LOCATION EXTENSIONS: WHAT IS IT FOR?
Google's location extensions are part of the local marketing trend. Internet users looking for information can find the details of the business they are looking for more quickly by offering:
- the address
- telephone number
- the complete geolocated route to the desired address
- an immediate call button
Example of location extension:
In order to avoid losing this low-cost visibility, a location extension update will need to be done during the first week of October.
If no adjustments are made, it's likely that Google will completely stop showing your extension by early November.
WHY USE LOCATION EXTENSIONS?
Using location extensions improves the overall performance of your campaigns. Ads that benefit from this type of extension see their click-through rate (CTR) increase by an average of 10% * , which comes back to more potential consumers on your site, or even in store.
OLD MODE OF OPERATION
In the past, ad extensions could be independent of Google My Business local listing pages (formerly Google Places/Places) and created manually by your campaign manager. These extensions are visible in AdWords under the “Not Upgraded” tab.
As soon as Google has updated your account, you will not be able to manage your extensions in the "Not Upgraded" section, and if no action is taken before the update it is likely that your extensions will become unavailable.
NEW MODE OF OPERATION
There are two possibilities to activate this option in Adwords.
1. Synchronize AdWords and Google My Business
Once your AdWords account is successfully linked to your local My Business listing, the extension display will look like this.
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We strongly suggest this option, which allows you to have your own local listing at all times in organic results and on Google Maps.
2. Manually enter the business address in the “Upgraded” section under the Ad Extensions tab.
We do not recommend this option, because the management of the different locations is much more complex than via Google My Business.
Synchronize Adwords and Google My Business:
1. You'll save time : Location extensions are available at the entire account level with just one click.
2. You will have better organization: a single source for all your locations. This greatly facilitates management, because there is the possibility of filtering by category and by name.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A MY BUSINESS ACCOUNT?
Before you create a My Business account, make sure you don't already have one. The listing duplication may prevent you from appearing.
Here is the procedure for creating a My Business account:
Small business with a maximum of two locations, for example a restaurant .
- Visit the following site: https://support.google.com/business/answer/4566606?hl=fr&ref_topic=4539639
- Follow the instructions below: https://www.google.com/business/
Large company with more than 10 locations, for example a hotel chain .
- Visit the following site: https://support.google.com/business/answer/6002002
- Follow the instructions below: https://support.google.com/business/answer/3217744?hl=fr&ref_topic=4596653
In short, if you have location extensions, we advise you to link your Adwords account to your My Business account, otherwise you can always manually enter your addresses in the new “Upgraded” section. If you don't have location extensions, we highly recommend giving it a try! Talk to your campaign manager.
* Source: Google, Location Extension Upgrade – What your agency need to know
