Secretly, Google’s image extensions are not completely new. The extension has been available as a beta version for quite some time now. Now, Google is also rolling out Image Extensions as an open beta for a number of accounts. But what exactly does this mean?
WHAT ARE IMAGE EXTENSIONS ?
An image extension is an extension that adds a small, relevant image to your ad. Google claims that the first results show a 10% increase in CTR. This may be true, because according to Google’s research, users are more quickly engaged with visual ads. This means that ads with images help the user absorb the message faster and take action more quickly.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF IMAGE EXTENSIONS ?
There are two variants of this new addition, namely image extensions and dynamic image extensions. For both variants, you can upload a maximum of 20 images per ad. Text in images is not allowed, so be careful if you want to use it with certain promotions (discount) or if you want to work with logos containing text. Also keep in mind that for now, the extension will only be displayed in mobile browsers.
DYNAMIC IMAGE EXTENSIONS:
Within campaigns, you can also opt-in to dynamic ad extensions. Here, you give Google the ability to remove an image from the landing page itself. The big advantage is that with a few clicks at the campaign level, you can automatically provide all your ads with image extensions. The downside is that you are again giving some control to Google. If you enable dynamic image extensions and then manually deploy an image extension at the ad group level, Google will still show the manual image extension instead of a dynamic one. This way, you retain some control.
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF IMAGE EXTENSIONS?
There are many ways you can use this new Google advertising feature. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your ads:
-Deploy them in your high-volume ad groups.
-Make sure the image gives the correct impression of the landing page.
-Add at least 3 unique images per ad group.
In Google Ads, you can see exactly how each variant is performing. Use dynamic image extensions if your pages contain relevant images.
INCREASE VISIBILITY ON IMAGE SEARCH
Google will also test this in the “images” tab. This is done by extending the text search ads for ad groups that use image extensions. Only the 1.91:1 ratio is taken into account. This is a great advantage for ads that have an image extension added, as it makes you even more visible in the different types of searches on Google.
THE ADVANTAGES OF IMAGE EXTENSIONS
As Google states, image extensions can increase CTR by 10%. By adding relevant images to your ads, you can encourage users to take action, i.e. click on your ad. This way, you can also perform good A/B tests with different images for different target groups.