In short: assets (formerly "extensions") are extra pieces Google adds to the ad when it thinks they help: sitelinks, callouts, phone number, location, prices. They take up more screen space and usually raise CTR at no extra cost. The two essentials are sitelinks and callouts; and you should review the automated ones, which Google adds on its own.
Assets (formerly «extensions») are extra pieces that Google adds to the ad when it reckons they help: links to other pages, short benefit phrases, a phone number, an image, a price. They cost nothing to show (you pay for the click just as always) and they do three things at once: they take up more space on the page, they give more reasons to click and they add to Ad Rank (remember: «expected impact of assets» is one of its factors). Not using them is handing your competitors an advantage.
What ad assets exist?
| Asset | What it shows | What it's for | From day one? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sitelinks | 2-6 links to specific pages (Offers, Contact, Catalogue...) | More click options and a taller ad | Yes — at least 4 |
| Callouts | Short phrases with no link («Free delivery», «5-year guarantee») | Benefits that don't fit in the headlines | Yes — at least 4 |
| Structured snippets | A header + list («Brands: Grohe, Roca, Hansgrohe») | Showing range (types, brands, services) | Yes, where it applies |
| Call | Your phone number, tappable on mobile | Businesses that sell over the phone | Yes, if you answer calls |
| Location | Address and map (via Business Profile) | Businesses with premises | Yes, if you have a shop |
| Image | A photo next to the ad | Standing out visually (above all on mobile) | Yes, as soon as you have suitable images |
| Price | Cards with product/service prices | Filtering out who doesn't fit and attracting who does | When your prices are competitive |
| Promotion | Offer with dates and a code | Campaigns with a discount | When there is a real promotion |
| Lead form | Capture without leaving Google | Fast leads | With caution: lead quality varies |
| Business name and logo | Name and logo next to the ad | Brand and trust | Yes (requires verification) |
Google decides when and which ones it shows: having them does not guarantee seeing them on every impression. That is why you set up every one that applies: more candidates, more enriched impressions.
How do you write sitelinks and callouts?
Sitelinks
- Each one to a different, useful page (not all to the home page).
- Text of up to 25 characters, clear: «This Week's Offers», «How to Fit It», «Customer Reviews».
- Add the two optional description lines: when Google shows them, the ad takes up twice the space.
- Create 6-8 so the system can choose; the general ones at account level and the specific ones at campaign level.
Callouts
- Phrases of up to 25 characters, with no action verb (they are not links): «Free Delivery», «24 h Support», «Secure Payment», «30-Day Returns».
- Specific and true. «Guaranteed quality» is not a callout, it is noise.
- Six to ten at account level, campaign-specific where it makes sense.
What are automated assets and why review them?
Google generates assets by itself from your website: automated sitelinks, dynamic callouts, snippets, dynamic images... They are on by default at account level. Sometimes they get it right; sometimes they link to your «Legal notice» page or show a photo from the footer.
Where: Assets → More → Account-level automated assets → Advanced settings. Review each type and switch off the ones you do not control. Rule of thumb: if you have good manual assets, the automated ones of that type are surplus.
How do you know whether assets work?
The Assets tab shows the performance of each one (clicks, CTR, conversions when the ad was shown with it). Careful with the reading: a sitelink with few clicks is not bad if the whole ad performs better when it appears. Compare the CTR of the ad with and without the asset, not the CTR of the asset itself.
💡 Ninja trick: assets get set up once and then forgotten — until a sitelink leads to a page that no longer exists, or a promotion that expired three months ago is still showing. A quarterly asset review (broken links, past dates, out-of-date prices) is compulsory, and it is exactly the kind of check a script can run every night.
What you should remember
- Assets are free space, free reasons and free Ad Rank: set up every one that applies.
- Sitelinks and callouts from day one, at least 4 of each; images as soon as you can.
- Google chooses when to show them: more candidates, more rich impressions.
- Review the automated ones and switch off what you do not control.
- Judge an asset by the performance of the ad with it, not by its own clicks.