5 Tips for Crafting Effective Text Ads

A great text ad is the core of every successful pay per click campaign. It’s a little baffling when you stop and think about the power that is contained in that little block of text. A few words have the potential to completely transform your business from one that is just skimming by in the digital world to one that sees a steady stream of qualified traffic landing on your website every day.
You know this and it’s why you’re ready and excited to get working on your PPC campaign. The only problem is that when it comes time to actually craft the ad, you’re suddenly stumped. There’s a lot riding on those few words and you need to optimize the space that you have.
It’s no secret that there’s a challenge to creating the perfect PPC ad. Fortunately, there are a few no-fail strategies that simplify the process of writing an effective Google Ad. Here are 5 to get you started.

Make It About the Customer

One of the first things you need to do for effective pay per click advertising is to get into the minds of your audience. You want your ads to be completely about them, with little focus on you. This can usually be accomplished in just a minor shift in wording.
Let’s say, for example, that a dry cleaner wants to run a PPC ad during peak wedding season. They know that many brides will want to have their dresses professionally cleaned and preserved after the big day and their goal is to attract some of that business with Google Ads.
A typical approach might be to say something along the lines of “We offer professional wedding gown services. Stop in and see us for a special offer.” There are a couple of issues with this ad, but for now we’ll focus in on the point of view. The subject of this ad is the dry cleaner and not the consumer, which is the exact opposite of what it should be.
If the ad instead read “Have your wedding gown professionally cleaned and save money with a special offer today.”, then the focus has been shifted to the consumer, their needs and the value that they’ll gain from the offer. It’s a subtle change in wording, but one that makes an incredible difference in consumer motivation.

Reflect the End Goal

Pay per click advertising should be hyper-targeted. By this, we mean that the intent of a Google Ad isn’t to just build visibility in front of a larger, general audience. What you want to achieve is to draw the attention of a specific, target audience – one that already has at least one foot on the path to conversion. They’re looking for something specific, and it’s their end goal that you want to keep in mind.
You have a limited amount of space to capture a click from a consumer that will lead to conversion. If you’re too general with your wording, or not purposeful enough, you’re going to attract (and pay for) clicks that lead nowhere.
For instance, an ad that reads “Is your basement flooded?” might attract people who actually need the advertised services, but it will probably also attract clicks from people who are just curious about what to do if their basement floods. An ad the reflects the end goal, like “Have a dry basement by tomorrow afternoon” not only cuts out some of the unqualified traffic, but also clearly establishes the value proposition.

Instill a Sense of Urgency

When you write a Google Ad, you don’t want the potential customer to think that the offer is going to stay around forever. You’re probably planning on running the ad for a specified amount of time and you want to get as much traction as possible from it. What all of this means is that instilling a sense of urgency is key.
When creating your ads, take advantage of words that encourage quick action. Using words like “now” help with this but take it a step further by using language that demonstrates the immediacy of the message. For instance, “save X amount of money this February only”. You might also consider adding a countdown timer or mentioning a specific deadline for the offer.

Go Hyper-Local

If your business serves multiple locations or is currently expanding, resist the urge to appeal to multiple markets with one ad. Your text ad copy should be focused in on a local market as narrowly as possible. For businesses that have a core market in a neighborhood or suburb of a larger city, this means focusing in on their more specific demographic.
This can be accomplished with a locally focused keyword strategy, but you should also be looking at other elements of your ad. Many customers want to connect with and support a local business, so details like having a local contact number instead of a general 1-800 number can have a significant impact on ad performance.

Use Google Ad Extensions

Google offers extensions to compliment your PPC ads that can provide additional information about your business. Extensions can include anything from contact information and reviews to a dynamic call to action and clickable link. A Google Ad extension is a great way to increase your CTR and attract an audience that is more primed for conversion.
Ad extensions are also a great way to experiment with your ads and test performance. Try placing an ad with an extension and one without and compare results. You might also try testing different types of ad extensions against each other. Not only can this increase the ROI of your PPC campaign, you’ll also gain valuable insights about your audience in the process.
Creating an effective pay per click ad doesn’t need to be an intimidating process. We offer PPC management services that will generate a steady stream of traffic to your digital door. Are you ready to see what can happen when you master the art of pay per click advertising? Contact JLB today and discover the growth potential that awaits your business.