10 Tips to write effective Ad Copy for PPC

Managing ad copy for paid advertising on Search Engines can be very tricky at times. Many advertisers do not effectively capitalize on the potential of SEM ( Search Engine Marketing) opportunities. Writing effective ad copy can make a big difference to your paid search campaigns.

1. Create Specific Ads for Specific Keywords: Your ad copy should be geared towards specific terms in your paid search. Statistics tell us that a visitor is most likely to convert to a sale or a sign up or any other type of conversion when they see query terms keyed into the search engines present in the actual ad copy. For example for a term like “Hoover wind tunnel vaccums” and effective ad copy should look like this:

Hoover Windtunnel Vaccums

Bagless, Upright Vaccums in

Many Colors  Free Shipping. Order Today!

www.hoover.com/windtunnel_vac

Try to avoid Broader ads, as they are unfocused and will lead to fewer conversions. A broad ad would look like this:

Hoover Vaccums

We offer 1000+ Vaccum Cleaners

Deals on Hoover Vaccums

www.hoover.com

2. Your Ad copy should identify our Buyers Needs: Buyers are motivated by different factors. Try different ad vaiations in an ad copy and see where you get the best response. For the price sensitive user focus on ads with prices. For buyers looking for reassurance try ads mentioning service, 24/7 support, return policies. And for those looking for Deals focus on special offers, incentives and limited offers to encourage buyers to make purchases more quickly than they would have without an offer. 

3. Your ad copy should be approriate in the industry category: Always use an appropriate ad tone for the audience. For example if you are selling children’s toys, the ad copy should be lighter and playful than if your selling to a business executive. Take a look at the following examples:

Kids Reading Software

Fun and Easy to Use Software

Get Your Chids Reading up to speed

www.readingsoftware.com/kids

Auto Financing

Up to 4 Loan Offers in Minutes

Compare Many Lenders Online Today!

www.myautoloan.com

4. Consider the Buying Cycle: With many products and services there are several buying stages. At the begining of the buying cycle the user might be looking for general information or merely researching for product information or reviews, while at the end of the cycle they may be looking for a return policy information or to make a purchase. For effective ad copy segment the keywords and write the ad copy thats most appropriate to the buying stage . Take a look at the following example related to financial planning,  for an ad like the one below at this stage the purpose of the ad is to give visitors information.

ING Financial Services

Financial Planning Services & Info

Reliable with Long term Growth

www.ing.com

For terms that appear later in the buying cycle like “Buy CD” or “Get IRA” on can try an ad like the one below.

High Yield-CD’s-8 %

Why Settle for less than 8 %

High interest rate CD’s and IRA’s

www.mybank.com

5. Analyse Paid Search Results:In PPC, CTR ( Click Through Rate) and Conversions are key factors. Higher the CTR the more cost effective the bidding of keywords is and this will have a significant impact on ROI ( Return On Investment).

These two examples from a company selling Product A

Ad A:

Clicks: 1000

CTR:1.5%

CPC:0.75

Total Cost: $ 750

 Ad B:

Clicks:1000

CTR: 3.5 %

CPC: 0.50

Total Cost: $500

Conversion Rate: 5%

Number of Products sold: 50

CPA: $10.00

Cost per Acquisition (CPA) bid is the amount you are willing to pay for a conversion. When you enable a conversion.

6.Ensure PPC Data is Statistically Significant:Sometimes advertisers can get conflicting data. Sometimes Ads will show a High CTR and a low Conversion rate or a low CTR and High Conversion Rate or a Low CTR and high conversion rate. You generally want high CTR and a high conversion rate. Generally speaking inconclusive data means that the ad tests has not been running long enough. Sometimes insufficient PPC traffic can give you inconclusive data.

7. Ad Copy Keywords and Landing Pages:  Try and have the keywords in your ad copy appear on your landing page ( the page that people will go to when they click on your ads) or vice versa. Keyword continuity between the query term, the ad copy and the content on the landing pages help the searcher feel that he/she has reached the right place and the search needs have been met. When ad copy and landing pages are related, conversion figures tend to be higher. Design special PPC landing pages if appropriate pages don’t exisit on your website.

8. Test your Ad copy:It is very important to test A/B Testing to get a feel for ad tone and marketing postioning. Test atleast 3 ads at time per ad group. If you feel you have done enough of A/B look at Mutivariate testing. Here are some main criteria’s

a. Ad Headlines

b. Different offers

c. Different USP’s ( Unique Selling Propositions)

9. Spend time writing Good Ad Copy:Break up the task by generating ad copy. Determine the differences between you and your competitors. Get Clear on your company’s USP. Write ads in diferent tones. Brainstorm copy segments, product, services, descriptions. Try to keep them short and to the point. Create various combinations.

10. Think Outside the box: Don’t write boring ads. Make them compelling yet factual and credible.

Example of a Borings Ad:

Used Honda- Fremont Ca

Easy No Risk Price Quote

For Used Honda Visit

www.autowesthondafremont.net

As Against:

Honda Dealers

See Our Large Inventory of Cars

Call Today, Drive Tonight Pricing

www.hondaelcerrito.com