Writing compelling ad copy can be challenging. People spend an average of 3.4 seconds viewing the first five search results, so if you want to convert prospective customers with your pay-per-click ads, you’ll have to write exceptionally well to stand out.
Fortunately, there are a few steps you can follow to write, and optimize engaging PPC ad copies that will attract your target audience and increase conversions.
How to write great PPC ad copy
1. Conduct thorough research
Staying ahead of your competitors is vital to converting customers and growing your business. You must conduct thorough research to create effective search ads that keep you at the top of your game.
Search common keywords and phrases and see what comes up in the results. An organic search will highlight what your customers see, showing your competitors and their ad copy tactics e.g. if you sell task management software, you might search “what is task management.”
You might be surprised by some of the results. For example, high-end brands like Burberry are constantly up against discount and knock-off websites, and sometimes it comes down to which companies’ marketing tactics are the strongest.
Ask yourself questions such as:
- How are they constructing ads?
- What call-to-action (CTAs) are they using?
- Are they offering discounts?
After seeing how to improve your ad copy, look at differentiating yourself. What unique selling points (USPs) make you stand out? Incorporate these into your ads to show customers why they should choose you over your competitors.
2. Be customer-focused
People buy products because they want or need them, so focus ads on how your products will improve the lives of your prospective customers. This is how you drive them to your website.
Reduce words like “we”, “I”, and “us”. Instead, use customer-oriented words such as “you,” “value,” “save,” “easy,” “fast,” “cheap,” etc. Tailor your phrases to show how your products solve the problems of your target audience. For example, “increase your productivity” instead of “we increase productivity.”
By being customer-focused and appealing to consumer needs, you encourage viewers to click through to your landing page. You can then talk about your company’s achievements and focus on increasing your AOV average order value.
3. Use attention-grabbing headlines
Your headline is the most prominent text in your ad and the first thing prospective customers see, so it needs to grab their attention. But how do you create a high-converting headline?
First, keep it brief. Headlines have character limits, so use short words and summarize points. Consider using questions to entice people to click.
Second, include valuable and profitable keywords that will attract your target audiences, such as specific locations or USPs.
Third, use numbers. Percentages, prices, and statistics take up less space, promise something specific, and draw-in prospective customers.
Finally, use the “|” character to separate headlines, making them more digestible.
For example, if you want to promote a cloud-based contact center that tracks and monitors calls for $14.99, your headline might be:
#1 Cloud contact center solution | Track, record & monitor calls | $14.99 a month
Good headlines pique interest and provide solutions. Writing effective headlines for your PPC ad copy is essential for conversion rate optimization.
4. Keep it simple
PPC ad copy has character limits, so keeping copy short, simple, and precise is imperative to get your message across to potential customers. Consider the Upwork PPC copy below.
You want to avoid vague descriptions, complicated phrases, and wordy sentences. Instead, use simple words, specific phrases, exact keywords, and an active voice. This will unclutter and improve the structure of your ad copy for your customers.
Give people simple facts and statements that grab their attention and make sure you understand your USPs.
5. Include CTAs
No PPC ad is complete without a CTA. If you want to increase conversion rates, it’s vital to tell people what you want them to do and incentivize them to do it.
For example, using phrases like “get your tickets now”, “buy now”, or “sign up for free today” provides a sense of urgency and can trigger people to click.
Use an actionable, specific, and short CTA for each ad to make visitors aware of what they should do and when they should do it.
6. Put keywords in URLs
Keyword placement in your display URL can make your ad copy appear more relevant to search engines and your target audience. Furthermore, it’s useful if you’re running multiple PPC advertising campaigns as you’re providing your target audience with non-generic landing pages.
This gives potential customers confidence that they’re getting the information or offer they want, boosting your PPC marketing and leading to increased conversions.
For example, if your ad sends people to a page explaining how SIP protocol manages internet communication sessions, putting “SIP protocol” in the URL reassures searchers they’ve found the information they wanted.
7. Test your ads
Testing is how you understand if your ads will convert your target audience. It’s a critical part of creating compelling PPC ad copy. A/B testing is a common digital marketing technique used to assess the effectiveness of ads.
For example, if you have two PPC ads promoting high ticket affiliate programs to skyrocket income, you can pit them against each other and see which one drives the most conversions and should be scaled up.
But don’t stop there. By measuring key metrics like clicks or cost per attention using apps like Google Analytics, you can easily evaluate your ads and determine how to improve them.
Over time, you’ll develop different keywords, USPs, and offers to entice your target audience. Measuring ad performance and making incremental changes to your text description, headlines, or display URLs will boost your ad copy.
Remember, testing is a continuous process, so always look for ways you can improve.
Don’t let people scroll on by
One of the key drivers of good PPC ad copy is research. Finding effective keywords, determining what makes your text ads pop, and identifying your USPs should inform all of your copywriting decisions.
Use these tactics to build PPC ads structured around your customers, with attention-grabbing headlines and direct CTAs that drive conversions. Keep your message simple and ensure your clicks follow through on your promises to leave you with happy customers.
There are several PPC advertising strategies you can use depending on your business model, so don’t be afraid to try something different. Change is essential to refresh your copy and adapt to your customer’s needs. Continually test and update your ads to write compelling copy that converts.
