You can now get Email Sign Ups from Google Ads!

Well, not quite yet – but the Google Adwords Communications Extensions are now being Beta tested by UK companies.

What is the ‘Google Adwords Communications Extension’?

It’s the latest Extension for Google Adwords ads – it’s been in Beta test in the USA for most of 2012. Basically it puts an email sign up box under your PPC ads:

According to the eCommerce Circle Blog during the US trials the ads have come in 2 formats:

• just the email sign up box
• email sign up box and zip code box – mainly used by daily deal websites so they know which email to send you

So far in the UK I’ve only been able to find the email box option in use.

What happens to the data?

It looks like all sign ups go straight to the advertiser, but I’ve not yet been able to find out how. But the privacy message is pretty straightforward (and the same on all ads I’ve found so far):

For those I’ve signed up to so far I haven’t received a confirmation email – so it doesn’t look like it’s operating a double opt in system.

Can you customise the extension at all?

So far I’ve only found the same data entry box, and the same privacy text. But it does look like you can customise the submission button. In the example above the button reads “Subscribe to newsletter”, the example below has “Get Offers”:

That’s really cool – how can I get it for my adwords?

I can’t see it as an option in any of the accounts we manage at indiumonline, so it looks like it’s on Beta test in the UK too – which means you’ll need to contact Google Adwords support and put in a request.

How to make Google Communications Extensions work well for you:

• test test test – where the ads are. Try it out on different adgroups and see how much data you get from each. So try it on your brand bidding first, then generic keywords, and finally on individual products. You’ll find you get a better subscription rate for different search types.
• test test test – the collection method. So also test different button text to see which brings the most sign ups.
• test test test – the quality of the data. Add any data you collect from these ad extensions to a different list/segment and track how well it works. You’re going to be capturing data of people who haven’t even been to your website – generally this type of data doesn’t perform terribly well. Whether using these ad extensions is worth it will depend on how well the data you capture performs – so you really need to key an eye on it.

If you’re using Communications Extensions – let me know how it’s working for you!