Sitelink Extensions

Sitelink Extensions (now called Sitelink Assets) are additional links displayed below your Google Ads search ad that direct users to specific pages on your website such as product categories, contact pages, or special offers. Each sitelink includes a clickable headline and optional description lines, and you are charged a standard CPC when clicked.

Key Takeaways

• Sitelinks add 2-8 additional clickable links below your main ad text
• Each sitelink has a headline (25 characters), two optional description lines (35 characters each), and a unique URL
• Google selects which sitelinks to show based on relevance and predicted performance
• Typically increase CTR by 10-20% by giving users more relevant entry points
• Available at account, campaign, or ad group level

What Are Sitelinks

Sitelinks are the most widely used and impactful Ad Extension type. They appear as additional links beneath your main ad, effectively multiplying the number of entry points users have into your website from a single ad impression.

On desktop, sitelinks can appear as:

• Inline links — 2-6 links in a row with headlines only
• Enhanced sitelinks — 2-4 links with headlines and description text, each resembling a mini-ad

On mobile, sitelinks typically display as a scrollable carousel of 2-8 links beneath the ad.

Sitelink Component	Character Limit	Required
Link text (headline)	25 characters	Yes
Description line 1	35 characters	No (but recommended)
Description line 2	35 characters	No (but recommended)
Final URL	Full URL	Yes

How It Works

Setting up sitelinks in the 2026 Google Ads interface:

1. Navigate to Ads & assets > Assets and select Sitelinks
2. Create at least 4 sitelinks — Google recommends a minimum of 4 to enable display
3. Write distinct link text — each sitelink should point to a unique, valuable page
4. Add descriptions — description lines increase sitelink size and CTR
5. Set scheduling (optional) — sitelinks can be scheduled to run during specific dates or hours (useful for promotions)
6. Assign level — apply at account, campaign, or ad group level

Google dynamically selects which sitelinks to show for each auction. Not all sitelinks will display every time. The selection is based on:

• Relevance to the search query
• Predicted click probability
• Available ad space (top positions show more sitelinks)
• Device (mobile vs desktop formatting)

You are charged a regular CPC when someone clicks a sitelink. Only one click per impression is charged, even if the user clicks multiple sitelinks.

Practical Example

An e-commerce furniture retailer adds sitelinks to their brand campaign:

Sitelink	Link Text	URL	Description
1	Living Room Furniture	/living-room	Browse sofas, tables & chairs. Free delivery on orders over $499.
2	Current Sales	/sale	Up to 40% off select items. Limited time offers updated weekly.
3	Free Design Consultation	/design-help	Book a free 30-min session with our interior design experts.
4	Customer Reviews	/reviews	Rated 4.8 stars from 12,000+ verified customer reviews.

Performance comparison over 60 days:

Metric	Without Sitelinks	With Sitelinks	Change
Impressions	45,000	45,000	—
Clicks (main headline)	2,700	2,520	-7%
Clicks (sitelinks)	—	1,080	New traffic
Total clicks	2,700	3,600	+33%
CTR	6.0%	8.0%	+33%
Total conversions	162	252	+56%
Revenue	$72,900	$117,180	+61%

Sitelink click breakdown:

• Living Room: 380 clicks, 42 conversions
• Current Sales: 340 clicks, 31 conversions
• Design Consultation: 210 clicks, 12 consultations booked
• Reviews: 150 clicks, 5 conversions

The “Current Sales” sitelink drove buyers directly to discounted inventory, accelerating purchase decisions. Total revenue increase of $44,280 from adding a free asset.

Why It Matters

Sitelinks are consistently the highest-impact ad asset because they solve a fundamental problem: a single ad with one link forces every user through the same entry point, regardless of their specific interest. Sitelinks let you segment intent within a single ad impression, routing deal-seekers to your sale page, researchers to your reviews, and ready-to-buy users to your product categories.

Beyond CTR improvement, sitelinks increase your ad’s physical size on the search results page, pushing competitors further down the page. This visual dominance compounds the click-through advantage. Combine sitelinks with Callout Extensions and structured snippets for maximum ad real estate. Review sitelink performance quarterly and replace underperforming links with new tests.