Google is making big moves to lend more credibility to AdWords ads, whether that be in the form of endorsements from people users know and trust or testimonials from respected brands.
In June, Google announced the beta release of review extensions, which allow advertisers to include said testimonials right in their ads. After testing with select partners, Google is now making the feature available to advertisers in general.
“Seeing a review from a reputable source gives users valuable information that builds trust in your business,” says Google in a Google+ post. “We’ve already seen an enthusiastic response to review extensions and many of the advertisers who have implemented them have seen impressive results.”
They share an example from airline El Al, which claims to have seen a 10% increase in click through rate using the extensions.
The feature will become available to AdWords advertisers over the coming days. To use it, click the Ad Extensions tab, select Review Extensions from the View menu, click +Extension, and choose the appropriate campaign. You’ll need to specify if it’s a paraphrased review or an exact quote. Google will have to approve the text. It will take a few days.
This comes after Google made changes to its terms of services enabling it to use users’ profile pictures and names in ads (and other products). Similarly, Google expects this to add more credibility to ads, as people are more likely to trust their friends.
Image: Google