Quick Tips to Generate Interest and Action in Your Paid Search Advertising

More advertisers are using PPC than ever before with 95% of companies choosing to advertise on Google AdWords, according to Econsultancy. Therefore, it is vital that your ads stand out in the paid search results, and with only thirty-five characters per line in your AdWords text ads, you need to make every character count! This post covers some tips for writing effective ads to ensure they generate interest (clicks) and more importantly, action (conversions).  

Use compelling call-to-actions

If you want users to get a quote, call you or buy online then tell them! Use compelling call-to-action phrases to persuade users to click your ad and carry out the desired action whether it is a purchase or the completion of a lead generation form. Avoid call-to-actions like “find out more” and “research online” as phrases like these keep users in the research stage of the buying cycle and you only want users clicking your ads who are in the action stage. Remember to use appropriate call-to-actions for the device you are using. For example, if targeting mobile devices consider using call-to-actions like “call now” or “speak to us today”.

Include prices

If users don’t like the price in your ads then they won’t click on them and if they do like the price then they will - simple. Including your price in your ads is a good way to filter out the users who are most likely to convert from those who are less likely. That way, you are only paying for clicks from committed and interested users who are closer to converting.

Write relevant ads

It is vital to ensure your ads are relevant to your keywords. For example, if you are using the keyword [new laptop] make sure it triggers an ad for new laptop computers and not tablet computers, even if you do sell both on your website. This point is related to one of the basic paid search principles of separating your campaigns and ad groups, so you can write highly targeted, specific ad text. 

Use appropriate destination URLs 

After users have clicked your ad make sure they convert by sending them to appropriate landing pages. Avoid sending users to your homepage or irrelevant product or category pages. For example, users clicking on the new laptop computers ad above should be taken to a laptop category page displaying all laptop computers; not a computer category page displaying all desktop computers, tablets, notebooks and laptops together.

Promote your USPs

Do you offer free delivery, 25% off or have a two-year warranty on your products? If so, tell people in your ads! A USP (unique selling point) is anything that makes you different. To think of USPs, ask yourself what do you do that your competitors don’t?

Include keywords

Not only will using keywords in your ad text improve relevancy and quality scores but keywords in ad text will also be highlighted in bold, which will make your ad stand out in the search results. See the example below using the keyword [red laptops]. The keyword has been inserted into the title and the display URL in both of the top two paid search ads, highlighting their relevance to the search query. 

Test different ad variations

Try testing a number of different ad messages to see which type of ad is the most effective with your target audience. Consider trialling product-heavy ads versus customer service focussed ads to see which type of advert guarantees the highest CTR and conversion rates.

Use site link extensions

Google AdWords extensions are a great way to make your ad stand out to encourage users to click them. There are a variety of extensions to choose from including text, product, location, social and phone extensions. If your customers leave reviews on Google Checkout and review sites such as Review Centre, Trust Pilot and Ciao then you may also see seller ratings next to your ads too, which will add another element to your ads. 

If you need a hand creating and managing your paid search campaigns then get in touch with us to see how we can help!