The days of static banner ads are over. Brands are now demanding more dynamic, interactive, and information-rich local ads to serve their customers better.

And Google is listening. Enter Google Affiliate Location Extension.

Google Ads Affiliate Location Extension solves a problem many consumers have shopping online. They know they want to buy a specific product but first want to see it in-store before purchasing.

The problem is, they aren’t sure which nearby retailer sells it.

Google Ads Affiliate Location Extension is a section that appears at the bottom of a Google ad and features addresses of nearby retailers that stock the searched-for product.

[Read our blog: How to create a killer local SEO strategy for your business]

This feature is valuable for small businesses or manufacturers that sell their products through large national retailers and chains. The ability to offer online searchers this location-based data directly on the search engine results page (SERP) is proving to be an incredibly effective way to increase in-store sales.

Here’s a breakdown of how the extension works:

1. Someone searches Google for your product.
2. Your ad shows up with your affiliation location extension.
3. The searcher sees the nearest stores that sell your product as an address on a map. If they’re on their phone, they can tap the extension to get directions right to the store (handy on mobile devices.)
4. They head to the store and buy your product – everyone wins!

[Read our blog: Understanding your digital sales funnel]

Some of the big-name retailers included in the list of 80+ stores available within this extension include 7- Eleven, BabiesRus, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Costco, Footlocker, Home Depot, Marshalls, Nordstorm, Petsmart, Saks Fifth Ave, Sephora, Shoppers, Staples, ToysRUS and Walmart.

The good news is that the Affiliate Location Extension is easy to set up and is available in nearly all Google Ad accounts.

From the ‘Ad Extension’ tab in Google Ads, advertisers can create affiliate location extensions at the Ad Group, Campaign or Account level.

When you create a new Affiliate Location Extension, you’ll get a prompt asking you to select one or more major retail chains. And unlike setting up a standard location extension, advertisers don’t have to link to a Google My Business account to create an Affiliate Location Extension.

Ad extensions are well-known for increasing click-through rates (CTR), ad relevancy and quality scores. 

What’s more, when coupled with Google’s Ad’s Store Visit Conversion metric, brands can gain even more visibility over the effectiveness of their affiliate location extension performance. 

Google’s Store Visit Conversion metric looks at phone location history to determine whether someone who clicked on your search ad ended up visiting a store

[Read our blog: How to leverage customer reviews to boost your SEO performance]

The truth is that a tiny bit of location-based data can significantly impact sales. Estimates show that more than 75% of consumers who conduct a local search on their phone will visit the store within one day.

There’s no denying that this feature has enormous benefits for brands, especially those already using Google Ads to promote their products. Implementing this simple extension is guaranteed to make buying your product easier for consumers, and ultimately, to help increase your sales.