Coming soon to AdWords… Image Ad Extensions. Apparently being tested in beta, or newly out of it, this new extension will add images with your ad at no extra cost to the advertiser. That being said, image ad extensions are typically shown to the advertiser in the top position – often the one willing to pay the highest amount per click. So, to be rewarded with this “free” extension you may have to break out your wallet. Of course, the Google auction is also “won” if you have a keyword with a high quality score or have an ad with a high click-through-rate.
All that being said, our guess is that this new extension will go to the advertiser with the top spot, regardless of how they get there. Also, early reports are that images are often difficult to get approved through AdWords. The images must be owned by you; and cannot look like the standard product listing ads. In a good way, that means advertisers can design ads with “personality”, something not currently available on the search network. All of these additions enhance relevancy and improve the overall experience users have with Google search. Currently, these ads are being shown to only about 1% of all US searches but we expect to see more of these in the coming months. As always, AdWords continues to innovate and continues to distance itself from the competition. Google is the premier search network and finding ways to improve their ad delivery and make more money in the process. If you don’t own Google stock yet, now might be a good time to buy…