When you’re searching on Google, what makes you click on one ad over another? This question is what paid search advertisers try to answer on a daily basis. Creating eye-catching search ads can lead to a higher click-through rate and more conversions for your business.
Don’t Let Ad Copy Be an Afterthought
According to HubSpot, the average consumer attention span is 8 seconds, which means you have 8 seconds to grab your prospective customer’s attention. If you’ve made it to the top three or four spaces on the search engine results page, congratulations! But now you have to stand out from your competition. Don’t let your ad copy be the reason a shopper doesn’t click your ad. By using the right language in your ad, you can compel a shopper to click on your ad over your competitors’ ads.
Emotional Connection = Engagement
When writing your ads, use copy that fosters an emotional response from your shoppers. Seventy percent of consumer loyalty and spending decisions are based on emotional factors, according to HubSpot. Ads with a personal touch that relate to your shoppers can generate the emotional connection that could cause them to click on your ad.
Capitalize on targeting features in AdWords to deliver more personal ads to the right shopper. If they’re shopping on their mobile device, create mobile-preferred ads with copy that has call to actions such as “Call Today” or “Call to Make an Appointment.”
You can also use location targeting for your ads. For example, if you’re a Nissan dealership and your shopper lives in Philadelphia, target the Philadelphia area and use ad copy such as “Your Local Philadelphia Nissan Dealer.” This makes the ad feel more personal and relevant to the shopper. HubSpot reports that, “With the vast majority of consumer loyalty and spending determined by emotion, personalization makes all the difference.”
Grab the Shopper’s Attention with Keywords in Your Ad Copy
Along with including a personal touch in your ad copy, you must grab the shopper’s attention. An easy way to stand out to your shoppers is to include keywords in your copy. Make headlines, ad copy, and display URLs as close to your keywords as possible. If a shopper searches for “audi dealership,” you should show an ad with “Audi Dealership” in the headline.
You might also want to break out your keyword into more relevant and specific ad groups so your ad copy is as close to the keywords as possible.
Include Hard Data in Your Ads
You can also include numbers and statistics in your ad copy. According to Word Stream, “Hard data can be a trust signal, and it can plant the seed of trustworthiness in the mind of your prospect.” Is your client running a specific sale? Show that sale in your copy.
When you do this, don’t make promises that you can’t deliver on. No matter how much you want that ad click, don’t advertise bogus claims. It could result in distrust in your brand, and you could lose prospective customers.
Show Off
It’s okay to brag about your business. Include review extensions to show your customers the business’ accomplishments. Displaying outside reviews of your company makes you seem more trustworthy, and it takes up more space on the search results page, which means less room for your competition.
Spy on Your Competition
Yes, you can spy on your competition. Use tools such as iSpionage or SpyFu to see what your competition is doing. Look at what strategies are working for them and use them for your business, but give them your own twist to make sure that you stand out.
Read more about spying on your competition here.
Do Your Ads Pop?
Take some time to work on your ad copy. If you were the shopper, would you click on your ads? Make ads that stand out and are relevant to your shoppers and watch your CTR and conversions rise.
Stream’s Kick-Start Step
Use language that appeals to your shoppers. Test ads with different messaging to see which performs best.
For more info about how PPC can help your business, check out Stream Companies’ eBook PPC & SEO: Understanding How They Work Together to Maximize Results.
