower in the search results page, improve your ad rank through better bids and quality scores.
4. Time your call extensions wisely: Only activate phone call extensions during your business hours to avoid missed calls and voicemails.
5. Regularly test and refine your extensions: Just like with ad copy, keep testing your extensions. Try new variations and see how they compare to your current ones using A/B testing. This helps you understand what works best with your audience and keeps your campaigns fresh.

The takeaway

Think of using Google assets like fine-tuning a car engine; the right tweaks can significantly improve your digital marketing performance. As online competition increases, having expert help from a Google Ads consultant can make the difference between an average and an outstanding campaign.

That’s where HawkSEM comes in. We combine our expertise with ConversionIQ, our intelligent tool, to track and optimize the performance of each extension. It’s about maximizing your investment and seeing impressive returns.

Interested in taking your campaigns to the next level? Contact HawkSEM for a free consultation. We’re here to help you navigate the complexities of digital advertising and drive your success, one click at a time.