Affiliate Location Extensions: Google Launches a New Service in AdWords

Three quarters of the people who do a ‘near me’ search on their phones visit the store within a day.

Google introduced Location Extension in 2009 to help advertisers drive more footfalls into their stores. This year Google is testing a new beta ad extension called ‘Affiliate Location Extension’ (officially announced on Google+ on Oct 20, 2016) for some AdWords accounts.

What is an Affiliate Location Extension?

The purpose of launching this ad extension is to help manufacturers drive traffic to third-party US retail locations that sell their products. For example, if you are a TV manufacturer, you can use this extension to help someone searching for a TV to find the nearest retail chain where he or she can buy the product.

Some AdWords accounts have been enabled with Affiliate Location Extension, in the coming weeks this will be rolled out to other accounts.

How will Affiliate Location Extension Help

As per Google, CTR tends to improve when ad extensions are included in an ad copy. Having an affiliate location extension will help manufacturers drive customers to the locations near them where they can buy the product they are looking for.

Setting Up Affiliate Location Extension in AdWords

You can easily select Affiliate Location Extension in the Ad Extensions Tab. Simply add the new extension and select the 3 categories: ‘Relationship type,’ ‘Country’ and ‘Chains.’ The ‘Relationship type’ states the type of retailer. ‘Chains’ lets you choose the retail chains where the manufacturer sells his/her products (Refer to the images below). In contrast to standard location extensions, Affiliate Location Extensions do not require you to link to a Google My Business account.

How Affiliate Location Extension Works

1. The User searches for a product on Google
2. Your ad shows up with Affiliate Location Extension
3. The user sees the nearest retail store that sells your product, either as an address or on a map
4. On mobile, the user can tap on the extension to get directions to the store
5. The user heads right to the nearest store and buys your product

Conclusion

By promoting retail location on search ads, the ads get more functional and give customers relevant information to drive store sales and visits. Since the end goal of a manufacturer is to drive more sales, Affiliate Location Extension enables manufacturers to reach their goal. Additionally, Google says that using this extension may enable some manufacturers to be eligible for ‘Store Visits Data’ in AdWords Currently, Affiliate Location Extension has been rolled out in the US only. We will learn over time how this extension actually works and how successful it is in driving product sales.

Sources:

1. ‘About affiliate location extensions’
2. ‘For manufacturers selling in retail chains, Google launches affiliate location ad extensions’
3. Store Visit Conversions