Starting this month, January 2018, Google will no long show Review Extensions along with ads. In February, they will be wiped from AdWords, historical data and all. Sayonara, Review Extensions, it’s been real.
Review Extensions launched back in 2013 – with issues. They originally showed in place of lines of ad text which, for advertisers like me, was a non-starter. I preferred my ad text over the review, and if I felt the review was valuable enough, I would test it in the ad copy itself (more on that later). More recently, it has been difficult for advertisers to gain approval for their reviews, causing low advertiser participation, which is most likely the reason for Google’s decision to give them the boot.
If you have had success in the past utilizing Review Extensions in AdWords advertising, hop into your accounts and follow the steps below to download the key metrics, because that will not be possible come February.
1. Log into AdWords
2. Select Ads & extensions
3. Select the ‘Extensions’ Tab
4. Select filter button labeled “Extension type:All” & then filter by Review Extensions
5. Select the ‘Download’ button & download in your preferred file
There is nothing lined up to replace these extensions, so to keep the benefit of the review, you must convert them into ad copy. I would suggest adding the review to your site, including a link to the source, so as not to fall prey to AdWords Ad Policies. It can take up to 3 days for Google to review updated disapproved ads, which can mean lost revenue for your account — better to try and comply before launching the updated ads.
Also, make sure your AdWords campaigns are utilizing extensions like sitelinks, callouts & structured snippets. These extensions improve CTR, increase your ad’s footprint on SERP real estate, and are a component of Quality Score. Just by using those extensions, your ads have the potential to cost less per click than they might without them.
Do you have questions about Review Extension, or what you can do to move forward without them? Call iFocus Marketing at (913) 708-8567 and get your questions answered today!
