Google Enables Review Extensions For All Advertisers

By Tinuiti Team

Oct 28 2013

Back in June, Google released the Review Extension, a beta to display third-party reviews within ads.
Google has now enabled this feature for all advertisers and AdWords accounts, which they should see in the next few days within the Ad Extensions dropdown menu in AdWords. Not to be confused with Seller Ratings Extensions, Review Extensions give advertisers the ability to share a paraphrased or exact quote from a third-party source.

The Power of Review Extensions

These reviews are far more powerful than Seller Ratings Extensions, as it is a perfect opportunity to showcase accolades, reviews, or testimonials from specific sources. Implementing Review Extensions can increase the legitimacy and credibility associated with a brand, while strengthening the brand image.

For those unfamiliar with the Review Extension, here are a few things to note:

Source: The review must come from a third-party source
Permission: Advertisers must receive permission from the source before submitting the reviews
Length: The “Text” and “Source” fields are limited to a combined total of 67 characters
Reviews must not be more than 12 months old
Review Extensions can appear alongside other ad extensions except for offer extensions
Reviews appear on the Search Network, but aren’t available on the Display Network
Review Extensions are available globally, but are only supported in English

*These are just a handful of the policies and guidelines surrounding the new Review Extensions. For more detailed information regarding Review Extension Policies, refer to the following link from Google: https://support.google.com/adwordspolicy/answer/3197294
The Review Extension is yet another way to increase the real estate that an ad takes up on the results page. What really sets the Review Extension apart from other ad extensions is its level of personability. Customers are able to not only trust but relate more to a product/ service and brand advertised within an ad, when they are presented with a positive review alongside the source.