Location Extensions: How They Boost Store Visits

Local businesses invest in Google Ads – but how many clicks actually lead to a store visit? The answer often lies in an underestimated feature: location extensions. These small additional pieces of information in your ads show address, distance and opening hours directly in the search results. The result: users know immediately where you are and come by.

In this article you learn how location extensions (officially called "location assets" since 2023) work, how to set them up and which strategies in 2026 have the biggest effect on your store visits.

What are location extensions in Google Ads?

Location extensions – or as Google calls them since the rebrand: location assets – are additional pieces of information that complement your Google Ads ads with location-related data. Concretely that means: below your text ad your business address, the distance to the user, a phone number and, where applicable, your opening hours appear.

For local businesses, location extensions are one of the most effective assets overall. They bridge the digital advertising world and the physical store visit. Instead of only promoting a website, you show the potential customer: "We are here – right around the corner."

Location extensions vs. affiliate location extensions

There are two variants you should know:

• Location assets (formerly location extensions): show the address of your own business. Ideal for retailers, restaurants, service providers and all companies with their own stores.
• Affiliate location assets: show locations of third parties that sell your products. Relevant for manufacturers and brands whose products are available in brick-and-mortar trade.

For most local businesses in the DACH region the classic location assets are the right choice. Affiliate location assets are rather used by supra-regional brands distributed via retail chains.

Where do location extensions appear?

Location assets are served in several places:

• Google Search: below your text ads as an address line with distance
• Google Maps: as highlighted entries in the map view
• YouTube: on local video ads
• Google Display Network: on selected display campaigns

Especially in mobile search, location extensions unfold their full impact. Google itself reports that searches with "near me" have risen by over 100% in recent years (source: Google/Think with Google, 2024). Users actively search for local offers – and location assets deliver exactly the information that leads to the decision to visit.

Why location extensions are indispensable for local businesses

Many advertisers see location extensions as "nice to have". That is a mistake. Here are the concrete advantages:

1. Higher click-through rate through more ad space

Every extension enlarges the visible area of your ad in the search results. More area means more attention. Google states that ad extensions can raise the click-through rate (CTR) on average by 10 to 15% (source: Google Ads Help, 2025). Location extensions are particularly effective because they communicate an immediate benefit: proximity.

2. More qualified clicks

A user who already sees your address and distance in the ad clicks more deliberately. He knows your business is reachable. That reduces wasted reach and raises the probability that the click becomes a visit.

3. More store visits – measurable

With Google's store visit conversion tracking you can measure actual visits to your business that can be traced back to an ad interaction. For this, Google matches anonymised location data of users with your business addresses. This works via GPS, Wi-Fi and other signals – data-protection-compliant and aggregated.

4. Better performance in local campaigns

Location extensions are not an isolated feature. They work together with other campaign types. Performance Max campaigns with location assets automatically prioritise users near your locations. Local campaigns use location data to focus ad serving on relevant areas.

5. Competitive advantage in local search

Not every competitor uses location assets. Those who have them activated take up more space in the search results and appear more professional. In hard-fought local markets that can make the difference.

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Prerequisites: what you need for location extensions

Before you can activate location assets, some basics must be right:

Google Business Profile

The most important prerequisite: you need a verified Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business). This profile is the data basis for your location extensions. There you enter:

• Business name and category
• Address(es) of all locations
• Opening hours
• Phone number
• Website

Make sure all information is up to date and correct. Wrong opening hours or an outdated address not only harm the user experience but can also lead to Google restricting your location assets.

Linking with Google Ads

Your Google Business Profile must be linked with your Google Ads account. That is done via the account settings in Google Ads under "Linked accounts". After linking, the location data synchronises automatically – changes in the business profile are taken over directly into your ads.

Minimum requirements for store visit conversions

If you not only want to use location assets but also want to track store visits as conversions, additional requirements apply:

• Sufficient click and impression volume (Google does not publicly disclose the exact thresholds)
• Several physical locations or one location with high visitor frequency
• Activated conversion tracking at account level
• Verified locations in the Google Business Profile

Not every account automatically qualifies for store visit conversions. Google checks the data volume and activates the feature only when enough signals are available to deliver statistically robust results.

Step-by-step: setting up location extensions

Setting up location assets is not rocket science but requires care. Here is the process:

Step 1: create and verify Google Business Profile

If you do not yet have a profile, create one at business.google.com. Enter all relevant information and go through the verification process. Google usually verifies locations by postcard, phone call or email. This step can take a few days.

Step 2: link Google Ads with the business profile

Navigate in Google Ads to "Tools and Settings" and then to "Linked accounts". Choose "Google Business Profile" and establish the link. If several people have access to the business profile, the owner must confirm the link request.

Step 3: activate location assets at campaign or account level

In Google Ads go to "Assets" (formerly "Ad extensions"). Choose "Location asset" and assign it to the desired campaigns or the whole account. With multiple locations you can filter which addresses should apply to which campaigns.

Step 4: align ad groups and keywords locally

Location assets alone are not enough. Your keywords and ad copy should also have a local reference. Examples:

• "Dentist Vienna 1010" instead of just "dentist"
• "Car workshop Graz area" instead of just "car workshop"
• "Hairdresser near me" as a keyword option

Combine local keywords with location assets to maximise relevance for users near you.

Step 5: configure location targeting

A common mistake: location targeting is set to "Users interested in this location or located there". For local campaigns aimed at store visits you should switch to "Users regularly at this location or located there". This way you avoid your ads being served to users searching for your location but physically far away.

Best practices for more store visits with location assets

Setup is the first step. Optimisation decides success. Here are the most important best practices for 2026:

Keep opening hours up to date

Sounds banal but is constantly neglected. Outdated opening hours in your location assets lead to frustrated customers standing in front of closed doors. Maintain holidays, business vacations and special opening hours consistently in the Google Business Profile.

Ad copy with local reference

Your ad copy should pick up the local context. Instead of generic text like "Buy now", use phrases like "Visit us on Mariahilfer Strasse" or "Only 5 minutes from the main station". That amplifies the impact of location assets and raises click-through rate.

Bid adjustments by location

Use bid adjustments to set higher bids in a certain radius around your stores. A user 500 metres from your business is more valuable than one searching from 30 kilometres away. Adjust your bids accordingly – for example +20% in a 5 km radius.

Prioritise mobile devices

The overwhelming majority of local searches comes from mobile devices. Make sure your campaigns are mobile-optimised. That not only concerns bids (bid adjustment for mobile devices), but also your landing page. A page that loads poorly on the smartphone or is hard to use destroys the effect of your location assets.

Complement with call assets

Combine location assets with call assets (formerly call extensions). Many users who see your business in the ad want to call directly – be it for an appointment, availability request or direction. Call assets make this step as easy as possible.

Sitelink assets with local target pages

Create specific landing pages for each location and link them via sitelink assets. This way you can promote different stores, departments or offers deliberately. A user searching for "optician Salzburg" should land on a page that specifically shows the Salzburg location with all relevant information.

Want to have your location extensions set up professionally and bring more customers to your store? Our performance marketing experts support you in setting up and optimising your local Google Ads campaigns.

Measuring store visits: store visit conversion tracking

One of the biggest strengths of location extensions is the ability to measure the actual impact of your ads on store visits. Google calls this feature "Conversions in the form of store visits" (store visit conversions).

How does the tracking work?

Google uses anonymised and aggregated location data of users who have activated location history. The process:

1. A user sees or clicks on your ad with location asset

2. Within a defined time window (standard: 30 days) the user physically visits your location

3. Google recognises the visit through GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other signals

4. The visit is captured as a conversion in your Google Ads account

Important: it is modelled data, not exact counts. Google extrapolates actual visits based on users whose location history is active. The data is only displayed when a statistically significant level is reached – that protects the privacy of individual users.

Adjust conversion window

The standard conversion window for store visits is 30 days. Depending on the industry it can be sensible to adjust this window:

• Restaurants and quick service: 7 days (decision is made quickly)
• Furniture retail and car dealerships: 30 days (longer decision process)
• Specialist retail and services: 14 to 21 days (medium decision period)

A conversion window that is too long can distort attribution, too short one fails to capture relevant visits. Test various settings and compare the results.

Use store visits as a bidding signal

Once you gather enough store visit conversions, you can use them as a bidding signal in your smart bidding strategies. Google then considers the probability of a store visit when optimising bids. That is particularly effective in Performance Max campaigns and local campaigns.

Performance Max and location assets: the combination for 2026

Performance Max campaigns (PMax) have established themselves as the dominant campaign type for local businesses. In combination with location assets they unfold particular strengths:

Automatic serving on all channels

PMax campaigns serve your ads automatically on Google Search, Maps, YouTube, Display and Gmail. Location assets ensure that on each channel the right address and current opening hours are displayed.

Local audience signals

In PMax campaigns you can provide audience signals. For local campaigns the following are particularly relevant:

• Custom segments with local queries
• Location-related audiences (e.g. "users near shopping centres")
• Remarketing lists of website visitors from the region

These signals help the algorithm address the right users in your area.

Demand Gen with sponsored pins in Maps

Since 2025 Google offers the option to run sponsored pins in Google Maps via Demand Gen campaigns. Users looking at various businesses on the map see your location highlighted. That is particularly effective for restaurants, retail and services in city-centre locations.

Common mistakes with location extensions – and how to avoid them

Even with a seemingly simple feature like location assets there are typical pitfalls:

Mistake 1: unverified locations

Location assets only work with verified locations in the Google Business Profile. Unverified entries are not displayed in your ads. Regularly check the status of all locations.

Mistake 2: wrong location targeting

The already mentioned problem with the targeting mode. "Interest in a location" is too broad for many local campaigns. Use "Presence" or "Presence and regularly visited" for better results.

Mistake 3: no bid adjustment by distance

Treating all users equally – regardless of their distance to your business – wastes budget. Stagger your bids by distance: higher bids for near users, lower for more distant ones.

Mistake 4: location assets without fitting landing page

If a user clicks on your address in the ad and lands on a generic "About us" page, the chance is wasted. Create location-specific landing pages with directions, parking options, local offers and a clear call to action.

Mistake 5: forgetting holidays and special opening hours

Nothing harms trust more than a customer who drives to your business on a holiday because the ad shows regular opening hours. Always maintain special opening hours in advance in the Google Business Profile.

Mistake 6: only using one campaign type

Location assets unfold their full impact when used across various campaign types. Combine search campaigns with PMax campaigns and, where applicable, Demand Gen campaigns for a holistic local strategy.

Advanced strategies: location extensions for multi-location companies

Companies with multiple locations face particular challenges. Here are strategies specifically relevant for multi-location setups:

Campaign structure by location

Create separate campaigns or ad groups for each location or region. This way you can steer budgets, bids and ad copy individually. A location in a big city may need a higher budget than a store in a small town.

Dynamic location ads

Use ad customisers to adapt your ad copy automatically to the user's location. Instead of creating separate ads for each location, you can use a template that dynamically inserts the nearest location.

Location-specific evaluation

Use the store report in Google Ads to compare the performance of individual locations. Which location generates the most store visits per euro spent? Where is the return on ad spend (ROAS) highest? This data helps distribute budgets efficiently.

Seasonal adjustments per location

Not every location has the same seasonality. A store in a tourism region has high season in summer, while a location in a university town sees more footfall during the semester. Adjust budgets and bids accordingly.

Location extensions and local SEO: using synergies

Location assets in Google Ads and local search engine optimisation (SEO) are not opposites – they complement each other. Here are the most important synergies:

Consistent NAP data

NAP stands for name, address, phone. This data should be identical everywhere – in your Google Business Profile, on your website, in industry directories and in your Google Ads location assets. Inconsistencies not only confuse users but can also impair your local ranking.

Reviews as a trust signal

Positive Google reviews strengthen both your organic local ranking and the impact of your ads. Ads with location assets in some cases also show the star rating from the Google Business Profile. Therefore invest in parallel in active review management.

Google Maps as additional touchpoint

When a user searches for a local offer, he often sees both organic Maps results and paid ads with location assets. Both channels together raise visibility and create trust.

What does the use of location extensions cost?

A frequent question: do location assets cost extra? The answer: no – and yes.

• No additional costs for activation: location assets are free to add. You pay no surcharge for your address appearing in the ad.
• Cost per click: if a user clicks on the address (e.g. to open directions), that is counted as a click and costs as much as a regular click.
• Cost per call: clicks on the phone number in location assets are also billed as clicks.

The real question is therefore not whether location extensions cost something, but whether they are worth the click price. In most cases the answer is a clear yes: CTR rises, clicks are more qualified, and conversion rate (store visits) is significantly higher than on ads without local reference.

Data protection and location extensions: what you need to know

Especially in the DACH region data protection is an important topic. Here are the relevant points:

GDPR compliance

Google processes the location data for store visit conversions anonymised and aggregated. Individual users cannot be identified. The data is based on users who have actively consented to location history in their Google account.

Transparency toward customers

As an advertiser you do not have access to individual user data. You only see aggregated numbers: "X estimated store visits after ad interaction." That matches the GDPR requirements.

Own privacy policy

Make sure your privacy policy mentions the use of Google Ads and the use of location data. That is not a specific requirement for location assets, but generally required for the use of Google Ads.

Success measurement: which KPIs are relevant?

To measure the success of your location extensions you should keep these KPIs in view:

• Click-through rate (CTR) of location assets: how often do users click on the address or directions? A high CTR shows the location is relevant for the audience.
• Store Visit Conversions: the number of estimated store visits after ad interaction. The most important KPI for local campaigns.
• Cost per store visit: how much does an estimated store visit cost you? Divide your ad spend by the number of store visit conversions.
• Conversion rate from store visit to purchase: this metric you cannot measure directly in Google Ads but can estimate via your point-of-sale or CRM. It shows how qualified the visitors generated by ads are.
• Local impression share: how often do your ads appear compared to the possible number of servings in your target area? A low impression share indicates bids that are too low or too little budget.

Practical example: how a local retailer raises store visits by 40%

A furniture store in Linz with three locations in Upper Austria faced the problem that online advertising generated clicks but the connection to actual store visits was unclear. After implementing a strategy with location assets the situation looked different:

• Location assets were activated for all three stores and linked with location-specific landing pages
• Bid adjustments of +30% in a 10 km radius around each store were set up
• Ad copy was provided with local references ("Showroom in Linz-Urfahr – visit now")
• Performance Max campaigns with store visit goal were run in addition to existing search campaigns

The result after six months: estimated store visits rose by 40%, cost per store visit fell by 25%, and local impression share rose from 45% to 72%.

Trends 2026: what is changing with location extensions

The landscape for local Google Ads campaigns is constantly evolving. Here are the relevant trends for 2026:

AI-supported location optimisation

Google increasingly relies on machine learning to optimise the serving of location assets. The algorithm considers not only the physical proximity of the user but also his search behaviour, time of day, weekday and purchase history. For advertisers that means: more automation, but also more need to monitor the results and set audience signals correctly.

Integration with Google Merchant Center

For retailers the linking of location assets with Google Merchant Center is becoming ever more important. "Locally available" is displayed directly in the ad – the user not only sees where your store is but also whether the searched product is in stock locally.

Sponsored pins in Google Maps

The already mentioned sponsored pins in Google Maps will be rolled out more broadly in 2026. This function was previously reserved for large advertisers and is increasingly also becoming available for smaller and medium-sized businesses.

Offline conversion import

Beyond the modelled store visit conversions, Google allows the import of actual offline conversions from your CRM or point-of-sale. That improves data quality and enables even more precise optimisation of your campaigns on real business results.

Conclusion: location extensions as a bridge between online and offline

Location extensions – or rather: location assets – are no optional feature for local businesses, but a central lever for more store visits. They connect the digital world of Google Search with the physical visit to your store.

The setup is straightforward, optimisation requires attention and ongoing care. But the effort pays off: more qualified clicks, measurable store visits and a clear competitive advantage in local search.

2026 offers with Performance Max campaigns, sponsored Maps pins and AI-supported serving more possibilities than ever to reach local customers and bring them into your store.

Are you ready to bring more customers into your store with location extensions? Contact us for a no-obligation analysis of your local Google Ads campaigns – our experts show you how to get the maximum out of your location assets.

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