Google Ads assets, which used to be called extensions, add extra information such as links, phone numbers and offers to your ads. They take up more space in the results and give people more reasons to click. This guide covers which assets to add, how Google decides when to show them and what they cost.
In this guide: What Assets Are | Which Assets to Add First | Write Assets That Add New Information | How Google Decides What to Show | What Assets Cost | Review Performance | Plan Assets Around Your Offer | Keep Assets Accurate | Use Assets at the Right Level | Add Assets in Small Batches | Frequently Asked Questions | Final Thoughts
What Assets Are
Google’s help page on assets lists the main types:
- Sitelink assets link to specific pages of your website.
- Callout assets add short text such as free delivery or 24/7 support.
- Structured snippet assets list items under a set header.
- Call assets show a phone number or a call button.
- Location assets show your location and a link to business details.
- Price and promotion assets show services with prices and limited-time offers.
- Lead form assets let people sign up from the ad.
- Image assets add visuals to the ad.
Which Assets to Add First
Start with sitelinks, callouts and structured snippets, since they suit almost every business. Add call assets if phone calls matter and you can answer them. Add a lead form asset only if you are ready to follow up quickly. Add price or promotion assets when you have prices or offers you are prepared to show publicly.
Write Assets That Add New Information
An asset that repeats the headline wastes the space. Use sitelinks to send people to the most useful pages, for example pricing, case studies or a booking page, and write a short description line for each. Use callouts for differentiators that headlines do not have room for.
The sitelink destination should match the intent of the link. Weak pages waste the click, so review them against the checks in our guide to landing page mistakes.
How Google Decides What to Show
Google’s page says that Google Ads selects assets for each search and shows the combination it predicts will perform best. Approval does not guarantee that an asset appears every time. The page also says your ad needs a minimum Ad Rank, which factors in assets, before additional assets can show, and that higher positions get the first chance to show more of them. To understand Ad Rank in detail, read our guide to how the Google Ads auction works.
The one exception is the text disclaimer asset, which Google describes as guaranteed to appear.
What Assets Cost
Adding assets is free. You pay the usual click charge when someone clicks an asset, including call buttons and directions, and Google says no more than two clicks per impression are charged for an ad and its assets. Ads with more assets often have a higher actual CPC, though the page notes that the incremental cost is often lower than the cost of moving up a position.
Review Performance
Look at asset reporting to see which sitelinks and callouts earn clicks and which never show. Replace weak assets with new angles, and track whether a stronger set lifts your click-through rate and conversions.
Plan Assets Around Your Offer
Start by listing what makes your business worth choosing, then match each point to an asset type. A location, a phone number, a price range, a guarantee and a list of services each fit a different format. Assets that repeat the ad text add nothing, so give each one a job the ad does not already do.
Keep Assets Accurate
Assets are shown with your ad, so outdated details cost you trust. Review them whenever prices, opening hours, offers or phone numbers change, and remove any that no longer apply. Expired offers and wrong numbers can lead to wasted clicks and lost calls.
Use Assets at the Right Level
You can add assets at account, campaign or ad group level. Assets set closer to the ad, such as at ad group level, usually override those set higher up. Use account level for details that apply everywhere, such as a phone number, and use campaign or ad group level for details that differ by service.
Add Assets in Small Batches
Adding every asset at once makes it hard to see which ones help. Add a few, let them collect data and then add more. Look at asset reports to see which ones show most and which bring conversions, and replace the weakest with new wording. Over a few months this steady habit builds a stronger set than one big rewrite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are assets and extensions the same thing?
Yes. Google now uses the name assets for what it used to call ad extensions, and the types work much as before.
Why are my assets not showing?
Google shows assets when it predicts they will improve performance, and the ad must reach a minimum Ad Rank. Approval alone does not guarantee they show.
Final Thoughts
Assets are a free way to give each ad more substance. Add the common types, write each one to carry new information and review the reports so the strongest ones stay.
Want expert help with your account? See our Google Ads management service.