What Are Google Ads Sitelink Extensions?

Did you ever notice some businesses with relatively high traffic and you have ever wondered what seems to be the difference between yours and theirs? Their product or service always shows up at the top of your search results somehow, even when you are not actively looking for them. 

Well, one of the obvious reasons for this traffic may be due to the optimization of Google Ads sitelink extensions.

What are sitelink extensions? Sitelink extensions are simply one of the additional links that show under the main title in your Google Ads. These links direct traffic to specific pages on your website, which could be a product page or your contact page.

Google offers a range of extensions including sitelink extensions, location extensions, call extensions and callout extensions, hence, Sitelink extensions are one of the many features of Google Ads.

A sitelink extension example is a link you create under a Google Ad to direct people to your sales page whenever you are having a special sale going on.

Overall, sitelink extensions are great options if you need to drive more traffic to your website and increase sales.

What Are Google Ads Sitelink Extensions?

Google Ads Sitelink Extensions are a powerful way to improve the performance of your text ads on Google which is strongly recommended by any professional SEO Agency you consult. 

Simply put, these Google Ads Sitelink Extensions are used to drive more traffic to your website, thereby, automatically increasing sales. 

Every Google Ads sitelink extension should include a short, and catchy headline, a brief description of your business, and a link to your website which could be in the form of texts or images.

In addition, Google Ads Sitelink extensions allow you to indicate different ad campaigns for each link. Not only that, they allow you to showcase different aspects of your business, such as a promotion or a new product as well as help to create a user-friendly customer experience where they can easily click through to the page they need without necessarily having to search for it.

The Benefits of Google Ads Sitelink Extensions

Here are some benefits enjoyed by businesses who leverage Google Ads Sitelink Extensions:

  1. Sitelink Extensions help you increase your click-through rate (CTR). People are more likely to click through to your website when they see relevant and catchy links below your ad.
  2. Moreso, Google Ads sitelink extensions can help you improve your campaign performance. Via the process of directing people to specific pages on your website, you can improve the effectiveness of your ads by targeting your audience better.
  3. Furthermore, Google Ads sitelink extensions are a great way to improve the user experience on your website. Providing relevant and targeted links, helps visitors find what they are looking for quickly and easily.

If you have not been utilizing the use of Google Ads sitelink Extension, it is highly recommended that you give it a try.

How to Set Up Google Ads Sitelink Extensions

Now that you know that sitelink extensions are a type of ad extension that lets you add extra links to your ad, beyond the standard website link, you can use it to drive traffic to other parts of your site, including your blog or product pages.

Setting them up shouldn’t be stressful, all you need to do is follow these steps:

  1. First and foremost, you need to sign in to your Google Ads account and click on the type of campaign you want to add extensions to.
  2. Next, click on the Ad Extension tab and select Sitelink Extensions from the menu. You should note that you can create at least three site links and up to six sitelinks for each campaign
  3. Click on the blue “+ Extension” button where you will be required to enter the following information:

    – The website URL of the page you want to link it to
    – The text you want to show up as the link which can be up to 25 characters

  4. Click on Save and then preview your ad to make sure everything looks good.

    That’s it – your sitelink extensions are now set up and ready to go! The link to your specified website will show up as an extra line under your ad. This way, it can’t be avoided by anyone who visits your page.

    Be sure to test different combinations of sitelinks to find what works best for you. You can also edit or delete your sitelink extensions by clicking on the pencil icon or the garbage icon next to them.

Best Practices for Using Google Ads Sitelink Extensions

One of the admirable benefits of utilizing Google Ads sitelink extensions is that they present the non-stop opportunity to direct traffic to specific pages on the website page you need. It is a great way for small businesses to boost traffic, redirect them to specific pages and ultimately increase conversions.

To get the most out of these google extensions, there are some practices to keep in mind when creating sitelink extensions,

  • Keep your sitelinks short and sweet. It shouldn’t be more than five or six words each
  • You have to make sure your sitelinks are relevant to the content of your ad and the keywords you are targeting
  • You also have to make sure your sitelinks are accurate and up-to-date
  • Make use of descriptive texts that will quickly help people understand what they will find if they click on your link without having to think twice. Your headlines and descriptions should be concise and easy to understand
  • Make sure your extensions are properly formatted and approved by Google. Here is a chance for you to use them to provide more information about your business, such as your location or a list of services you offer
  • Finally, always test your links to make sure they’re working properly
  • It is important to note that your sitelinks shouldn’t just be abandoned when you are done setting them up, you should periodically check the Ad Extensions tab for performance reviews

Google's Recommendation About Sitelink Extension

Apart from the aforementioned practices, Google also has a few recommendations for optimizing sitelink extensions to get results.

  • You should make sure your sitelinks are accurate, relevant and up to date.
  • Your sitelinks should only be linked to websites and pages that are helpful to users. Doing otherwise will only hurt your business as you won’t be taken seriously enough.
  • Use these sitelinks to improve the user experience of your websites.
  • Google also recommends the use of sitelink extensions consistently and whenever possible to improve their business traffic and user experience. As they are quicker ways to provide more information to your users while helping them to navigate your website easily.
Article by:

Joshua George is the founder of ClickSlice, an SEO Agency based in London, UK.

He has eight years of experience as an SEO Consultant and was recently hired by the UK government for SEO training. Joshua also owns the best-selling SEO course on Udemy, and has taught SEO to over 100,000 students.

His work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, AgencyAnalytics, Wix and lots more other reputable publications.