Writing Copy for Google Ads
Writing Copy for Google Ads
Google PPC Ads require a special type of copywriting. There are format constraints, character limitations, and response considerations. It's tricky. Here are the top tips for constructing the best ad copy for Google PPC.
Headline
Your headline is the most important component of your ad. Common rule of thumb is that 80% of people will read the headline but only 20% will read the rest of the ad.
Your headline should:
- Be Simple. Your headline should be simple, clear, and concise. You have 30 characters. Make them count. Cut out every unnecessary word.
- Differentiate. Your headline should stand out. Do a search for your keywords. What ads show up? Do all of the headlines look the same, difficult to tell one from another? It happens all the time. The winning ad is the one that is completely different than everyone else. Stand out with your unique value proposition.
Inspire Action
The second most important component of your ad is the call to action. You must inspire action. "Click here" is boring and not very inspiring. Some ideas:
- "Start Your Journey"
- "Take a Free Trial Run"
- "Experience It For Yourself"
- "Expand Your Knowledge Today"
- "Join Us and Find Your People"
- "Start Saving Time Right Now"
Match Intent
For each keyword, think about what the searcher is looking for and let them find that in your ad. Someone who searches for "fix my car" sees 2 headlines:
Instead of Ad 1:
"Car broken?"
Try Ad 2:
"Your car fixed by 5pm today!"
The first headline is just restating their problem, but doesn't give them what they are looking for. The second headline gives them an answer.
Search term: "Best CRM"
Ad 1: "We are the Best CRM Software in the Industry"
Ad 2: "Best CRM. Rated Top by Our Customers"
Ad 3: "You Decide. Compare the Top 5 CRMs right here"
Although Ad 1 and Ad 2 show "Best CRM", the searcher is probably not looking for people who claim their software is the best. They are probably looking for reviews and comparisons, more like Ad 3.
Keywords
Testing shows that when you reflect the search terms that the person enters into your ad, you will get a higher click-through-rate. Match the specificity of the search. For example:
Search term: Dog food
Ad: Dog Food For Your Best Friend
Search term: Dry dog food
Ad: Dry Dog Food For Your Best Friend
Search term: Dry dog food for old dog
Ad: Dry Dog Food For Your Old Dog
It's Not About You
Make it about them, not about you. Stay away from "we", "I", "us" and focus on "you".
Instead of
Ad 1: "We mow your lawn"
Try
Ad 2: "Your lawn mowed today"
Tell People Why NOT to Click
Google Pay-Per-Click Ads are exactly that - you pay for every click regardless of quality. If you can filter out unqualified leads before you spend any money without losing qualified leads, you are going to have a better ROI.
Instead of Ad 1:
"Get Cash Now!"
Try Ad 2:
"Cash Now for Home Owners!"
Mobile Focused
Depending on the industry, mobile traffic is a significant portion (52%+) of web site traffic. When you are writing ads, ensure you preview them for mobile devices. Many headlines that look great on desktop fail on mobile. Do you want call-in leads? Make sure you add a "call now" action on your ad.
Quickies
Try these quick tips on your ad copy and see if they improve your results:
- Make your ad current. "Join 127 dog lovers who signed up in January"
- Be specific with numbers. "Save $527/month"
- Ask a question in your headline.
- Use sitelinks and extensions.
- Leverage dynamic features. For example, "Free shipping for mobile phone orders"
- Try different capitalization. Capitalize only the important words. Try sentence case versus title case.
TEST
Most importantly, test your ad copy. No matter how great you think it is, it needs to get results. Make sure you focus on the right metric to optimize. Google wants to optimize for click-through-rate (more money for them). But most marketers want conversions, not just clicks. Measure and compare your cost per qualified lead & cost per sale by ad copy to find your winner.