Writing Compelling PPC Ads that Generate High CTRs
Not surprisingly, to improve click-through rate of Search Ads, the standard Attention-Interest-Desire-Action (AIDA) principle also applies in the Google Search Engine Result Page (SERP).
- Attention: Capture attention with eye-catching headlines
- Interest: Clearly describe the answer or solution your prospect is searching
- Desire: Clearly state the features and benefits of your product/service
- Action: Provide a strong call-to-action to entice a click-through
In this flow, we need to grab the prospect’s attention with headlines that stand out from the rest of the competition and create an interest by describing the solution we can offer them. Next, we can invoke desire by offering e.g., a bonus or freebie that is not offered by your competitors. Finally, we want to get that click-through by providing strong call-to-action (CTA) word, phrase or even Ad Extensions.
The main purpose of an ad is to attract targeted visitors and generate click-throughs. To achieve this, we need to stay relevant and differentiate our ad from the rest of the competition. By including the keyword that we bid and pinning it in the headline, the ad now looks relevant to the searcher because the phrase our prospect searched for is showing in our ad. Not to mention relevancy will contribute to Quality Score. And we need to differentiate our ad from our competitors by first examining their ads and saying something different with a nice unique twist highlighting your unique selling point (USP).
Ad Copywriting Tips
- Ensure keywords are used in Title and Description, URL (as far as possible)
- Title (Make it Attention Grabbing!)
- Ask a question (e.g., Looking for Hourly Car Rental?)
- Arouse curiosity (e.g., 8 Secrets to Retain Customers)
- Challenge the norm (e.g., Advertising is for Losers?)
- Stand out from the competition (e.g., No Chiropractor Does This)
- Pinned Description 1: Highlight major benefit and your USP
- Pinned Description 2: Highlight major feature and call-to-action
- Display URL: Accurate domain name (Optional: Relevant Keywords)
One of my favourite tips is to include a question mark because it is almost like the ad is talking and engaging the prospect. Your unique way of crafting the ad helps you stand out to get the click-through and bear in mind a higher click-through rate (CTR) will contribute to Quality Score.
Do include scarcity like ‘First 10 Orders’, and power words like ‘Secrets’ in your headlines and call-to-actions. Scarcity is important because human beings will normally delay taking action unless there is an urgent need to do so. However, be careful not to make false claims and that you stay true to your words.
Examples of Scarcity Words:
- Buy Now
- Free Shipping
- Today Only
- One Unit Left
- Free Trial
- Limited Stock
- Save 30% Now
- Hurry
- Call Now
- Act Fast
- First 50 Orders Only
Examples of ‘Power Words’:
- At Last
- Finally
- Risk Free
- Secret
- Money-Making
- Powerful
- Satisfaction
- Guaranteed
- Discover
- Stunning
- Shocking
- As Seen On...
Advertisers need to split test the individual elements i.e., rotate 2 ads indefinitely and equally split your budget between Ad A and Ad B before deciding on the winner.
Elements to Split Test:
- Keywords in Title, Description, URL
- Capitalisation of Title, Description, URL
- Test different Headlines
- Reverse the order of the different elements
- Reverse the order of benefits and features
- Test different call-to-action phrases
Before you get too excited about compelling ads, bear in mind the following points about your Ad Copy:
- Must meet character length requirements (do not exceed the character limit)
- Must be relevant, clear, accurate, and descriptive of the products or services offered
- Must be truthful and up-to-date, and cannot contain unverified competitive claims, superlatives (e.g., The Best in the World)
- Cannot have excessive or gimmicky capitalisation or repetition
- Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation
- Cannot use inappropriate language or variations of bad words
- Display URL must match actual domain of advertised website
The good news is that Singapore advertisers are usually lousy in crafting eye-catching ads, meaning there are ample opportunities to win this game in the local search engine result pages.
We don’t even need to be original in our ad ideas. Simply research global competitors in your industry, and all you need is an additional qualifier. So, for example, to research vinyl flooring provider in Sydney Australia, I Google: ‘vinyl flooring Sydney’.
Now, I can look at the top vinyl flooring Sydney websites, browse their website for inspiration, for ad ideas you can model after. Normally, you can find top ads in your industry in other more mature countries like Australia, Canada, England, London, USA.
So, you don't even need to come up with an original ad. Why reinvent the wheel, when you can change the tyres? Improve on somebody else's proven ad copy!
That's probably the best advice I can give you in terms of how to write compelling ads. Don't write it on your own, model after the top ads in major cities and more developed countries because over there, with more competitors and higher cost per clicks, there are bound to be more professional ad agencies, putting in more effort to differentiate themselves, because of higher cost per click environments.
Don't forget to go through the Ad Policies before creating your ad and hopefully see you at the top!