Google Ads has started rolling out the new lead form ad extension in accounts. This extension allows users to open a form directly within search results, sending you their contact information without having to go to your landing page.

We’ve seen lead forms perform well on social channels like Facebook and LinkedIn, and we’re excited to start testing the feature in Google. Users may be more likely to fill out a form if they don’t have the barrier of going to your site first.

A few potential uses for lead forms include:

• Requesting a callback from a salesperson
• Offering a downloadable asset, such as an ebook or a whitepaper
• Promoting signups for an event
• Adding newsletter subscribers

Lead Form Extension Setup

To set up a lead form extension, go to Ads & Extensions > Extensions from the lefthand menu in Google Ads. Click the blue plus button to see a list of available extensions.

If Lead Form extensions are available in the account, select the option from the menu. If they’re not available, reach out to your rep to see if you can get the beta enabled. Note that some industries in sensitive categories are not eligible for lead forms (see a full list).

Now, you’ll see a screen where you can create your extension. First, choose a call-to-action from a dropdown of preselected options. Next, add your extension text (up to 30 characters). The text and CTA will show beneath the ad in search results.

Form Creation

Next, you’ll create the form that users will see once they click the CTA.

Fill in the following fields:

• Headline (up to 30 characters)
• Business Name (up to 25 characters)
• Description (up to 200 characters)

After that, check the fields to include in your form. Currently, you can choose name, email, phone number, and postal code.

You’ll also need to add a link to your privacy policy. Finally, you can choose to upload a background image if wanted (1200×628 is the ideal size here).

Submission Message

Last, you’ll create the thank you message that users see after submitting the form.

Add a description (up to 200 characters) and choose a call-to-action if desired. Currently, you can select between “Visit Website” or “Download.”

Finally, add the URL where you’d like to send users. If you’re offering a downloadable asset, you’ll want to link people to a page where they can access the asset.

Note that Google also offers users an option to “continue searching on Google.” This button falls in line with Google’s ever-expanding push to keep people within their walled garden, so note that users may not necessarily end up on your site after filling out the form. Planning out your email followup will be important to keep users in your sales funnel.

Accessing Leads

Once your extension is live and generating leads, note the lead form opens will be tracked as clicks, and lead submissions will be tracked as conversions. You can access submissions in two ways:

• First, you can download lead data in a CSV format. Navigate to the lead form extension via Ads & Extensions > Extensions, and you’ll see an option to download the lead file once available. Note that leads are deleted after 30 days, so you’ll want to download them frequently.
• Next, you can set up a webhook integration to connect to your CRM. Select the Lead Delivery Option when creating your form, and you’ll see a  “Manage your leads with a webhook” option. Enter your webhook URL and key here.

Lead Form Wishlist

While we’re excited to see Google allowing us to include lead forms with ads, we’d like to see them add further features as the extension comes out of beta. Here are a few items that would make the lead form extension even more useful:

• Addition of more field options. Particularly for B2B clients, fields like company, company size, and job title are helpful for filtering down to the right prospects.
• Allowing creation of custom fields, along with multiple choice and dropdown options.
• Direct integration into popular CRMs and marketing automation systems, in addition to the current webhook feature.
• An option to automatically send users to your site once they submit the form, vs. giving them the option to return to search results (Let’s be real, Google’s probably not going to do this)

Have you tested lead form extensions? What results are you seeing? What features would you like to see added? Let us know in the comments below!