Increase your Google Ads Click Through and Conversion Rates with Sitelink Extensions

Sitelink extensions are subheadings which appear below your adverts’ main text. They are clickable and take potential customers to a specific page on your website. Here is an example – the blue links in the last line of the ad are the Sitelinks:

This advert includes Sitelinks for searching Audi’s, money back guarantee, finding your match and contact free delivery. For a potential customer who is trying to find the audi that is most suitable for them can click on the ‘Find My Match’ sitelink because the page they will be taken to is specific to what they are searching for.

It’s similar to having a contents page in a textbook. If the person looking for the information is given a ‘shortcut’ this will likely increase the chance of them completing the end goal you have set as the advertiser. Using Sitelink extensions also makes your ad take up more space in the search results, leaving less space and therefore attention for the competition. 

The Appearance of Sitelinks in Search Results

There are several ways Sitelinks can appear depending on the device and search term, and this changes quite frequently as a result of the appearance of search results evolving and Google always testing new formats. Also, keep in mind that even though you may have created Sitelink extensions, they will not always show. Google determines if Sitelinks show up, which get displayed and in what order, based on relevance and other factors that are not shared with advertisers. 

Extended Sitelinks are a special form of Sitelink extensions that contain more information. These mainly appear on campaigns for your own branded keywords or when Google determines your ad has a very high relevance. These are similar to standard Sitelinks except they come with a small description below each title.

The Requirements for Sitelinks

Sitelink headings and descriptions must be clear, concise and relevant to the chosen landing page in order to be effective. The text of a normal sitelink is 25 characters, and in extended Sitelinks there is a 35 character limit on each of the 2 description lines. You need a minimum of four Sitelinks in your campaigns, the ideal number is six, so that Google can rotate and test which links work best.

The Sitelinks have to link to the same top level domain as the actual ad, so you cannot link to other websites or your social media profiles.

Best Practices when using Sitelinks

• Make sure the web page connected to the sitelink is 100% relevant to the title because it may result in very high bounce rates otherwise
• Check regularly for broken or expired links – if not automatically disapproved,  clicks on these will eat into your budget and likely dissuade the person searching from visiting your website again
• Create your Sitelinks on a campaign (or even adgroup) level so that the Sitelinks google chooses to display are as specific and relevant as possible to the main heading of the advert

Sitelink examples for different industries

B2B: Make sure that the goals you have set match up with the Sitelinks. For example, if you’re trying to get new clients to sign up, you can sitelink the sign up form, your blog, case studies, and pages that explain top features of your product or service

Ecommerce: Landing pages for top selling products, categories or the sale section. For sales and promotions, Sitelinks are very useful, but it’s important to make sure they are scheduled for the duration of the promotion. 

Hotels: Links to special offers, your loyalty program sign up page, booking page and special attractions like a restaurant or spa

Healthcare: Links to your ‘About’ page and customer reviews for those doing research about your health service or product. It would also be helpful to link to appointment booking pages for your health service.