Write ads. Get clicks. Make money.
Simple, yes. Easy, not at all.
Across this three-part search ad masterclass, I’ll share insights I’ve picked up from working with some of the world’s most successful PPC strategists.
Insights that will help you:
- Create and optimize successful ad text
- Decide which types of ads will get you the best results
- Identify what works and what doesn’t — and double down on the former
Let’s kick things off with how you can write ads designed to win high-quality clicks that are actually relevant to your business.
Why relevant ad text drives clicks
Think of your PPC campaign’s ads as the window displays in a store, which are often a shopper’s first point of engagement. All your hard work winning an ad auction could be nothing more than an empty time-sink if your ads aren’t written to get clicks from people who want your product or service.
And despite all the automation implemented by Google, writing ads that get clicks still relies on the creativity of account managers.
Just as store displays are changed frequently to continue attracting traffic, so too is it important to keep updating PPC ads with fresh promotions — always while highlighting your value proposition.
A regular refresh to ad text that keeps up with industry trends frequently improves the chances of getting relevant clicks on your ads.
How to write ad text like a winner
The image below shows ad results for the search term “buy women shoes”. The ad in first position is a great example of how to utilize the space provided by Google to promote value proposition via ad extensions and promotions.
Even if this ad had only won second position, I would still be very likely to click on it:
- It’s hyper-relevant to my search.
- The offer is highlighted clearly.
- I know exactly where to find them.
A quick glance at the two ads placed lower reveal flaws that might have intrigued a click if they:
- Used ad text that resonates better with my query
- Highlighted unique value points and accessory benefits
- Added promotions, discounts, or factors to build user trust
Taking ad text to the next level
Along with ad text that’s relevant to a user’s search, another aspect of your ads that can make a difference to performance is which ad type you select.
Google offers multiple ad types to help you advertise in a way that’ll help you achieve your PPC goals. If we’re sticking with Search ads, there are two highly popular ad types you can run in addition to regular search ads.
- Expanded Text Ads are popular with PPC strategists working across industries. Expanded Text Ads let you create an ad with three static headlines and two descriptions. It offers ample space to convey your company’s value proposition, and those of the products and services being advertised.
- Responsive Search Ads are a type of ad that automates the process of A/B testing. Google allows you to define up to 15 headlines and four descriptions, and A/B testing is automated. Google’s machines experiment to find the combination of headlines and description that are predicted to work best for specific user queries.
Conclusion
If you’re advertising on Google’s Search network, your ad text and choice of ad type play crucial roles in the performance of your campaigns — for both Expanded Text Ads and Responsive Search Ads.
Creating search campaigns that get quality clicks is as simple as this four-step process:
- Select ad types intelligently.
- Write relevant ad text that highlights value.
- Create well-structured ad group themes.
- Refresh your ads periodically.
Once you start seeing results from your campaigns and need support managing them at scale, a tool like Optmyzr can help you make bulk ad text changes across all your campaigns in just a few clicks.
Next week in part 2 of this series, we’ll further explore these ad types — plus one more that might get you additional results. In the meantime, check out this support article from Google for more amazing tips to help you write successful ads.
