Most Brisbane business owners treat Google Ads like a digital billboard: they write a headline, add a description, and hope for the best. If that’s you, you’re leaving money on the table and handing your competitors a massive advantage.
In 2026, Google has rebranded 'extensions' to 'assets', but the fundamental mistake remains the same: businesses treat them as afterthoughts. If your ad doesn't physically take up more screen real estate than your competitor’s, you’re losing. Assets aren't just 'extra info'; they are the engine of your Click-Through Rate (CTR) and the primary way you lower your Cost Per Click (CPC).
The Real Estate War on Mobile
Think about the last time you searched for a plumber in Chermside or an electrician in Indooroopilly on your phone. You didn’t scroll past the first three results. In the local market, the business that occupies the most vertical space on a smartphone screen wins.
Google rewards ads that use more assets because they provide a better user experience. By filling out every relevant asset, you improve your Ad Quality Score. A higher quality score means you pay less for the top position than the lazy competitor who only wrote a headline. If you stop using ad assets as afterthoughts, you’ll see your visibility skyrocket without increasing your daily budget.
The 'Big Three' Assets for Brisbane Small Businesses
If you are a local service provider, you don't need fifty different types of extensions. You need the three that actually drive phone calls and foot traffic.
1. Location Assets (The Foot Traffic Driver)
If you have a physical storefront in Newstead or a workshop in Geebung, this is non-negotiable. By linking your Google Business Profile to your Google Ads account, your address, distance from the user, and opening hours appear directly in the ad. It also allows your business to show up on Google Maps searches—the highest-intent real estate in the world.2. Call Assets (The Revenue Generator)
Stop measuring clicks and start measuring conversations. For local contractors, a click to a website is a 'maybe,' but a phone call is a lead. Call assets put a 'Click to Call' button directly on your ad. In the Australian market, where people want quick answers, this is the fastest way to bridge the gap between a search and a booking. We’ve long argued that you should stop paying for clicks and focus on the metrics that actually impact your bank account.3. Sitelink Assets (The Intent Filter)
Don't just send everyone to your homepage. It’s lazy and it kills conversions. Use sitelinks to direct people to specific services. If you’re a mechanic, have sitelinks for 'Logbook Servicing,' 'Brake Repairs,' and 'Roadworthy Certificates.' This qualifies the user before they even click. If you find your landing pages aren't converting despite these links, you might be falling for the landing page experience lie, where your content doesn't match the promise of your ad.The Industry Lie: 'Automated Assets are Enough'
Google will try to convince you to use 'Automated Assets.' They claim their AI knows best. They are wrong.
Automated assets often pull irrelevant text from your website or create clunky headlines that don't sound like a human wrote them. For a local Brisbane business, brand voice matters. You want to mention you’re 'Family Owned since 1994' or that you offer 'Same Day Service in South Brisbane.' Google’s AI doesn’t understand your local competitive advantages; it only understands data patterns. Take the 20 minutes to write manual assets. It’s the difference between a generic ad and one that actually resonates with a local customer.
Stop Overcomplicating and Start Dominating
You don’t need a massive agency budget to beat the big franchises. You just need to be more relevant. When your competitor is bidding on your name—a tactic we call ethical mugging—the only way to protect your territory is to have a more robust, information-rich ad than they do.
Action Plan for This Week:
1. Audit your current assets: Open Google Ads, go to 'Ads & Assets', and see what’s actually running. 2. Check your Call Assets: Ensure your phone number is correct and scheduled to only show during your business hours. 3. Add 4 Sitelinks: Ensure each one points to a specific service page, not just the 'Contact Us' page. 4. Add Image Assets: Use real photos of your team or your branded van. Stock photos are transparently fake and Brisbane locals can spot them a mile away.If your Google Ads feel like a black hole for your marketing budget, it’s usually because your ads look exactly like everyone else’s. Assets are your tool to break that cycle.
Need a hand getting your local search strategy sorted? Contact Local Marketing Group and let’s get your ads working as hard as you do.