What are Google Dynamic Sitelinks?

Dynamic Sitelinks are the most recent in Google’s array of tools with AdWords ad extensions to spread your paid search ads across more websites, search engines and other platforms besides Google search results pages (SERP).

These links are automatically generated by Google in an attempt to get your ad in front of more Google users interested in the industry or field you offer goods and services in.  

What Dynamic Sitelinks Do

Dynamic Sitelinks are generated by AdWords based on a user’s search activity. Let’s say a person is researching used motorcycles and they’ve been to multiple sites looking for a motorcycle they want. AdWords, at some point, might create a dynamic sitelink for an ad based on this behavior.

In other words, this means Google will automatically display your ads for a used motorcycle or motorcycle parts if it determines that a user is looking for something you offer. Here’s the thing: AdWords will choose the text in the ad the user sees and the page that the user is brought to on your site.  You can’t control that. Google is doing this mainly for the user to get access to more products or sites related to what they’re looking for. That said, this has benefits for you too. 

A user you weren’t expecting may be brought to your site, all thanks to Google, and they’re doing all the work for you. And you don’t have to spend an extra dime. 

To get set up for Google to potentially start creating dynamic sitelinks for you, you need to tinker with a few things on the backend. SEO Design Chicago can handle this for you. And we’ll monitor if it’s working for you at all. 

 

Why Dynamic Sitelinks are Good

Any new eyeballs on your site and offerings is great. Especially if you’re not doing any work to get people there. 

And it doesn’t cost you any money. Sort of. Dynamic Sitelinks are free. Google won’t charge you if a user clicks on the sitelink. But if a person clicks on the headline of the ad shown with a Dynamic Sitelink, you will be charged for that click. So it depends what people click on – the text of the ad or the link beneath it (Free) or the headline of the ad (you’ll pay). 

Another great thing is that nothing needs to be done on your end. As long as you have an AdWords account, sitelinks will automatically be created. Now, there may be reasons you don’t want this service. That’s what we, at SEO Design Chicago, can help you figure out.

And because they’re based on user search behavior over time, there’s a really good chance users who see your ad will click on it, and hopefully buy something from you.  Google is really good at identifying patterns in a user’s behavior on the internet. Increasing ad relevance through a dynamic sitelink extension based on search behavior can be a big value-add for your campaign. If it works. It may. It may not. We think it’s worth trying – at least for a little. 

Note that dynamic sitelinks are primarily for print ads. For video ads, dynamic sitelinks only work in Video campaigns that use the “Sales,” “Leads” or “Website traffic” goals.

 

How They’re Not So Great

Don’t get too excited or spend too much time on dynamic sitelinks. Don’t bet your fortune on them having a huge impact on your business. Statistics show there’s a low impression volume.

You can’t control how people use the internet. One minute they’re looking for used motorcycles and the next they’re looking for funny cat videos. This makes it hard for Google’s algorithm analyzing a user’s Google searches to figure out what ads to show them. 

It’s especially hard if the person is making a slow decision, like which motorcycle to buy. They may start looking in February, blow it off until it warms up, then get really into searching again, then get distracted by Memorial Day. So there’s not much of a pattern, and Google probably won’t create a dynamic sitelink for that type of user. 

If you don’t want to have Google involved in creating ads for you for any reason, you must opt out. It takes a little time to find the right icon to do so. We can help you find it. After all, you will pay if someone clicks on the headline of a dynamic sitelink ad. If you don’t want any money going into an ad you didn’t create, you can tell Google to stop doing this. But you have to tell them. We can help you do that. 

 

How to See if Dynamic Sitelinks Are Working

1. You can view individual dynamic sitelinks data in Google Ads using the instructions below.
2. In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon 
3. Click the Assets drop down in the section menu.
4. Click Assets.
5. Click the Sitelink summary card header for the type of assets.
6. Filter by “Source” for “Automatically created”

Here, you’ll see how much traffic, if any, you’ve gotten through dynamic sitelinks.

To Stop or Pause Dynamic Sitelinks

1. In your Google Ads account, click the Campaigns icon
2. Click the Assets drop down in the section menu
3. Click Assets.
4. Click the Sitelink summary card header.
   • To pause or remove multiple sitelinks:
     • Select the assets by clicking on the check box.
     • Click on Pause or Remove on the blue bar at the top.
   • To pause or remove an individual asset:
     • Select the individual asset in-line by clicking on the drop down next to the colored indicator.

 

Overall Analysis of Dynamic Sitelinks

Dynamic sitelinks can help paid search advertisers, particularly advertisers who are new to AdWords. The problem is that less experienced advertisers (and let’s be real, you need a digital marketing agency like SEO Design Chicago to be advanced) do not always have the best keyword strategies or bidding practices in place.

So dynamic sitelinks just may confuse businesses new to the Google Ads game. If you are new to the game, and want an initial consultation or ongoing management of your Google Ads campaign, we can help. 

This article explains any differences that you may notice during this time period, and how to switch between upgraded and legacy reporting in the UI if you also use the API or Editor to manage assets.

 

A few features that have been deprecated as part of the assets upgrade are:

• Device preference for mobile in all assets
• Start and end date in call assets
• Ad schedules in app assets
• Start and end time and ad schedule in price and structure snippets

Dynamic sitelinks in general are good for those who know what they mean. They  increase click-thru rates. And that may result in more inquiries about goods and services, and hopefully, purchases in the long run. 

Let’s meet up – through a phone call, Zoom or in person – to chat about Google Ad strategies in general. We can explain what we’ve done for previous clients. As you can see from our client testimonial pages, we have hundreds of satisfied clients who rave about what we did with their Google Ads strategies. We can tell you the role dynamic sitelinks played in their success, if any.