Google is launching automated call extensions in mobile ads on February 6

Posted on: January 10, 2017 by in SEO
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In the second update in a week on how phone numbers display in ads, Google has begun alerting some advertisers that call extensions will start generating automatically as of February 6, 2017.

The notice, emailed to advertisers that use “landing pages prominently featuring a phone number”, started going out on Monday evening. A copy of the full email is below.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

Though you wouldn’t know from reading this email, call extensions are already set up with the phone number on the landing pages used in this specific account. From what I can tell, the change shouldn’t affect much for this account other than that it sounds like impression volume for call extensions generally will likely go up come February 6.

However, in situations where advertisers don’t want to pay for calls directed to the phone number listed on their landing pages (or any calls for that matter), they will have to opt out of all automated extensions (Google already generates dynamic sitelinks, callouts and structured snippets when they aren’t set up, for example) in order to keep automated call extensions from showing after February 6. To opt out, check “Do not use specific automated extensions for this account” option available at the bottom of the Automated extensions report from the Ad extensions tab in AdWords.

adwords-automated-extensions-opt-out

Last week, Google began notifying advertisers that, as of January 19, it may show location-specific phone numbers when location extensions display even if a different number is used in call extensions.


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