Good copy can get you clicks. Great copy can get you customers.
A good click through rate (CTR) does not mean that you have a good creative. A good CTR can help with your quality score and shouldnt’ be completely left out of the equation, but that is a much more advanced discussion. Generally, when writing your creatives, write them in a way that prequalifies them before ever visiting your site - entice interested users and keep untargeted users from clicking your ads. Too many wasteful clicks can make you believe a keyword isn’t profitable when in fact, it may be that you’re attracting too many of the wrong users to the site causing a poor ROI.
When writing creatives for your paid search campaigns, there are certain guidelines you should follow, or at least be aware of.
- Always Write for Your Target Market
You’re writing for the user conducting the search, not for yourself, your boss or anyone else. Step into their shoes and write to what would appeal to them. - Most Users Skim the Page
When conducting a search, many people will first look at the headlines and glance at the description. Focus on writing a strong, targeted title to draw them into reading your description. Then, engage the searcher with that description. - Look at the Competition
See what your competitors are saying in their ads. Take note of the benefits and sales points they make. - Don’t Always Use Dynamic Keyword Insertion
It may seem that you’ll get more clicks since your ads will have bolded keywords in them, but keyword insertion isn’t always the best way to get clicks - especially if everyone is using it, making all the ads look the same. Write copy that appeals to the audience and will align with what they were searching for. - Capitalize the First Letter of Each Word - Or of Important Words
There is usually some debate about this one. Capitalizing Each Letter Creates a Bit More Emphasis Within Your Ads. I usually just capitalize the important words while other people capitalize them all. Test what works for your account to see if there’s a difference. - Use Official Site for Brand Terms
Adding the words “Official Site” to your ads shows authority and trust - especially if you have others bidding on your brand. - Use Your Brand Name for Brand Terms
Adding your brand, especially in the title will help increase your CTR and reduce your CPC. For more general terms, a brand name (if you’re well known) can sometimes help, but usually you’re better off including more useful information. - Emphasize the Benefits of Your Product, Service or Company
Specifically for your description, make sure to come up with 2-3 benefits. This could include a low price, being fast and easy, free shipping, large selection, etc. Try to differentiate from your competitors, but not at the expense of important benefits (free shipping is usually big). - Use a Strong Call To Action
People will listen if you tell them what to do and when to do it. Tell them to “Act Now!” or “Sign Up Today!” and they will be more apt to do so then if you don’t say anything. - Use the Word “Free” Where Appropriate
People also love free things. Something that is or could be free is always better (to a searcher) than something that isn’t. However, don’t deceive users. If they have to jump through hoops or invite 10 friends and submit personal info to get an iPod, then it’s not really free. - Use All the Space Provided
25-35-35 or 40-70 or 25-70. Whatever the character limit is, you don’t have much room to get your message across so make it succinct, but also as content rich as possible. Doing this can allow you provide users with more benefits than the competition which leads to more targeted clicks. - Keep the Language Simple
Unless you are 100% certain the searchers will know what you’re talking about, it’s best to keep the language as simple as possible. - Don’t Make Outrageous Claims
If you can’t back up what you say, you’ll either lose a customer or gain an angry customer. Neither are good in the long run. - Make Your Display URL “Readable”
ThisDisplayURLisEasierToRead.com compared to thisdisplayurlthatisnot.com. In general, you can capitalize the first letter of each word, but if you have a short word (like “a”) or if you have an acronym, then you may want to just make the display URL as easy to read as possible. - Create Multiple Versions - Then Mix & Match
When I write creatives, I’ll usually write several headlines, even more lines with different benefits, and then work on putting them together into 2-3 solid creatives.
Your creatives are one of the most important areas of a successful campaign and also seem to be the area that most advertisers spend the least amount of time on. Having a strong creative has several benefits that can include a better quality score, a more targeted visitor and a lower cost to convert that visitor into a customer.
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