They say “A picture is worth a thousand words.” But with paid search ads, you don’t have a photo to speak for you. You also don’t have a thousand words at your disposal.
What you do have is three headlines with 30 characters each, and two descriptions with 90 characters each.
With only a few hundred characters to work with, you’ve got to be economical with the words you do choose for your ad copy.
So, how do you write effective ad copy that attracts clicks and converts? Read on as we share best practices for crafting compelling messages and using strong calls-to-action in your Google Ads.
Sections
1. Focus on benefits, not features
It’s a common trap marketers fall into: focusing on features instead of benefits. Consumers want to know what a product or service will do for them. They’re not excited about the features your product offers on its own, but how those features translate into tangible benefits that make their life better. Google offers this example of benefits-first ad copy:
The brand doesn’t list out the ingredients in their moisturizer in the headline. Instead, they highlight what the moisturizer does: allow customers to “Wake Up To Beautiful Skin.” This kind of aspirational language helps customers imagine themselves enjoying the benefits of the product.
Action Item: Get in the mind of your customer when writing your ad copy. Then, review what you wrote and ask yourself if your copy is benefits-first. Does it simply say what a product is, or does it share what it can do for your potential customers?
2. Add relevant keywords
Now that you’ve written some excellent, benefits-first ad copy, it’s time to go back and see if you can include any relevant keywords in your headlines and descriptions. Keywords boost the relevance of your ads, which can make them perform better.
When you think about it, this makes complete sense: when people search for specific keywords, and then they see an ad that features those exact same keywords, they are probably a lot more likely to click on that ad! Here’s an example:
In the ad, the keywords I included in my search are bolded, so they stand out to me as a user and make me more likely to click on that ad.
Action Item: Review the keywords you’ve included in your ad copy. Are you choosing the words that have the most relevancy and highest traffic volume?
3. Get specific with your calls-to-action (CTAs)
With so few words to work with, you want to use words that stand out. Who wants to be basic with their ad copy? Not you.
So, let go of the boring “Sign Up Today” or “Book Today.” Instead, opt for more specific ad copy. Bonus points if it drives urgency. Here’s another example from Google’s made up skincare brand:
The “Freshen Up” CTA is specific but different, and shows off a bit of the brand’s personality. Adding a countdown for the sale creates urgency.
Get creative. Even in scenarios where someone is “signing up” or booking something, there’s probably a more creative way you can say it. A spa might say, “Book Your Spa Day Now,” while a business source seller could say “Secure Your Spot Now” as opposed to simply asking people to sign up.
Action Item: Dare yourself to be creative with your ad copy. How can you be more specific, or reveal your brand’s personality? When possible, opt for strong verbs that urge someone to take action.
Craft better Google Ads copy today
These are the essential tips you need to follow to write Google ad copy that clicks and converts. But, there is so, so, so much more you can do to drive more results from your ads — from experimenting with different headline lengths to A/B testing different CTAs and more.
To learn more about how to improve your ads, contact the advertising experts at Your Marketing People today.
