Improve PPC Ads with the Sitelink Extension – A Complete Guide

It is often said that when Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigners can manage their budget, they win half of the PPC battle.

Even after budget management comes under control, they should not expand their budget immediately. Instead, the campaigners should find out ways to maximize their ad campaigns.

The hidden truth is that you need to spend more money to increase the performance of your ads. However, there is a way to get more clicks on your PPC ads using site link extensions.

What Is Site link Extension?

The pertinent question that arises in the context is–what is site link extension? And the answer is that site links are the blue links that appear under a Google search result. And they link to other pages on the same website. So it is the reason behind the name–site links.

You will see site links appearing on search engine result pages (SERPs). They help you to locate relevant information and web pages quickly. And they emerge for both organic search results and paid ads.

Types of Site links

Google displays site links in different ways. And the differences in site links arise due to the number or appearance in search results. For example, site links appear with outlines or images or in a carousel format.

However, Google shows two predominant types of site links:

# Search Campaigns

Google shows at least two site links under the search ads. On desktops, up to six links can appear, and up to eight links on mobile.

# Video Campaigns

The search giant shows at least two site links under YouTube ads. On mobiles, up to four site links can appear.

What Are Google Ads Extensions?

These are the extensions that expand your ads with additional information – giving audiences more options to get engaged with your business. The search giant Google offers multiple ad extensions, like:

# Sitelink Extension

Sitelink extensions show additional links to your website under the ad. And the links can be informational pages, product pages, or blog posts. Notably, Google site link extensions can also improve an ad’s click-through rate (CTR).

# Location Extension

The extension shows your address in a blue link under the ad. Location extension can help drive visits to your store.

# Call Extension

With call extensions, Google shows your phone number or a call button next to your ad. It helps your potential customers to call you directly from the SERP.

# Callout Extension

Google shows promotions to target high-buyer-intent keywords.

Why Sitelinks Extension is Important

Sitelinks are necessary ad extensions for display ads. As they take up more space on SERPs, they draw more attention. And site link extensions due to their additional spaces in the search results increase Click Through Rate. Other benefits of sitelinks in the PPC ad campaigns include:

– Help to generate analytics data
– Easy Google ads configuration
– Scheduling site links and device customization

How to Use Site Links in Paid Search

Importantly, you should know how to use site links in your PPC ads to ensure that your site links are visible and well-optimized.

Ensure that your site links are relevant to the keywords users put in their queries. Therefore, you should assess the possible keywords and the corresponding intent.

Here are a few Google site links tips:

# Relevance

Google assesses the relevance of your site links to your ad and the searcher. The search giant estimates by trying to understand the user’s answer and how closely the links in your ad extension match the solution.

Suppose you are a printer retailer. You should show your ad to visitors searching for a portable printer. As such, a relevant site link can be a product page for a portable printer or a guide on the best practices for buying a portable printer.

However, it will be an irrelevant site link if you put your blog or your full product catalog.

# Search Intent

One of the factors for the relevancy of site links is the intent behind the search or keyword. Google understands the meaning and intent behind every search. For example, the search giant can even understand the difference between someone searching to buy a printer and researching a suitable printer.

So, you should consider Google’s capabilities and determine with what intent your keywords are appearing.

Figure out whether you are targeting keywords that carry information to assist users when they research. Likewise, ascertain if you are targeting transactional keywords to help users in purchasing.

You can use site links for branded searches, where people use navigation keywords to do searches. In other words, people come to your brand for products or services you are known for among consumers. So, ensure your site links reflect your brand offerings.

# Buying Funnel

A good way of figuring out the search intent is to understand whether the user is ready to buy or research. One indication is that if the keyword is transactional, the user is likely to make a purchase. On the other hand, if the keyword is informational, the user is just researching.

Again, coming to the printer example, a user researching a portable printer is not likely to click on a product page. Instead, he will be more interested in accessing buying guides or blogs to enrich his knowledge.

How to Add  Sitelink Extensions To Your Ads

You should carefully consider the information that will appear on your site links that are part of Google ads services.

It will help if you consider the following factors:

# Length

Ensure that the site links are short and carry the necessary information. They should be around 20 characters for desktop and about 15 characters for mobile. If the text length gets excess, Google will truncate the text, clipping important information.

# Testing

Do not fail to test different links, text, and themes to figure out which performs the best.

If you do not possess in-house expertise to run such campaigns, delegate the task to an agency that offers effective PPC management services.

Steps To Set Up A Sitelink Extension

Finally, it is now time to know the steps to set up a site link extension. There are seven steps, which are as follows:
>> Select ads and extensions in the menu
>> Click on ‘Extensions’
>> Select the blue plus icon
>> Select ‘Sitelink Extension’
>> Create your site link
>> Click ‘Add to’. Next choose where to display the site links (account level, specific campaign, or ad group)
>> Preview the site links

Conclusion

Sitelinks increase the possibility of getting more clicks on your ads. Therefore, you can improve your PPC ad campaigns with site link extensions. Besides, do not fail to keep on monitoring them.

Sitelinks are very important as they use more ad space on the search engine results page hence your ad will take up more space on the page thus drawing more attention from the visitors.

These extensions also increase the CTR of your webpage as now users have more options to answer their queries.

Some of the additional benefits of PPC campaigns are that they provide you with detailed analytics data and help you with easy configuration in Google Ads.