How to Use Google Ads Callouts

Last Updated on: 18th December 2024, 05:45 pm

Imagine the following: You’re doing competitive research and see that leads often get stuck on hold when calling the competitor. What do you do in that situation? 

You shout “24/7 Phone Support” from the rooftops, of course!

Because if you do something better, you call it out. 

Today, we’ll be talking about Google Ads callouts, and how they can put the unique aspects of your business front and centre.

What Are Google Ads Callouts?

Just like structured snippets, Callouts are Google Ads assets you add to your text ads to, quite literally, “call out” additional business information. 

They appear below your main ad text and offer extra details about your business, products, or services (like in the image above). They’re powerful bits of information that convince leads to click on your ad. 

You can add callouts to Search Network campaigns, Video campaigns, and Search Network with Display Select campaigns. However, they won’t appear in Display Network campaigns alone.

It’s up to Google to choose how many callouts it will show. Typically, it’s anywhere from 2 to 6, depending on the ad’s relevance, the amount of characters, and other factors.

What’s the Difference Between Google Ads Callouts and Structured Snippets?

Both callouts and structured snippets are ad extensions, but they serve slightly different purposes. 

Callouts let you highlight value propositions or promotions like free shipping or 24/7 availability.

On the flip side, structured snippets provide specific information about aspects of your products or services, such as destinations for travel ads or service types for businesses. 

Essentially, callouts are more about promotions and unique features, while structured snippets are about categorising and detailing your offerings.

“Claire, do I need both callouts and structured snippets?” 

Even if you don’t strictly need both, combining them can transform your ad into a richer, more informative package. This helps leads get a clearer picture of what you’re offering, increasing the chances they’ll click through and convert. 

Now, for the most important point: using both formats makes your ad more versatile, appealing to different types of keywords and interests, which can improve your overall ad performance. 

Benefits of Google Ads Callouts

Two words: Quality Score. Callouts can improve your QS by enhancing relevance and click-through rates. But how so?

• Callouts are perfect for highlighting what makes your business special with just a few well-chosen words or phrases. In other words, they give users more reasons to pick your ad over others.
• You can add callouts at the account, campaign, or ad-group levels, so you can be as detailed or broad as you want. Plus, you can choose when they appear – specific dates, days, or times that work best for your campaign.
• You can also keep your ads fresh by changing the callout text whenever you need to. This way, you can always highlight your latest sales and special offers without affecting your ad’s performance stats.

As I mentioned before, the key to winning with ads in a competitive environment is standing out. With one of the earlier Google Ads I had done for my own businesses, I looked at what competitors were offering. Some offered DVD (yes, I’ve been in Google Ads that long) training sessions, others offered free follow-up meetings, and so on.

I realised I should offer everything – and then some!

When I emphasised that in my Google Ads, my click-through rate skyrocketed! I only wish callouts were an option back then!

What You Can Control with Google Ads Callouts

For example, if you run a seasonal promotion, like a holiday sale, you can add this callout to specific campaigns targeting holiday shoppers. 

You can also control the callout text. Or, if you’d prefer, you can have them show up dynamically and pick up information straight from your landing page.

But, here’s the caveat:

Even if you’re manually setting up your callouts, Google decides the number of callouts displayed based on your ad’s performance and relevance. What you can do to influence which callouts are more likely to show up is:

• Make sure your callout texts are concise, relevant, and compelling.
• Place your most important callouts at the top of the list, as Google considers the order when determining the callouts to display.
• Create high-quality ads that resonate with your audience. Spot-on ads make your campaign more efficient, giving your callouts the attention they deserve.

Best Practices for Google Ads Callouts

I’d say the best practice you can use is to not waste real estate, especially with such limited space and word count to make your ad stand out. But, if I were to make a list…

• Combine general callouts like “award-winning service” with specific ones like “free shipping on orders over $50.” This makes your ad more attractive for different types of leads.
• If you have time-sensitive offers, schedule your callouts to show at the right times. For example, if you’re running a weekend sale, ensure the callouts are active only during the weekend.
• Regularly check the performance of your callouts and tweak them as necessary. 
• Avoid emojis, exclamation marks, or symbols like the arrow – Google doesn’t allow them.

Keep in mind that, if you set up callouts in one campaign, they won’t automatically apply to other campaigns. You need to set them up individually.

Ideally, you should assign your callouts at the account level first. This helps you manage your budget and bids more efficiently across all your campaigns.

How to Set up, Edit, Remove, and Schedule Callouts in Google Ads

(Just a quick note: The instructions below include features of the new Google Ads dashboard!) 

Setting up Google Ads Callouts

First, open your Google Ads account and head to the Campaigns icon on the left-hand side. Next, from the drop-down menu, select Assets. This is where you’ll manage all the elements that can be added to your ads, including callouts. 

Click on Callout in the navigation toolbar.

To set up a new callout, click on the blue plus button to create a new extension. Here, you’ll be able to enter your callout text. 

When you want to add a callout, you have to decide at what level you want it to appear. In the “Add to” dropdown menu, pick whether you want the callout to show at the Account, Campaign, or Ad Group level.

To create a new callout, all you have to do is type your text in the “Callout text” field. This is the default option. 

To use an existing callout, click the “Use existing” radio button. Then choose the callouts you want from the list, then hit save.

That’s all there is to it!

Editing Callouts

Similarly to creating a new one, go to the Assets dropdown. Find the callout extension you want to edit, click on it, and then click the pencil icon to make your changes.

Scheduling Callouts

Now, if you want to schedule when your callouts appear, there’s an option for that too. Look for the Advanced Options link in the callout creation window. 

Here, you can specify dates, days of the week, or times of day when you want your callouts to show.

Pause or Remove Individual Callouts

If you don’t like a given dynamic callout that was created for you, you’re able to pause or remove it. Pausing a dynamic callout will stop it from working, but you can always re-enable them, as opposed to removing it. 

To pause or remove multiple callouts in Google Ads, first, navigate to the Assets section under Ads and Assets and select Callouts. Once there, click on the check box next to the callouts you want to pause or remove. Then, click on Pause or Remove on the blue bar at the top of the page.

For individual assets, click on the drop-down menu next to the indicator (this indicator is usually a small coloured dot or bar that shows the status of your callout). Choose Pause or Remove from the options.

A quick note: The ability to pause/remove individual dynamic callout assets becomes available after your callouts have been upgraded. This upgrade is being rolled out to everyone, so keep an eye out for notifications in your Ads account or my monthly PPC News updates!

If You’re Doing Something Well…Call It Out!

Search results page real estate is precious. Don’t waste it and always look for ways to add more value. 

Whether that’s through callouts or new campaign types, keep a finger on Google Ads’ pulse point, so you know how to take your campaigns to the next level.

Worried about using every Google Ads update to your advantage? I get it – most of my clients struggle with the lack of time, too. So they hand it over to me and my team!

Don’t feel like reaching out just yet? No problem! Get your copy of my best-selling Google Ads book that teaches you timeless strategies to go with your powerful callouts.