Time for some obvious statements! AdWords campaigns would not be AdWords campaigns without ads. The difference between ill-conceived ads and well-written ads is the difference between a dead-in-the-water campaign a profitable one. Joe-Browser’s decision to visit your website is reliant on your ad copy and how relevant it is to what Joe is searching for.
Yes, obvious statements. But I make them nonetheless because all to often we see campaigns where that all-important bridge between browser and your website has been constructed poorly, basic ad-writing principles ignored, and the campaign left limping along or sliding down the slippery-slide of Quality Score (QS) oblivion. That slippery-slide ends in the sandpit of broken dreams and wasted marketing budget. Oh noes!
Back on track. The key is to write compelling ad copy that will separate your business from your competitors whilst pandering to Google’s requirements for a high QS and maintaining relevance to Joe-Browser’s search query. You see, Joe has a short attention span.
Here is the first principle you should adhere to in this series on AdWords Ad Copy:
Use Keywords In Your Ad Copy
Ads should be specific to the product or service you are offering. We will assume you have constructed your campaign carefully, and divided the list of keywords into tightly themed ad groups. If you’re not quite sure what I’m talking about, have a look at our other articles, and get cracking. If you are having trouble breaking down a specific industry, pop us an email at info@advia.com.au. Never fear, we respond to all emails!
Now! Use the core keyword from your ad group in your ad title and ad text to declare in no uncertain terms, just how relevant you are to what Joe-Browser is searching for. Why? You do not want Joe-Browser accessing his higher-thought processes. Those synapses must not spark! Well, that’s hyperbole, but you are indeed going for fast association. If part of your ad matches the key-phrase Joe searched for, that phrase will appear in bold, and your ad will stand out like a sore thumb.
e.g. You ad group is “Carpet Cleaners” (as opposed to your other ad groups “Rug Cleaners”, “Mattress Cleaners”, “Upholstery Cleaners”, etc, neh?). Your major keyword is obviously “carpet cleaners”, and your ad title should read “Carpet Cleaners”. You would also slip the keyword in the ad copy as well, perhaps, “10% Off Brisbane Carpet Cleaners For May.” Don’t go overboard though, overboard makes Google sad, and you will look like a scam.
Of course, many of your competitors will have utilised this simple technique ( by design or by accident) and your sore thumb may be lost amongst many similar sore thumbs, but do not worry! If you follow the rest of the principles in our articles you will have the edge. Just don’t forget the basics, like this one.
Regardless of your competitors, not using keywords is worse than using them. They are a vital part of ad writing for AdWords. It means you must strike a balance between being creative, getting your message across, and ensuring your ad copy has enough keywords in it. Worth it though. The more relevant your ad, is the higher click through rate it will achieve and the better quality score it will have and the lower your cost per click will become for better positions on the front page of Google. That is a deliberate run-on sentence because it’s a run-on AdWords effect. Move along now.
The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.
I searched the key phrase Plumbers Brisbane and snipped out some examples. None of the ads I found were fantastic so I have critiqued them below. My critiques come with a proviso though. The very principles I suggest I have bent or broken on numerous occasions when it made sense to do so. But I always had Analytics and Conversion Tracking installed and the data to back up my decisions. Feel free to do the same.
Example #1: Ugly.
Comments: I searched for “brisbane plumbers”. The title tells me they are plumbers. That’s good. Lane Cove is in Sydney, Australia though. Not the best relevance. Plumbers should be used once more in the ad copy. There is inconsistent capitalization. Space has been wasted on listing three items they fix rather than extolling a unique feature or benefit. The unique selling point in the second line is something you would hope every plumber is capable of out-of-the-box, so to speak.
Example #2: Bad.
Comments: This is direct response search engine marketing, no need to waste the title repeating a brand-name. However. I have broken this principle when the brand is a well-promoted household name because you achieve instant trust. Back to to the matter at hand! The title should really just say “Brisbane Plumbers”. Only one of the ten ads I found had achieved this. Mind you, I did not refresh to bring up new ads. I was frozen in shock. Finally, the actual copy of this ad made me laugh. It manages to say nothing that could not have been said by the title reading “Brisbane Plumbers” instead.
Example #3: Good. But Not Perfect.
Comments: See that title go bold! Almost a winner here. I suspect they have used a great technique called dynamic keyword insertion. Unfortunately, they have used it to cheat. It looks like they have thrown all their ‘trades’under an umbrella ad group when they should have split them out (time consuming but worth it) so they could have more targeted ads. If they have split them out, then they have failed on using negative keywords and broad-match modifier to ensure the correct ad wins the QS auction. Te ad copy should have read, “Use Our Free Service To Have Brisbane Plumbers Call You Now!” And that would have been a pretty good ad.