Endorsements and accolades from past and current customers are increasingly important to conversions. That’s why Google AdWords announced review extensions in beta. Review extensions allow advertisers to add testimonials right into their ads, and you can choose from a direct quote or the summary of an accolade, as shown below.
Review extensions, currently available to English advertising, can be useful to all types of businesses but especially those who may not have products that gather direct reviews.
While ecommerce businesses already have seller rating extensions that allow for review markup, review extensions lend itself to businesses with intangibles.
This is just another step in a new advertising direction for businesses outside of ecommerce. Image extensions announced in June also allow all types of businesses, not just ecommerce, to feature images right in their ads to create a more engaging experience.
There are rules, however, and AdWords lined them out in its announcement:
- The reviews must be high quality and come from a reputable third-party source. (How do you think they will determine “reputable”?)
- It’s your responsibility to ensure that you’re allowed to use a specific review in your ads. And you can link to the site that’s endorsing you.
- AdWords will be using automated and human-based systems to confirm the validity and policy compliance of all review extensions.
What do you think about this new extension? How will you use it?