In our last article on the potential pitfalls of PPC campaigns, we looked at how a poor account/campaign/ad group structure can negatively impact your paid search ad targeting and delivery. Today, we’ll take a look at the other side of the equation – ads that are in fact being delivered to the right audience. Yet, even with the right audience, there are still traps to avoid.

Below are examples of ads – taken straight from the SERPs – that clearly show what to do and what to steer clear of:

1. Prescreen Your Customer Via Ad Copy Qualifiers
Use your ad to qualify customers. Keyword intelligence reveals the words and phrases customers respond to, allowing you craft targeted creative that’s more likely to compel an action. These keyword-driven insights can also be applied to filter out unqualified users and channel them away from clicking on your ad (and unnecessarily costing you money).


After all, your goal is not to get clicks from all searchers – just the ones that have a higher propensity to convert. In some cases, this can be accomplished by including key qualifiers in your copy, such as pricing:





In this case, incorporating pricing directly in the headline effectively segments users via the most effective known targeting method – self-qualification. For instance, users searching for limited edition – and thus much more expensive – shoes would likely see the “$34.99” and look elsewhere. That’s perfectly okay! They’re not your desired customers anyway, so why pay for a wasted click?


2. Use Ad Extensions
Ad extensions expand standard text ads to provide key additional information, such as addresses, phone numbers or links. They’re a great way to make your ad stand out and receive more clicks – so USE them.


For example, the ad below uses an extension known as “site links.” According to Google, site links can help increase your CTR by over 30%. That’s huge!





Take advantage of these extensions whenever possible. They’ll provide potential customers with a better user experience and direct them more quickly to their desired location. And if customers are further along in the conversion funnel, these extensions might just increase the likelihood of them converting in a meaningful and profitable way.


3. Be a Good Ad Copywriter
With strict character limitations, it can be a chore trying to create PPC ads that’d make your English teacher proud. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.


Take a look below – this ad isn’t going to be winning any awards anytime soon.





Of course, to be fair, it is possible that the ad could still end up grabbing a user’s attention (despite the unclear message and lack of capitalization and punctuation). But it’s probably more likely that the ad’s lack of professionalism will cause searchers to look the other way. Quite simply, the ad doesn’t inspire confidence; I certainly wouldn’t want to click on this ad and then hand over my credit card information.


Remember, your ad copy might be the very first interaction you have with a potential customer. First impressions count, so be as credible as possible.


4. Let The User Know What To Do
You’ve clearly communicated to customers what products you have to offer – now it’s time to give them a reason to click.


Your Calls to Action must differentiate your ad from those of your competitors. The ad below gets high marks for offering a reason to click (a promotion) and for using an ad extension that highlights their status as a reputable company.





5. Test New PPC Features
Google is constantly testing and introducing new AdWords features, and it pays to be on top of these developments. Stay up-to-date with new features or releases, and be among the first to try them out for big results before your competitors realize what’s going on.


One recent innovation is Product Ads, which is a tool for people using Google Merchant Center. Product Ads bring together traditional text-only ad copy with keyword-rich descriptions, prices and images of your products (see below). According to Google, users are not only twice as likely to click on such ads but are also more often highly relevant searchers.

The Takeaway
When it comes to developing winning paid search ad copy, it’s anything but one-size-fits all. Users in different demographic segments and regions react differently to messaging and offers, and only through focused keyword intelligence can you be sure to reach precisely the customers you want. So, start by diving into the words and phrases your customers use and understand. Learn their language, and use these insights to craft ads that resonate and compel a click. Then, use our tips – qualifying your customer, utilizing ad extensions, writing strong copy, using clear Calls to Action and capitalizing on new opportunities – to maximize your response rate and ROI. It’s a methodology we’ve refined over thousands and thousands of campaign hours, and it’s the perfect way to attract the best customers – wherever they are.

To find out more about how to create a keyword-driven PPC campaign, talk to us directly at bebrilliant@acronym.com.