Ad Extensions
Ad extensions, now called assets in Google Ads, add extra information to text ads such as sitelinks, callouts and phone numbers to improve relevance and click area.
Ad extensions, now officially called assets in Google Ads, are additional pieces of information shown alongside a search ad that expand its size and relevance, including sitelinks, callouts, phone numbers, location information and structured snippets.
What Ad Extension Means in Marketing
A standard text search ad occupies a fixed amount of space: a few headlines and a couple of description lines. Ad extensions expand that footprint. A well-extended ad can take up significantly more of the search results page, contain more relevant information, and give users additional ways to interact without even clicking through to a landing page.
The variety of extension types maps to different business goals. A sitelink takes users directly to a specific page. A call extension lets mobile users tap to call. A callout adds a short descriptive phrase. A location extension shows the physical address. Each type adds information that helps users decide whether to engage.
Google renamed extensions to assets in 2022 as part of a broader shift toward automated ad building. Sitelinks, callout extensions and structured snippets each have their own pages with more detail.
How Ad Extension Works
Assets are added at the account, campaign or ad group level in Google Ads. Google decides whether to show them in any given auction based on space, relevance and expected performance. Not every asset shows on every impression.
Assets affect Quality Score indirectly: by increasing expected click-through rate through more relevant and informative ads, they can improve performance signals that feed into the Quality Score calculation.
The main asset types for most advertisers:
- Sitelinks: links to specific pages within the site, shown below the main ad
- Callouts: short descriptive phrases (free delivery, award-winning, open 7 days)
- Structured snippets: lists of specific types of information (services, brands, destinations)
- Location: the business’s address and distance from the user
- Call: a phone number users can tap directly on mobile
- Price: displays products or services with prices
- Image: an image shown alongside the ad text
Ad Extension Example
A hotel in Goa adds sitelink assets to its search campaigns pointing to Room Types, Restaurant, Spa and Availability. Callout assets highlight “Free Breakfast”, “Beachfront Location” and “Pool with Ocean View”. A call asset adds the reservations number for mobile users. On mobile searches for “hotels in Goa”, the ad appears significantly larger than competitors running plain text ads, with direct links to the pages users care about most.
Why Ad Extension Matters for Marketers
Assets are one of the easiest wins in paid search. They cost nothing to add, increase ad size and relevance, and directly improve click-through rate. An ad without assets is leaving performance on the table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Google now call ad extensions 'assets'?
Google rebranded extensions as assets in 2022 to reflect how the feature evolved. Originally, extensions were additional pieces of information attached to an ad. As Google moved toward more automated and AI-driven ad serving, these components became assets that Google could reuse and optimise across ad formats and campaigns. The terminology change signals a shift in how Google treats these elements: as building blocks in an automated system rather than manual add-ons. The underlying functionality is largely the same.
Which ad extensions should I add first?
Sitelinks, callouts and structured snippets are the highest-priority assets for most advertisers because they are text-only, always relevant, and approved instantly. Add at least four sitelinks, four callouts and one set of structured snippets to every campaign. If the business has a physical location, add a location asset to show the address in ads. If phone calls are a valuable conversion, add a call asset. These assets increase ad size and relevance at no additional cost.
Do ad extensions cost extra?
No. Adding assets to your ads is free. You pay per click as normal, whether the user clicks on the main ad headline or on a sitelink. Assets increase the size and information density of your ad, which generally improves click-through rate. Because Quality Score factors in expected CTR, well-crafted assets can actually lower your cost per click by improving the ad's performance signal.
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