Investing time and effort in crafting PPC ad copy that effectively reaches and resonates with your target audience is essential.
This is your chance to impress and persuade potential customers to visit your site, opening the door to a potential lead or sale. If your ad copy is missing, they may be deterred from further engagement with your business.
Here are six things advertisers can do in 2024 to write more effective ad copy for their search campaigns.
1. Make sure it flows in any order
After Google Ads’ recent change to how responsive search ad assets can appear in results, making sure your copy flows in any order is more important than ever.
While we normally expect to see 2-3 titles and 1-2 descriptions as ads, now, if the systems predict that deviating from this structure will increase performance, only one title will appear. The system may also include titles at the beginning of the description lines instead of displaying them on the top line of the ad.
Here’s an example of ads for the same advertiser that appeared differently between searches:
This result included only one title and what appears to be another, “Food, Bedding, Toys & More” at the beginning of the description line.
An example of a search ad that only includes a title in the “traditional” title space A subsequent search showed an ad with the title and descriptions used as expected.
An example of a search ad with two headlines
This means avoiding writing ad copy that requires resources to appear in specific positions or that relies on accompanying resources to make sense. For example, writing a single sentence in two headlines requires both to appear and the entire sentence to be clear.
Likewise, don’t rely on your ads showing 2-3 titles and 1-2 descriptions per result to get your key message across, as those many assets are no longer guaranteed to appear.
Assets can still be pinned to specific positions, but this may affect the system’s ability to match the most effective assets to the ad.
2. Don’t just talk to your target audience, talk like them
Making sure the language, terminology and tone of an ad resonates with your target audience is a great way to build rapport and trust.
For example, promote very advanced machinery. In this case, your target audience will be familiar with the technical jargon and specifications and will actively look for it in the type of ads they interact with.
Your target audience will be looking for signs of confidence that your company has the product they want and that you know what you’re talking about. There would be no need for simplified terminology, as the target audience speaks and resonates with more technical language.
The example below is for Club L London, an online fashion store that produces clothing designed for young women. Its ad copy uses phrases like “Keeps you looking fierce” and “Maximizes your attitude,” the kind of aspirational language that will resonate with its target audience.
A young woman seeing this ad may be inspired by the tone of this ad and intrigued to interact with a brand that “speaks her language,” especially when compared to more generic ads in search results.
A search ad for “Club L London” that uses a specific tone of voice to resonate with its young, female target audience
For inspiration, check reviews on forums and social platforms to see how your target audience is talking and look for ways to play that into your ad copy.
3. Don’t overdo it with your keywords
While your ad copy should be relevant to the topic of the keywords you’re bidding on, you shouldn’t compromise ad quality with keyword stuffing.
When the same keyword or phrase is used repeatedly in headlines, descriptions, display URLs, and between resources, an ad can appear as spam. People want to see ads that speak to them in a natural tone, not written just to please the system.
For example, the ad below uses “Compare” a lot in its titles, descriptions, and resources. The company name and URL also include “Compare,” making the word appear eight times in a single ad.
An example of an ad that uses the same keyword a lot in its copy
Use keywords/phrases sparingly and include them only if they fit the message and tone of your ad.
Remember that when using broad match terms, it will be almost impossible to identify exactly what search term your ad will show for, so the focus should be on writing ad copy that is relevant to the topic of the ad group and less on individual keywords. themselves.
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4. Help people “self-qualify”
With CPCs getting bigger and bigger, do your best to make every click count. One way to do this is by helping people self-qualify through your ad.
By describing criteria such as who the product or service is designed for or price/spending requirements, you can dissuade those who are not relevant or appropriate from clicking on your ad.
Let’s say you’re promoting software that’s only suitable for marketing agencies. This should be made clear in your ad copy with messages such as:
“Inspired and built for marketing agencies” “Essential software for marketing agencies” “Only available for marketing agencies”
This way, searchers can see exactly who the product is designed for and qualify as potential customers.
The following example is for a laser eye surgery clinic, which includes an initial price per eye. This small but subtle inclusion of a price helps potential customers determine if this option will be affordable for them.
An ad for a laser eye clinic, including a starting price
Including a price may deter many users from engaging further with the brand. However, the price will be a barrier for them later when they have had a consultation. As such, no value has been lost by not having them visit the site in the first place.
5. Focus on what makes you different
With the rise of AI, auto-created assets and the conversational experience, most advertisers are getting better at writing ad copy, but unfortunately it can all end up being very generic.
With the basics covered, you should also think about what would make someone click on your ad over another.
Consider differentiators to include in your content, such as:
Years of Experience: “Serving the local community for over 25 years”
Awards: “Voted Nottingham Small Business of the Year 2024”
Customer base: “We are proud to have a 95% customer retention rate”
Accreditations: “Your Local Gas Safety Engineer”
Product size: “More than 20,000 books in stock”
Offer: “Free shipping on all orders”
service: “24/7 live chat support”
Review your competitors’ ads to see what unique selling points (USPs) they mention in their ad copy and if there are any that you can beat them on.
For example, say a competitor offers free shipping on orders over $50. In this case, consider mentioning your free delivery offer on orders over $25 to help attract potential customers with more attractive delivery options.
6. Don’t neglect assets
Ad copy doesn’t end with headlines and descriptions. Pay attention to other assets, such as sitelinks and featured text.
It’s easy to “set and forget” when it comes to assets. Still, they play a valuable role in increasing the size of an ad in search results and providing more information about the product or service. Monitor and manage assets alongside your ad copy to ensure they are optimized for performance.
Also, make sure the tone and style is consistent throughout your ad and its assets. Otherwise, the message may appear clumsy, which may deter some searchers.
Creating echo search ads
Creating compelling ad copy is essential to capturing users’ attention and generating valuable clicks. By following the tips mentioned above, you can create more resonant and effective search ads. With thoughtful ad copy as your foundation, you have a greater chance of making a powerful first impression and converting prospects into customers.
The views expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.
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