Google Ads Assets (Extensions): The Free Way to Bigger Ads

Google Ads assets — what used to be called extensions — are the extra bits that sit under your main ad: clickable links, phone numbers, a list of services, your address. They cost nothing extra to add and they make your ad physically bigger, which usually means more clicks.

Despite being free, assets are one of the most neglected parts of the average account. This guide explains the ones that matter most for small businesses and how to use them well.

The assets worth setting up first

Sitelinks are extra links beneath your ad — “Pricing”, “Our Services”, “Contact”, “Reviews”. They give people more ways in and take up more space on the page. Callouts are short non-clickable phrases like “Free Quotes”, “Family Run Since 2010” or “No Call-Out Charge” that reinforce why you’re worth choosing.

Structured snippets let you list things under a header, such as Services: Boiler Repair, Power Flushing, Landlord Certificates. Together these three turn a thin two-line ad into a substantial block that dominates the results page.

Call, location and lead-form assets

If phone calls are how you win work, the call asset adds a tap-to-call button on mobile and lets you track calls as conversions. For trades, salons and anyone who books over the phone, this is essential rather than optional.

Location assets pull in your Google Business Profile address and a map pin — brilliant for businesses people physically visit. Lead-form assets let someone enquire without leaving Google, though we usually prefer sending people to a well-built landing page where you control the experience.

Set them and then actually review them

Assets aren’t fit-and-forget. Google chooses which to show based on what it thinks will perform, so give it plenty of options and then check the reports to see which earn clicks. Weak sitelinks can be swapped; strong callouts can be reused across campaigns.

A common mistake is adding generic assets that repeat the ad. Each one should add something new — a different page, a different reason to trust you, a different service. Variety gives Google more useful combinations to test.