By Gregory Smyth
Why Ad Copy Matters in Paid Search Marketing
Most of the mechanics of paid search engine marketing are invisible to consumers. Your prospects have no idea how much you paid for Google ads or any other online ads, which keywords you targeted (other than those they typed in), which web analytics program is being used to track your results, or what goals you have set for your campaign. Nor do they care! Consumers care about themselves – and how you may be able to help them achieve their needs and desires.
The one method you have to convey this assistance is your ad copy – yet this is often the most neglected and rushed area of a campaign. We show you how to write ad copy that speaks to the core needs of your consumers and gets you better ROI for your web marketing strategy. Whether you are preparing for Google Ads copy or any other copy, follow our tips and tricks, and you’re good to go!
Learning the Basics of Ad Copywriting
Reading up on copywriting as a skill is always a valuable first step towards creating ads that convert. The seemingly simple 160-character block of text has more thought instilled in it than many 1000-word essays. Learn, or refresh yourself, on some of the basics, and come to your ad creation with traditional marketing as well as SEO marketing guidelines firmly in mind.
Using Keywords Effectively in Ad Copy
To create the best ad copy, you need to include the search keywords or key phrases in each ad. Consumers are more likely to feel the search is relevant to them if their search term is naturally placed in the copy. Use the key phrases where possible in both the body copy and the title of your ad, but remember that the title is the most important. Major search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN will also bold the occurrence of key phrases used in the search within any ads that appear on the page, to help searchers decide what is relevant to them. That bolding is crucial if you don’t want your ad to fade into the background. If you can include the key phrase again in the body copy, you have two winning attributes. Increasing the search engine ranking of your ads is of little value if nobody clicks on them.
Strategies for Writing Ads That Convert
Research has shown that most searchers take only a split second to decide on which ad to click – making the presence of bolded words in your PPC internet marketing ads the most important factor. For those who take the time to read your copy, though, there are other strategies you should employ. According to good SEO marketing guidelines, your copy should be relevant to the customer, relate to the landing page for the ad (whether it is specially created or one of your usual pages), and not be too much of a hard sell in tone. Try to use elements of your unique selling point and the benefits of your products and services in the copy.
If you have either an e-commerce consulting or internet marketing services firm, or have done your homework, you will have already identified your landing pages. Rather than modifying your ad copy to reflect your landing pages, try to include relevant keywords from your ads in the landing page copy. Most users decide within less than ten seconds whether a page contains what they are looking for, and relevant keywords can help convince them. I believe these tips will help you a lot next time you are crafting the best Google Ads Copy.
