Google Ads ad assets are additional pieces of information that appear alongside your main ad text to provide extra value and context to potential customers. Formerly known as extensions, these features include elements like sitelinks, call buttons, and location information. By using these assets, you increase the overall size of your ad on the screen, which often makes it more visible to users searching for relevant services or products. Optimizing these assets is a standard practice for improving click-through rates and driving more traffic to your landing pages.
What Are Google Ads Ad Assets and Why Do They Matter?
Ad assets serve as an extension of your primary marketing message. When you configure them correctly, Google may display them with your ads based on the context of the search query and the device being used. In a typical account, these assets do not cost extra to add, but they do increase the likelihood of a user interacting with your business. By providing quick access to specific pages or direct contact methods, you lower the friction for the user to engage with your brand.
When a user sees an ad with site links, they have more options to navigate directly to a product category or a contact page instead of just the home page. This capability ensures that the user finds exactly what they need faster, which is a common pattern in successful search campaigns. From a technical perspective, these assets increase the physical footprint of your ad, pushing competitors further down the page and capturing more attention from the user.
Which Types of Ad Assets Should You Prioritize?
Choosing the right asset type depends on your specific business goals. For an e-commerce store, product-focused assets are often better, while a service-based company should focus on contact-related assets. You should aim to populate as many relevant assets as possible to give the Google algorithm more options to choose from when serving your ad to a potential lead.
- Sitelink assets: Direct users to specific pages like ‘About Us’ or ‘Contact’.
- Call assets: Allow mobile users to call your business with one click.
- Structured snippet assets: Highlight specific aspects of your products or services.
- Callout assets: Use short, descriptive text to emphasize unique benefits.
- Location assets: Show your business address to local searchers.
How Do You Configure Assets for Best Results?
Configuration happens at the account, campaign, or ad group level. Start by checking the ‘Ads & assets’ section in your Google Ads dashboard. You can add assets at the account level if they are relevant for every single campaign you run. For more control, set them at the campaign level, which allows you to tailor the messaging to the specific audience segment you are targeting.
Consistency is important. Make sure that the text inside your callouts or sitelinks matches the tone of your primary ad copy. If your ad promises a discount, your sitelink should lead to a page where that discount is clearly visible. This alignment builds trust and keeps the user journey consistent from the search results page to your final conversion point.
Comparison of Asset Management Strategies
| Asset Level | Best Use Case | Management Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Account Level | Broad brand messaging | Low |
| Campaign Level | Specific product lines | Medium |
| Ad Group Level | Niche search queries | High |
How Alien Road Applies Ad Assets
At Alien Road, we follow a structured process when managing ad assets for our clients. We begin by auditing the existing account to see which assets are currently active and whether they are providing enough information. For example, in a typical engagement for a local service provider, we prioritize location and call assets to ensure that potential customers can reach out immediately.
After the initial setup, we monitor the performance data within the Google Ads interface. We look for assets that have low engagement and replace them with fresh copy or different landing page URLs. Our team maintains a clean account structure by ensuring that no redundant assets are active, which helps the algorithm focus on the most effective versions of your ads.
Should You Use Automated Assets?
Google often creates automated assets based on the content of your website or your account history. While these can save time, you should check them periodically to ensure the information is accurate and matches your current marketing strategy. You can review and remove any automated assets that do not align with your brand guidelines through the asset management tab in your account.
Most accounts benefit from a mix of manual and automated assets. Manual assets give you full control over the messaging, while automated assets can fill in gaps during periods when you might not have time to update every single element. Always prioritize manual inputs for your primary value propositions to ensure the most important information is always displayed correctly.
How to Improve Your Click-Through Rates
- Include clear calls to action in your sitelink descriptions.
- Update your callout text to reflect current seasonal promotions.
- Ensure your location assets are linked to a verified Google Business Profile.
- Review your asset performance report monthly to identify underperforming text.
- Add at least four distinct sitelinks to occupy more screen space.
Where to Start This Week
Begin your optimization this week by logging into your Google Ads account and navigating to the ‘Assets’ menu. Take a look at your current sitelinks and verify that all links are active and lead to relevant, high-performing landing pages. If you find any broken links or outdated promotional text, update them immediately to ensure your potential customers have a positive experience.
Once you have updated your existing assets, add at least two new callout assets to your primary campaigns. These should focus on specific benefits of your product or service that were not previously mentioned in your main ad copy. By simply refreshing this content, you provide more reasons for a user to click on your ad rather than a competitor’s listing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay extra for Google Ads assets?
No, you do not pay an additional fee to add assets to your ads. You are only charged when a user clicks on your ad, just as you would be for a standard ad. Assets are included in your budget as part of the total ad display, making them an efficient way to increase your ad’s presence without increasing your overall spend.
How many assets should I add to a campaign?
There is no strict rule for the number of assets, but it is standard practice to add at least four to six sitelinks and several callouts per campaign. Adding more options allows the Google algorithm to select the best combination for a specific search query. Providing a variety of relevant information helps your ad perform better across different types of user intent.
Can I prevent certain assets from showing?
Yes, you can remove or disable any asset that you do not want to appear with your ads. If you notice that an automated asset is displaying incorrect information or does not fit your current marketing goals, you can navigate to the asset management tab in your account and remove it. This gives you full control over what is displayed.
How often should I update my ad assets?
It is a good idea to check and update your assets whenever you run a new promotion or change your product offerings. Even if your business remains stable, reviewing your assets once a month is a solid practice to ensure that all information remains accurate. Updating text to reflect seasonal changes can also keep your ads feeling fresh and relevant.
Why are my assets not showing on my ads?
Assets are shown at Google’s discretion based on the quality of the ad and the context of the search. If your ad rank is low or the assets are not considered relevant enough for a specific query, Google may choose not to display them. To improve your chances, focus on increasing your quality score and ensuring your assets provide genuine value to the user.
Keep reading: Google Advertising · Advertising