What are Google Callout Extensions? How to Use Them + Proven Examples

Google callout extensions allow advertisers to add additional information to text ads to boost click-through rates and conversions, with no additional cost. Read on to learn expert tips to use them.

Looking for a “cheat code” to make your ads stand out at the top of Google search results? With Google callout extensions, your search ads can capture attention and earn more clicks.

But before you can leverage this feature, you need to know when to use it. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to understand about callout extensions for B2C and B2B advertising.

What are Google Ads callout extensions?

Also known as callout assets, Google callout extensions are a Google Ads feature that can make your text ads more impactful. These assets add extra snippets of information after the ad’s headline or description. They can display on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices to help brands promote offers, highlight specific features, and share information about products and services.

Above, the Temu search ad callout extensions give prospects additional reasons to click and shop. Callouts like “Free Returns” and “Free Shipping” offer added value, while “Hurry & Shop Now” creates a sense of urgency.

It’s important to note that callout assets are not interactive. They aren’t clickable, and they don’t link to a landing page. However, they do give you extra opportunities to get your message across in search results.

“Callout extensions are a super simple way of cramming in extra ad text to your existing ad, a ‘cheat code,’ if you will. In practice, they’re great for calling out extra features or differentiators about your product or service,” explains Steven Dang, VP of Digital Marketing and Strategy at HawkSEM.

“In our own field experience using callout extensions, we almost always see a lift in clickthrough rate (CTR), most likely because taking up more real estate draws the eye and helps you to stand out among a stack of competing advertisers.”

Why use callout extensions?

Google callout extensions grab users’ attention and drive ad performance by hitting their specific pain points and needs. Here’s why they’re useful:

• Maximize visibility: Expand your ad’s presence on search engine results pages and Google search partners by adding extra text through these extensions.
• Highlight uniqueness: Showcase your unique selling points to draw in your target audience with a tailored message.
• Enhance impact: Boost click-through rates and secure top ad placements with smart callout additions.
• Customize flexibly: Adjust your callouts for mobile, set their display times, and pick their locations precisely.
• Control costs: Avoid unexpected expenses. Callout extensions aren’t clickable so won’t increase your advertising costs.
• Keep text short: Aim for brevity — callouts with 15 characters or less are impactful (though you have up to 25 characters per callout).
• Maximize your message: Strengthen your ad copy by displaying up to 10 callouts, emphasizing your main selling points.
• Improve Ad Quality: The more complete your ads are, the better their quality will be. Ad quality is a factor in Ad Rank, which determines if and where ads show on the search results page.
• Understand placement: Be aware that callout extensions only work with ads on the Google Search Network and search campaigns with the Display Network enabled.

Can callout assets really improve advertising outcomes?

NurseRegistry needed more qualified clients while also decreasing customer acquisition costs. To tackle this issue, the healthcare professional marketplace partnered with HawkSEM’s Google Ads consultants to implement a paid search strategy enhanced with callout extensions.

NurseRegistry ultimately acquired double the number of qualified clients, slashed cost per acquisition by 46%, and increased conversion rates by 32%. Read more about their journey to success here.

How much do callout extensions cost?

There is no additional cost for using callout extensions. The cost of adding callout assets to When you add callout assets to an ad, you still pay the same cost per click (CPC) for Google Ads PPC (pay-per-click) campaigns.

Think of them as an optimization tool. Adding callout extensions can actually make your PPC marketing campaigns more cost-effective. By enhancing your ad performance and potentially increasing CTRs, you get more value from each click.

As a result, you can use your ad budget, especially in competitive industries. Remember, the key factors determining your CPC include industry competition, the relevance of your ads, and the quality of your landing pages.

When & how will they appear in your ad?

Google Ads displays callout assets when they’re more likely to drive the desired result (e.g., clicks). The Google algorithm determines how and when your ads appear and in what formats. You can create and manage callouts, but Google has the final say in when and which callouts display.

Keep in mind that callout assets can appear alongside other assets you’ve enabled in Google Ads. Below, callout assets like “No CC Required” and “No Contract Needed” appear above structured snippets (“Types”) and clickable sitelink assets like “HubSpot Pricing” and “Sign Up Free.”

How Google callout extensions work

In Google Ads campaigns, you can set callout extensions at different levels: account, campaign, or ad group. Here’s what that means and why it matters:

• Account level: Callouts set at the account level are general and apply to all your campaigns and ad groups. They’re broad and can be shown with any ad across your account. For example, if your business offers free shipping on all products, you could create a callout at the account level.
• Ad group and campaign levels: When you set callouts at the campaign or ad group levels, you can be more specific and relevant to that particular set of ads. For instance, if you have a campaign for a specific product line, you could use callouts that highlight features unique to that product.

In practice, this means you should use general, company-wide benefits as callouts at the account level. Then, for more specific features or offers related to particular products or services, use callouts at the campaign or ad group levels.

Keep in mind that Google Ads prioritizes more specific callouts. For example, say you’ve created ad group-level callouts — but the ad group is in a campaign with campaign-level callouts. Google Ads will display the ad group callouts, not the campaign callouts.

How to set up Google callout extensions

Creating callouts is a straightforward process in your Google Ads account:

Open your Google Ads account and click on the “Campaigns” icon. In the section menu, find and click on “Assets” from the dropdown menu.

Click on the “+” button to add a new asset, then select “Callout.”

In the “Add to” dropdown menu, you can choose whether to add the callout at the account, campaign, or ad group level. If you’re creating a new callout, “Account” is already set as the default option. Simply type your text into the “Callout text” field.

You can click the “Add callout text” link to add 10+ assets. Keep in mind that as many as 10 can appear in a single ad. Finally, click “Save” to complete the process and close the extensions tab.

Schedule callout extensions

By default, callout assets are eligible to appear 24/7. To limit when they appear, adjust their schedule. You can set a schedule by opening the “Advanced options” panel.

You have the option to choose a start date or an end date. If you want extensions to appear only during certain times, set specific days and hours.

Edit callout extensions

Once you’ve created these assets, you can edit existing callout extensions at any time. Access them from your Google Ads asset table.

Disable callout extensions

Disabling a callout extension is a temporary measure, allowing you to stop it from showing without deleting it entirely. You can disable any callout extension directly from the asset table. Click to change the status from “Enable” to “Pause.”

Remove callout extensions

To permanently delete a callout extension in Google Ads and prevent it from displaying on any ad, remove it from your account. From the asset table, change the status from “Enable” to “Remove.”

Business-to-Business (B2B) callout extension examples

Above, the Beautiful.ai search ad includes six callouts. Assets like “Free 14 Day Trial” are likely to appeal to prospects who are curious about testing out the tool. Callouts like “Team Collaboration” are likely to capture the attention of prospects looking for specific features.

Above, the Asana search ad also includes six callouts. However, all focus on features of the company’s task management tool. Assets like “Customize Workflows” and “Set Dependencies” are likely to stand out to prospects who want to know exactly what they can accomplish with the product.

Callout extension ideas for B2B ads

Clear communication of value and professionalism is key in B2B. You can benefit by using callouts to highlight specific advantages, services, or credentials that set your business apart. Here are Google Ads extensions examples:

• 24/7 Customer Support
• Bulk Order Discounts
• Easy to Use Software
• Custom Solutions Available
• Auto Syncs Across Device
• Dedicated Account Manager
• Schedule a Demo
• Ideal For 100+ Employees
• Integrates with XYZ
• Free Trial Available

Business-to-Consumer (B2C) callout extension examples

Above, the BestReviews search ad uses callout assets to highlight phrases like “Top-Rated” and “#1 Pick,” which are likely to capture the attention of prospects looking for ratings and reviews.

Above, the Wild Birds Unlimited search ad uses callouts to draw attention to the products’ quality and usability. Since Google automatically bolds select search terms in text ads, “Birds Love Us” gets an extra opportunity to stand out on the search engine results page (SERP). The ad also has a call extension to prompt phone calls.

Callout extension ideas for B2C ads

In B2C, it’s important to create a personal and immediate connection with the customer. Use callouts to display ecommerce deals like money-back and discounts, benefits like price matching, or features that lead to a landing page for that product. Ideas could include:

• Free Shipping
• 24/7 Customer Support
• Easy Returns
• Exclusive Deals
• New Arrivals
• Limited-Time Offers
• Loyalty Rewards
• Customer Reviews
• Handpicked Selection
• Eco-Friendly Options

Google’s callout extension guidelines

It’s crucial for your callout extensions to adhere to Google’s guidelines. This will help your callout extensions get approved in the first place and perform at the levels you planned. Here’s a breakdown of key points to remember:

• Avoid attention-grabbing punctuation/symbols: Refrain from using excessive exclamation marks or symbols that don’t contribute to the message. Stick to %, &, and + when needed.
• No emojis: Keep your text professional and clean. Emojis aren’t permitted.
• Avoid repetition: Ensure your callout text is unique and not repetitively used across other callouts, ad text, or site links within the same ad group, campaign, or account.
• Trademark policy: Check that you have the necessary approvals for any trademarked terms used within your callouts.
• Follow ad guidelines: Follow guidelines for Google ad sizes and character limits.

Tips for using callout extensions

“When writing callout extensions, it’s important to think of these as a distillation of the handful of features or differentiators you most want to call attention to,” explains Dang. “Because the character limit for each callout extension is not very long, we recommend being as succinct and to-the-point as possible.”

Further, “pairing callout extensions with as many other extensions as possible is recommended in most scenarios, as ad extensions only serve to bolster the appeal and depth of your ad,” says Dang. “While they can go with any of the other ad extensions, they most commonly go with sitelink extensions or price extensions.”

Here are tips to keep your ads looking sharp and your message crystal clear:

• Keep it short: Aim for brevity. “Free Shipping” beats “Enjoy our free shipping” any day. Aim for 12-15 characters if possible.
• Get specific: Be clear and direct. Say “20% Off All Shoes” instead of just “Big Sale.”
• Stand out: Use title case to stand out. Alternatively, use sentence case to sound conversational.
• Hierarchy matters: Ad group-level callouts override campaign-level callouts.
• Enable callouts efficiently: Don’t have time to configure callouts for every ad group? Set account-level callouts that apply to all ads so you can begin using this feature right away.
• Fill them up: Treat each callout like a mini-ad. Ensure each one, like “Next Day Delivery,” has enough content to stand out.
• Choose your words wisely: Pick impactful language, like “Guaranteed Quality” or “Award-Winning Service.”
• Get creative and know your stuff: Follow Google’s guidelines but also let your brand’s voice shine through in your callouts, like “Eco-Friendly Packaging.”
• What makes you special?: Clearly state your unique selling points, like “Handmade Products” or “Locally Sourced.”
• Know your crowd: Address your audience’s needs directly, with callouts like “Gluten-Free Options Available.”
• Data never lies: Monitor metrics with Google Ads custom reports to see which callouts work best.
• Seasons change, so should your ads: Update your callouts for relevance, such as “Winter Clearance Sale.” Set a schedule to ensure they only display when relevant.
• Stay in the know: Be aware of global or local events that might affect search trends and adjust your callouts accordingly, like “Stay-at-Home Specials.”

Use these tips to design and use Google callout extensions that enhance your advertising efforts. But be sure to continually monitor and adjust your callouts based on performance data and market or consumer behavior changes.

“The most egregious mistake with callout extensions is one of omission,” says Dang.

“Dismissing them as not important enough to include in any ad writing exercise is a mistake, as that will only cede the advantage to one’s competitors. We recommend including callout extensions whenever possible.”

The takeaway

Google callout assets may be optional elements for search ads, but it’s virtually always in your best interest to add them. With the tips and examples above, you can create relevant callouts that speak to your target audience and improve your CTR.

Ready to make your ads work harder than ever? Reach out to HawkSEM to level up your advertising strategy with callout extensions. We’re your partner for PPC, SEM, and SEO campaigns.