Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is an effective digital marketing tactic for driving traffic to a website fast, but a big chunk of its success depends on the quality of the copy. To attract as many clicks as possible, you must write great ad copy.
Here are nine copywriting tips that will help position your PPC ad campaign for success.
1. Know your target audience.
Understand your audience by stepping into their shoes. Think about the problem they’re facing and the solution they’re searching for because writing PPC ads from only your viewpoint won’t win you many customers. Instead, find out what matters most to them and approach PPC ad copy through that perspective.
2. Speak directly to your audience.
Speak directly to your audience by using “you” and “your” in the ad copy so they feel important. Also, this makes your company appear personable, friendly, and helpful which will make your audience more willing to do business with you.
3. Tap into emotions.
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou
Positive and negative emotions are powerful so don’t be afraid to use them in your ad copy. It’s natural for people to want to avoid stress, anxiety, or FOMO (fear of missing out) as well as seek joy, hope, or relief. Whichever emotional trigger you use in the ad, make sure to communicate that your product or service is the solution.
4. Use numbers to draw attention.
Add one or two numbers in your ad copy because statistics and figures not only draw attention, but they also increase CTR by making the ad look more authoritative.
You can incorporate numbers in the ad copy by showing the product’s price or advertising a sale. Another option is to use a statistic about your business such as the number of products that have been sold or customers you’ve helped.
5. Use all available ad space.
Don’t let ad space go to waste, use it all to maximize your ad’s message. In addition to filling up the headline and body copy, remember to leverage the space for the display URL and ad extensions.
The purpose of a display URL is to show people what kind of page they’ll land so it doesn’t need to match the actual URL. Customizing the display URL to include the target keyword will make your PPC ad more effective.
Ad extensions are also important as they provide extra opportunities to include information. However, Google doesn’t always display extensions but they’re still worthwhile to have.
6. Highlight your unique qualities.
What makes your product or service different? For example, if your product is made in the United States instead of overseas like many of your competitors, including the fact that your product is “Made in America” will set your brand apart.
Sustainable practices and eco-friendly materials are also important to consumers so if your business has those values, mention it in your PPC ad. Brainstorm what makes your business unique and touch on those points in your ad copy.
7. Connect with local customers.
In general, consumers trust
local businesses more than they do faceless corporations. Even if you have multiple locations, you can still work the local business angle by creating separate PPC campaigns.
Run the campaigns for different geographical areas and use geo-targeted keywords for each campaign. Another way to make your business look local is to use a local phone number instead of an 800 number.
8. Write compelling calls to action.
A ‘call to action’ (CTA) is anything that directs the audience to take a specific action. Instead of using an overplayed CTA like “Call Now,” use stronger verbs like “Save” or “Join” to compel your audience to take immediate action.
9. A/B test your ads.
One way to ensure you have great PPC ad copy is through A/B testing (also known as ‘split testing’). By collecting and analyzing data, you’ll be able to see which ads perform better than others so you can optimize your campaign’s performance.
Here are some ad elements to consider A/B testing:
- Calls to action
- Numbers and statistics
- Display URLs
- Benefit highlights
Relying on intuition or guesswork is a surefire way to have mediocre ads at best and poor ads at worst. Split test your ads to ensure they resonate with your audience and increase your return on investment.
Drive Business with a PPC Strategy
With these copywriting tips, your PPC ads are sure to elicit a stronger response from your audience. Great copy isn’t the only thing that makes PPC advertising successful - it depends on your strategy as well.
Sales & Marketing Technologies is an Orlando-based digital marketing agency that offers
PPC management and strategy services that are tailored to your business’s needs and goals. Call 407.682.2222 or contact us below to schedule a free 30-minute consultation!