Atria will look today at the strong role your phone number plays in AdWords ads. But before we get started, take a quick look at this image of an AdWords campaign a user shared on Twitter. Did you notice any outstanding features?
The click-to-text option shown in the ad appears to have received a facelift by including the business’s phone number and personal message. Although this small change marks only a slight departure from previous iterations that may only include a “Send us a text!” banner, the budding feature has gained attention from many social media users.
Among those users is Ginny Marvin, who at Search Engine Land, reported in 2016 about click-to-text being moved out of beta. She and others note in Twitter about how Google is constantly updating its designs to help businesses better connect with their customers.
Google’s effort has not gone unnoticed. Your customers, likewise, will see your phone number listed in new ways in your own ads, so if you haven’t placed much consideration into how calling and texting affects your operations, this is the time.
Utilize the Message Extension
Twitter user Reeva Cutting noted that the click-to-text feature is just a message extension. She’s right. AdWords has a standard method of configuring your business’s phone number to accept text messages.
You can follow these steps to reach the Message Extensions part of your AdWords dashboard:
- Select your desired account and campaign
- Click “+ New Message” at the bottom of the table
From there, enter your information such as business name and the phone number where you want to receive texts. The Advanced section of those features allows you to restrict the hours users can send you messages.
How About a Call Extension for Quick Dialing?
In addition, AdWords uses the Call Extension to include your phone number in ads where you wish to receive only voice calls. This click-to-call construct typically places a small “Call” icon or a touchable line item in the lower portion of your ads.
Like the Message Extension section of AdWords, you should first select the account and campaign you wish to edit. Then:
- Choose the Ad Extensions tab
- Choose “Call extensions” in the View menu, and then click “+Extension” and “+New phone number”
Now you can add as many as 20 call extensions for each campaign. This area of the dashboard also lets you choose your preferences for specific devices and calling hours.
With Call Extensions, you can also take advantage of call forwarding by allowing Google to show a placeholder phone number that links to your real phone number during a call. This way, you can keep an individual’s private number hidden from view but your business still accessible to all customers.
Don’t Underestimate the Power
To be clear, the Message Extension and Call Extension features are different from the information businesses are typically allowed to place in their display ads. Google states that it may reject ads that try to insert phone numbers in their text bodies. Therefore, you have to take advantage of the specific content boxes AdWords provides for you.
Google’s effort to improve AdWords, such as by making changes to its display format, can only work if it has the correct information in the right places. Your phone number is a focal point for customer contact to your business, so don’t you want it to be a focal point of your ads?
Customers will notice small changes to Display Network ads. When those small changes showcase your phone number, it can pay off as calls to your business and clicks on your ads. It will offer you more public attention and a better return on investment in AdWords.
Who wouldn’t want that? It’s a win for everyone when customer can reach your business faster and you can sell products more quickly and easily.
As always, Atria is only a call or text away. Let us know if we can help with your specific needs.