Have you ever done a "near me" search, hoping the local ads would simply take you to what you were looking for (the menu, booking page or offer for today.)? Gone are the days of the plain one link local ad.
In the fast-paced world of digital visibility, you must stay ahead of platform changes. That’s why at Digital Zeroz, we’re monitoring the pace of major updates like the Google 2025 release to keep our clients using the newest most effective tools. This latest release-the addition of scrollable sitelinks in Google Maps Ads-is another game changer for local SEO, and ad performance, and we’ll break down exactly what this means for your business’s bottom line.
What are Scrollable Sitelinks in Google Maps Ads?
Sitelinks are not entirely new, and they have been available on standard Google Search ads for some time, allowing for additional clickable links below the ad copy. But their placement and formatting is new.
Scrollability site links represent a collection of lightweight, horizontal, and clickable links that display just below a promoted pin (or paid list) when a Google Maps search. Realize instead of providing one link to the homepage, users could swipe to get a list of direct routes to specific pages like, "Order Online," "Read Reviews," or "View Hours & Location." This changes ad dollars away from a passive impression to an immediate, multi-point point of engagement for the brand offering more visible real estate where high-intent users are searching specifically for local solutions.
Why Should Local Businesses Care About This Google 2025 Update?
This is a massive opportunity for businesses that see customers associated with a physical location or local area. The benefits are three-fold:
- Maximum Visibility & Real Estate: Your ad now takes up substantially more space on the maps result screen. This greater footprint provides the business the opportunity to shine more brightly than a competitive taking advantage of this feature.
- Targeted Navigation = Higher Conversions: Traditional advertising mentions all traffic flow through a single funnel. Scrollable site links allows users to skip irrelevant steps. A user can click on the "Order Delivery" sitelink while searching for a restaurant's delivery options, thus eliminating the need to land on their homepage. This decreases the customer journey considerably and increases the chances for conversion.
- Better Click-Through Rate (CTR): Data from Google has consistently shown ads that utilize sitelink extensions have an CTR on average 10-30% higher. You enhance the odds of receiving that initial click from qualified traffic looking for a specific answer by providing various, clear paths that satisfy users' intents.
How Do These New Google Ads Sitelink Extensions Work?
The nice part about this feature is that it utilizes the Sitelink Extension asset that already exists in Google Ads. If you have a Search or Performance Max campaign running, with sitelinks that you have previously set, your sitelinks could pull over and automatically populate the Maps environment.
To get your ads to use the scrollable format in these environments, please follow these core set-up requirements in the Google Ads Account:
- Minimum Sitelinks: You must have a minimum of two sitelinks set up at the campaign, asset group, or ad group level in order to be eligible for a scrollable display on desktop and mobile.
- Specific Destinations: Every sitelink should take the user to another relevant page on your website other than your primary destination URL (e.g. service page, contact page, or offering page).
- Campaign Eligibility: The feature currently only supports campaigns that are on the Search Network and Performance Max (PMax) that utilize Location Assets to display on Maps.
What is the Key to Optimizing Scrollable Sitelinks for Success?
In order to gain the fullest potential opportunity out of your Google Adwords Sitelink Extensions, strategic optimization will be critical:
- Match Intent: Review your top search queries where you gained traffic and build sitelinks that will answer those needs. For instance, if users are searching frequently for "pricing," you will create a sitelink titled "View Service Pricing"
- Limit Length: Use a few punchy words in the sitelink text (e.g., Book Now, View Menu, Our Portfolio) so the sitelinks are neatly presented in the scrollable version.
- Use Descriptions: When possible, utilize the optional description lines to offer additional context and increase the perceived value of the link.
- Test, Measure, Refine: Check the Google Ads Assets report and learn what sitelinks have the highest CTR and produced the most conversions. Swap out sitelink extensions that do not perform well for a new and relevant Sitelink.
- The addition of scrollable sitelinks in Google Maps is definitive: local visibility is a more interactive experience rather than a passive one. The businesses that will succeed in attaining the highest traffic for local high-intent searches will be the businesses that quickly adopt this format of Google Ads sitelink extensions.
Don't let your competitors scroll ahead! At Digital Zeroz, we have specialized in designing and implementing high-converting Google Ads strategies, while ensuring each extension (of which scrollable sitelinks is a powerful new contender) is set up properly and optimized for actual conversions for your local business. Are you ready to take your visibility on Google Maps to another level, take control of local search traffic, and take advantage of this new functionality? Contact Digital Zero for a consultation to obtain the success you desire!