Writing PPC Ad Copy

Once your Sponsored ad shows up on a Visitor’s SERP (Search Engine Results Page) what entices him or her to click through the ad? Some visitors will click almost anything that seems to relate to their search but most will be attracted by something in the ad copy itself. So what makes for effective PPC ad copy?

Grammar and Spelling

At first glance this might appear too obvious to mention. If a sponsor is spending money to put up an ad why would they allow grammar and spelling mistakes in the ad copy? But if you’re a regular net visitor yourself you know it happens all too often. Many articles on PPC ad copy mention this issue almost as an afterthought. We think it is paramount in that it goes directly to the heart of one of the shortcomings of PPC ad campaigns: visitor trust. You should know that the vast majority of Internet Visitors prefer organic links — seventy percent click these links rather than the sponsored listings. Many experts feel this boils down to the simple fact that users don’t trust a site that has to pay to get listed. The question then becomes, why should an Internet user trust a site that can’t even spell and/or structure a sentence properly?

Keyword in the Copy

Since it is the keywords that led to the sponsored ad’s appearance on the SERP in the first place, why does so much ad copy ignore the keywords? Again it seems obvious that you would include the keywords you have paid for in the ad, especially in the headline. And again, this is not always the case. Some experience PPC users make use of Dynamic Keyword Insertion to get the keywords into ad titles automatically.

Relate the Ad to the Landing Page

Some actually begin writing ad copy by first creating the Landing Page a click through user will see. In this way you can ensure that your copy is grounded in what the visitor will be exposed to when they click through. Sponsored ads on the Internet are replete with examples of catchy copy that leads to a Landing Page that has little if anything to do with the copy. This breeds mistrust in Internet visitors. If your ad offers clearance items and the Landing Page says nothing about clearance items, you’ve created a problem that your web design company should fix it asap.

Calls to Action

What is it you want the visitor to do when they arrive at the Landing Page? Buy something? Subscribe to something? Reserve something/ whatever it is, include a "Call to Action" statement in your ad copy. "Buy today", "Order now", and "Learn More" are all examples of Call to Action statements.

Trial and Error

Don’t feel that you have to create the perfect ad the first time you get into the game. Many PPC pros experimented with different versions of ad copy when starting out and tracked the results to see what worked best for them. There is nothing wrong with failure as long as you learn from your mistakes. Good luck with your ads!