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Last week, Google released a new extension for AdWords that allows marketers to augment their ads with structured snippets. The new extension is similar to the dynamic structured snippets extension released last March. But whereas the March extension automatically pulled snippets into ads based on website categories, the new extension allows marketers to select their own snippets.

Like callout extensions, the snippets serve a contextual purpose and are a non-clickable component of the ad. The snippet text consists of a single header, which is then followed by a string of applicable keywords.

Although this customization is certainly an improvement on the previous dynamic structured snippet feature, the ad context is not entirely customizable because marketers are not free to create their own header text. Instead, they must choose from a list of 13 predefined headers.

Fortunately for apartment marketing strategists, these predefined headers include words that are perfect for the multifamily industry. The terms "Neighborhoods," "Amenities," and "Types" are all represented in the header field.

Unlike the header, the words that follow the header are fully customizable. Advertisers can enter whatever keywords they want into the value fields, as long as those keywords are less than 25 characters in length. When the ad appears in Google search, the header will be followed by three to four of the customizable keywords. But because the amount of keywords displayed largely depends on space allowances, the amount fluctuates on a case by case basis and ads that use smaller keywords will display more keywords than ads that opt for larger keywords.

Google routinely updates features on AdWords, and some of these updates prove to be more beneficial than others. While it’s too early to say how the newest snippet extension will pan out in the long term, Respage will be monitoring this feature to determine if it is useful for our client’s apartment PPC strategies.