Definition: Ad extensions (now officially called Ad Assets in Google Ads) are supplemental pieces of information displayed alongside a search advertisement that expand the ad’s size and provide additional context about the business. They appear below or beside the main ad text and can include sitelinks, call buttons, location information, callout phrases, structured snippets, image assets, and more. Extensions are set at the account, campaign, or ad group level.
Why It Matters: Ad extensions increase the physical size of a search ad in the results page, making it more prominent and giving potential customers more ways to engage before clicking. Research from Google consistently shows that ads with extensions achieve higher click-through rates than equivalent ads without them. Extensions also provide additional relevance signals to Google’s ad auction, which can improve Ad Rank without increasing bids. For local businesses, location extensions (showing address and map link) and call extensions (showing a clickable phone number) are particularly valuable because they enable customers to find or call the business directly from the search result.
How It Works: Ad extensions are configured in Google Ads under the “Assets” section (Google renamed Extensions to Assets in 2022). Sitelinks add links to specific pages on your site below the main ad. Callouts add short phrases highlighting key selling points. Call extensions display a phone number clickable on mobile devices. Location extensions pull from the linked Google Business Profile to show address and map pin. Structured snippets list specific categories of products, services, or features. Google selects which extensions to show for each individual auction based on predicted impact on performance — not all configured extensions show on every impression. Extensions that are not shown do not affect cost.
Related: Ad Assets, Google Ads, Pay-Per-Click, Quality Score, Ad Rank