How to Effectively Utilize AdWords Ad Extensions for B2B PPC

As any savvy paid search advertiser knows, ad extensions are one of the keys to a successful ad. Not only are they free to implement, but they make the ad bigger, which helps improve the overall visibility and ultimately, click-through-rate.

While implementing ad extensions might be simple, B2B marketers need to know there are a few pitfalls that need to be avoided when creating them.

This blog post will highlight a variety of ad extensions and explain how to effectively utilize them in B2B PPC campaigns.

Sitelinks

The first ad extension we will discuss is sitelinks. With this extension, an advertiser can create a series of linkable text right underneath the main ad.

While the extra space and additional messaging offered by sitelinks are a must-have for any ad, it is important to keep these tips in mind when implementing them:

1. Make sure sitelinks align with goals: When choosing the pages to advertise in the sitelink, it is important that every page aligns with your ad’s goal. For example, if the goal of an ad is to get new customers, it wouldn’t make sense to advertise a “log-in” page. A better strategy would be to create a sitelink that goes to a white paper with a form.
2. Use the expanded sitelinks: For sitelinks, Google offers two additional lines of text that will show under the sitelink, making them look like “mini-ads.” While expanded sitelinks are optional, not utilizing this feature would be a big missed opportunity. When this featured launched in 2012, Google claimed they would improve an ad’s CTRs by 30%. It is important to note that expanded sitelinks will only show if the ad is in the first position. Any lower and Google will only display the headline.
3. Implement at least 6 sitelinks: When an ad is shown, Google can use anywhere from 2 to 6 sitelinks (for mobile, 4 sitelinks is the maximum). In order to make sure ads are ready to show the most amount of sitelinks, it’s best practice to have 6 sitelinks tied to each campaign.

Callouts

Like sitelinks, callouts allow for B2B advertisers to display a series of additional messaging under the ad. Unlike sitelinks, these are not linkable and are strictly used to convey new features or benefits that could not fit in the main ad.

Callouts also require a unique set of optimizations that differ from sitelinks:

1. Point out the benefits: Where advertisers choose their sitelinks based on specific pages, callouts should be more focused on the benefits of the advertised product or service. Benefits such as “Free shipping” or “24/7 support” are the perfect fit for callouts.
2. Implement at least 6 callouts: Google will show anywhere from 4 to 6 callouts at any given time. Like sitelinks, it is essential to be ready to show the max amount of callouts at any time. It’s a best practice to have 6 callouts ready to go for each campaign.
3. Avoid lengthy callouts: While the character limit on callouts is 25, it is advised that advertisers only use around 15 to 17 characters. By doing this, not only can Google display more callouts at the same time, but they become much easier to read for the user.

Structured Snippets

Google offers advertisers the ability to create a list to showcase the specific services or products the B2B organization offers. Advertisers can choose from 13 headers provided by Google.

While this extension may seem self-explanatory, there are still some pitfalls that need to be avoided.

1. Pick the right header: Google currently offers 13 headers that an advertiser can choose from. Some are very specific, like “amenities,” while others, like “service catalog” can be utilized by most companies. Each category should be analyzed by the advertiser to determine which one will offer the most benefit to the overall message.
2. Avoid using too many snippets: If the structure snippet is too long, Google can cut them off, which can result in a word potentially being cut in half. To avoid this undesirable look for the ad, advertisers should try to have no more than 4 snippets.

Review Extension

When it comes to relaying a message to potential customers, sometimes the best advertising comes from someone who has used the product or service. With the review extension, Google allows advertisers to display a quote from a 3^rd party review within the ad.

This extension can be a powerful way to provide validity to the product or service. Here are a few items to consider to effectively launch this extension:

1. Choose the right review: While a company may have many reviews, it’s essential to choose the one that has the most weight in the eyes of potential customers. It should also align with the product or service discussed in the main ad.
2. Make the review is up-to-date: When picking the review, it’s important to make a note of when the review was written. The review may be positive, but it could include outdated features. Since the extension links the user to the review, it must be proof read to make sure it accurately describes the current product or service.

Final Thoughts

Utilizing ad extensions for search ads is a no-brainer for any B2B company. They’re free to use, easy to set up and give an ad more visibility. This visibility is essential to improving the click through rate and quality score of keywords.

That said, it’s important to make sure that they are being utilized to their full potential and pitfalls that might hurt the messaging are avoided. All ad extensions need to work together in order to convey a consistent, clear message in order to completely see the benefits of implementing them.