How Can You Use Ad Extensions to Improve Google Ads Performance?

Running Google Ads is one thing.

Making those ads stand out, connect with the right people, and deliver real results?

That takes more than a headline and two lines of text.

If you’re serious about improving your ad campaigns, driving more clicks, and generating qualified leads, you can’t ignore ad extensions.

They’re one of the most effective, yet underused, tools in Google Ads, and they can instantly make your ads more relevant, useful, and appealing.

Let’s talk about why they matter, how they work, and how you can use them to improve your campaigns starting today.

Why Ad Extensions Are a Powerful Tool in Google Ads Campaigns

Ad extensions give your ads more space and more impact.

They allow you to add additional pieces of information about your business without incurring an extra cost for the privilege.

You can include your phone number, links to specific pages on your site, a promotion, your business hours, even an image or price.

Think of them as free real estate on the search results page.

The more you show, the more reasons people have to click.

Extensions don’t just make your ad bigger.

They make it more useful, more credible, and more aligned with what your audience is looking for.

They also contribute to your Quality Score and Ad Rank, which means your ads can appear higher up and often at a lower cost per click compared to ads without extensions.

How They Help Reach the Right People at the Right Place

People search with intent, often knowing what they need.

Ad extensions let you match that intent by showing exactly what matters to them.

If someone is on a mobile device and wants to speak to a business immediately, a call button and phone number extension help them get in touch quickly.

If they’re looking for your physical location, affiliate, or location extensions, point them to the nearest store.

You can guide them to specific pages on your website with sitelink extensions, highlight product categories with structured snippets, or showcase special offers and free shipping with callouts and promotion extensions.

Extensions adapt to different audiences, devices, and moments, making sure your ads reach people in the right place, with the right message, when they’re most ready to act.

Higher Click-Through Rates, Better Performance, and Qualified Leads

When your ads deliver more relevant details upfront, people notice.

Studies and real-world campaigns consistently demonstrate that ads featuring extensions achieve higher click-through rates than those without them.

Better engagement usually translates into a stronger Quality Score, higher ad positions, and more qualified leads.

Extensions also enhance the experience for your audience by saving them time and providing them with exactly what they’re looking for, whether that’s a direct phone call, a visit to your store, or a click to a specific landing page.

What Are Google Ad Extensions?

Ad extensions are optional, additional elements you can attach to your text ads in Google Search.

They allow you to include more details about your business, such as contact information, specific services, prices, or even downloadable apps.

When your ad appears in search results, these extensions show as extra links, buttons, text, or visuals under your main ad copy.

On mobile devices, for example, a call button can appear prominently to encourage quick phone calls.

They’re designed to enhance both the visibility and the usefulness of your ads, which in turn improves your ad performance and the overall user experience.

More information means fewer doubts and faster decisions.

There are two main ways to set them up.

With manual extensions, you select which ones to use and determine the content they display.

With automated extensions, Google adds what it believes will help your ad based on the context, using data it gathers about your business.

And there’s no shortage of options.

You can choose from a variety of ad extensions: sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, call, lead form, location, affiliate location, promotion, price, app, image extensions, and more.

Each type serves a specific purpose, helping you engage your target audience more effectively.

In short, Google ad extensions are a great way to enhance your ads, connect with specific audiences, and make your campaigns work harder for you without incurring additional costs.

The Benefits of Using Ad Extensions

Ad extensions give you a smarter way to get more from your Google Ads campaigns without paying extra for the space they take up.

You’re already paying for clicks, why not use every inch of your ad to say more and attract the right people?

You can improve your ad rank, ad position, and overall ad quality just by adding relevant extensions.

They make your ads more engaging and help Google’s algorithm see your ad as more helpful and relevant, which can lead to a better-quality score and lower cost per click.

They also help you claim more real estate in the search results.

A longer, more informative ad grabs more attention and pushes competitors down the page, making it easier for your potential customers to notice you first.

On top of that, extensions let you deliver valuable information and additional pieces of information that wouldn’t fit in your main ad text.

Whether it’s your phone number, business hours, free shipping offer, or links to specific pages, these details save people time and make your ad more useful.

You can also drive more direct actions, like phone calls, foot traffic to your store, or downloads of your mobile application, just by using the right mix of extensions.

Every click and interaction becomes more intentional, and your ad campaigns start working harder for you.

10 Different Types of Ad Extensions and Their Unique Features

Google offers a variety of ad extensions, each serving a specific purpose.

How they function and reasons to consider using them:

1. Sitelink Extensions

Sitelinks allow you to add extra links in your ad that lead users to specific pages or product categories on your website.

Instead of sending everyone to the homepage, you can guide them to what they’re looking for.

This improves performance by reducing friction and providing people with choices directly within the ad.

2. Callout Extensions

With callouts, you can add short snippets that highlight unique selling points, such as special offers, free shipping, or features that distinguish you from the competition.

These don’t link anywhere but help you stand out and show value at a glance.

3. Structured Snippet Extensions

These help you showcase detailed information about your business, products, or services.

You can list specific audiences you serve, types of real estate you offer, or product categories. They make your ad feel complete and more trustworthy.

4. Call Extensions & Call Assets

Including your phone number along with a click-to-call button is perfect for mobile users who favor calling instead of clicking.

It makes it easy for someone to reach you without visiting your site, which is great for capturing leads fast.

5. Lead Form Extensions

Lead forms allow individuals to submit their information directly through your ad.

For PPC campaigns targeting qualified leads, this is a strong choice because it eliminates unnecessary steps and keeps the user focused.

6. Location & Affiliate Location Extensions

Show your business address, physical location, or even the locations of your retail partners.

This helps drive foot traffic and makes it clear where customers can find you.

7. App Extensions

If you have a mobile application, app extensions make it easy for users to download it straight from the ad.

They’re especially effective for campaigns targeting mobile users.

8. Price Extensions

You can display pricing for your products or services right in the ad, organized by category or offer.

This transparency helps set expectations and attracts the most interested buyers.

9. Promotion Extensions

Perfect for announcing time-sensitive offers, discounts, or sales events.

They’re designed to capture attention and drive action when urgency is most critical.

10. Image Extensions

Images add a visual element to your ad, making it more eye-catching and informative.

They can enhance engagement and help your ad stand out in a sea of text ads, resulting in improved overall performance.

Best Practices for Using Ad Extensions

Ad extensions can give your Google Ads campaigns a noticeable edge, but only if you set them up thoughtfully.

The key is to ensure they work seamlessly with the rest of your ad strategy, rather than as an afterthought.

Begin by coordinating your extensions with your ad group, ad copy, and landing page experience.

Every extension should feel like a natural continuation of what the ad promises and what the landing page delivers.

For example, if your ad group focuses on “real estate in San Francisco,” the sitelink extensions might link to pages for specific neighborhoods, and the callout extensions can highlight “free consultations” or “open house tours.”

It’s also smart to test both manual ad extensions and automated extension options.

Manual gives you full control and precision, while automated can surface insights and save time.

Running both helps you determine which one delivers better performance for your campaigns.

Don’t underestimate the impact of relevant keywords, especially long-tail keywords, within your ad text and ad descriptions.

This relevance signals to Google that your ad and extensions deserve a higher ad quality score, which can improve results without inflating costs.

You’ll get more mileage out of extensions when you segment by campaign type and specific audiences.

If your campaign targets mobile users, lean into call extensions, app extensions, and location extensions.

For desktop-heavy campaigns, structured snippets and price extensions may make more sense.

Always keep your business hours and contact information up to date.

Nothing kills credibility faster than showing a phone number during closed hours or an outdated address.

Lastly, regularly monitor your ad quality, ad relevance, and ad assets.

Extensions are not a one-time solution to be ignored after setup.

Examine the data to identify which elements drive qualified leads or clicks, and optimize accordingly.

How Ad Extensions Improve Google Ads Performance

When used right, ad extensions do more than add bells and whistles to your ads; they directly improve performance in measurable ways.

For starters, they can help you earn a higher ad rank and ad position in the search results without necessarily increasing your bids.

Google rewards ads that provide more useful, relevant information to users, and extensions contribute to that.

They also help you achieve a lower cost per click and even a lower cost per acquisition.

Because extensions improve your ad quality score, you can pay less for the same or better positions compared to competitors who don’t use them.

With more people searching on their phones, ad extensions also boost your visibility on mobile devices.

Features like call buttons, lead forms, and app downloads make it easy for mobile users to engage immediately, enhancing their experience and your results.

They also contribute to a better PPC ad ROI by attracting more qualified leads.

People who click through are often more informed and closer to taking action because extensions provide them with valuable details upfront, such as prices, offers, or direct links to specific pages.

Finally, they enhance the landing page experience and conversions.

When someone clicks on a sitelink that takes them directly to what they’re looking for, or on a callout that highlights free shipping, they’re more likely to convert because the journey feels smooth and relevant from start to finish.

4 Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even though ad extensions are a powerful tool for improving Google Ads performance, it’s easy to misuse them and hurt your campaigns without realizing it.

Some of the most common mistakes businesses make, and how you can avoid falling into the same traps:

1. Neglecting negative keywords

One of the fastest ways to waste money is letting your ads show up for irrelevant searches.

When you ignore negative keywords, your ads can appear to the wrong people, leading to wasted clicks and higher costs.

Take the time to build a solid list of negative keywords.

It keeps your ads in front of qualified leads and helps your budget go further.

2. Not aligning extensions with specific pages

It’s tempting to use the same sitelinks, callouts, and snippets across every campaign, but that usually backfires.

Sending someone to your homepage when they expected a specific product page breaks their trust and kills conversions.

Always link your extensions to pages that match the ad’s promise.

If your ad promotes free shipping on shoes, the sitelink shouldn’t drop visitors on your general catalog; it should take them directly to the shoes section.

3. Overloading with too many different types of extensions

Trying to use every extension available at once might seem like a good way to maximize visibility, but it usually confuses people instead.

Too much information clutter your ad and weaken the main message.

Pick the most relevant extensions based on your campaign goals and audience.

Quality beats quantity here; clear, focused extensions perform much better.

4. Ignoring the target audience and user experience

Extensions work best when they’re tailored to the people you want to reach.

If you’re targeting mobile users but forget to include call buttons or mobile-friendly pages, you’re losing out.

Similarly, using jargon or irrelevant information alienates the very customers you’re trying to attract.

Think about what your audience needs, when and where they’re seeing your ads, and what would make their experience seamless.

Paying attention to these details doesn’t just improve your ad performance; it builds trust with your potential customers.

And that’s the kind of outcome worth striving for.

The Best Way to Use Ad Extensions

Ad extensions are a great way to make your advertising campaigns more effective, as they help your ads work harder without increasing your costs.

They provide your potential customers with additional information directly within the search results, making it easier for them to contact you, visit specific pages, or take advantage of special offers.

Whether it’s showing your phone number for instant calls, adding sitelinks to guide people to the right place, or displaying free shipping and business hours, these little extras make a big difference.

When you use ad extensions strategically, you improve the performance of your ads in several ways.

They increase your ad space, make your text ads stand out, and give your target audience the detailed information they’re looking for.

This can lead to higher click-through rates, better ad rank, and more qualified leads, all while helping you connect with the right people at the right time.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with various ad extensions.

Try different types, such as callout extensions, lead form extensions, price extensions, and even image extensions, to see what resonates with your audience.

Pay attention to your results and adjust based on what drives better performance for your campaigns.

Finally, keep your Google Ads account optimized.

Ensure your contact information, business hours, and links are up to date.

Regularly review your ad copy and landing page experience to ensure consistency with your extensions.

With the right mix of creativity and best practices, you’ll be able to reach your specific audiences more effectively, drive more phone calls, foot traffic, and conversions, and make the most out of every ad dollar.