Google AdWord’s Sitelinks are not new news, however the way advertisers are using them might be to some…

For branded PPC ads, first and foremost it is important your brand message comes across loud and clear.  What makes your brand better than all the others?  You should be asking this question for all advertising messaging and anything with your brand name, even down to the Sitelinks in your PPC ads.

After doing some research on the types of Sitelinks top brands are using, it is obvious advertisers are still unsure how to best represent their brand in Sitelinks.  Below are three examples of how advertisers are utilizing Sitelinks.

The North Face – the Sitelinks here are simple and clear, but don’t provide any additional information about the brand.

Ann Taylor – similar to The North Face, Ann Taylor’s Sitelinks are simple, however they are more focused on merchandising.  These Sitelinks allow visitors to find additional information regarding new arrivals, online exclusives and more.

JCPenny – these are a little more interesting.  JCPenny is utilizing the max 35 characters per Sitelink with promotion and brand messaging.  On first glance, this can look cluttered and overwhelming – but for visitors searching for “JCPenny” related queries, the information in the Sitelinks are probably helpful and relevant to them.

There is no direct answer as to what type of messaging brands should include in their Sitelinks.  But, if there is space to include more of a brand message differentiating your product from competitors, why not take advantage of it?

For example, The North Face’s brand messaging on their Women’s Clothing landing page is “Run Fast Run Light”.  The North Face can incorporate this messaging into their SiteLinks, by saying something like, “Womens Clothing-Run Fast, Run Light” instead of just “Women’s Clothing”.

It’s all about testing.  Test and see what type of messages are getting more clicks.  Compare short and sweet category titles to branded messages to promotional messages.

What have you found?  What works best for your brand?