You may have noticed a change in sponsored ads that appear in the Google results.  Google AdWords can now include additional links, images or a map showing where a business is located. Google calls this feature “Ad Extenstions”.   When used appropriately ad extensions can help searchers connect to your business. 

The ad extensions currently available are Sitelinks, Products, Click-to-Call and Location Mapping.  Other options such as Video and Multiple Address Locations are in beta testing. Each Ad Extension do have a place in B2B search advertising, but not all features will work for every search campaign. Like all good search marketing, it’s about what are you trying to accomplish.  Are you looking to increase awareness, sell products, generate leads, or educate the market?  Depending on the goal of your PPC campaign, using Ad Extensions could help you get better results.

Sitelinks, the first extension that Google rolled out, allows advertisers to include additional links in their text ads.  This could be a very powerful option for a B2B advertiser with a variety closely related products.  For this example, if your company is looking to promote a variety of valves, links for the different valve types could be shown is a single ad.  This would allowing the searcher to go directly to the specific type of valve they need, and hopefully easily convert to a sale.

Along the line of sitelinks are product extensions.  Product extensions are very similar to sitelinks, but instead of including additional links - there are images included in the ad.  Currently, only web sites with an e-commerce component can utilize this option.  Going back to the valve example, imagine if you’re looking to sell a variety of valves via an online store, how great would it be if a searcher saw a picture of the exact valve they were searching for?  Imagine the ease for the searcher of clicking on your ad, going to your online store and making a purchase.  Now that is efficient!

Location extensions are a little more difficult for most B2B advertisers to use.  Unlike image and product extensions, they are best suited for businesses that are specific to a geography with a location where purchases can be made.  When location extensions are included in an AdWords campaign, the standard text ad will display the business name, address, and phone number, with the location pinpointed on a map.  For B2B advertisers this would be best for a business where their physical location would be important to customers.  Once again going back to our valve example, image your customer needs a valve to fix a machine on the production floor.  When searching for the necessary valve your ad comes up showing your location on a map, 2 miles away. The searcher goes to your website and discovers he can purchase the necessary valve at this location. End result: Your business save the day!

The Click-to-Call extension is strictly for mobile search.  Click-to-call gives searchers the option to click on the ad and instantly dial the business, instead of going to a website.  This feature is successful because mobile phone searchers often find it easier to call the business than visit a website.  This option is a great way to engage with a mobile audience.  If we revisit our friend who needs a valve to fix his broken machine, imagine he uses his iPhone to search for the valve replacement, sees the option to click a button to call your business.  He calls your business, tells you the valve he needs and you deliver it within the hour.  End result is an easy sale and happy customer.

While video extensions are sill in beta, they promise to be another powerful way to connect with searchers.  Video extensions work like product extensions, with the exception that instead of multiple images, a single video will play in an expandable box appearing  directly beneath your standard text ads.  Searchers can either click the URL link in your ad or the video itself to go directly to your web site. Video extensions promise to be an excellent way to show product demonstrations.