Pay-per-click (PPC) ads can offer the false sense of hope that paying the most will earn the most clicks. However, an expensive ad with poorly written copy is sure to lose a significant chunk of value and reduce traffic to your landing page.
At Agency Stack, we cannot understate the importance of writing good ad copy and we emphasise this whenever we offer our PPC ad services
Equally critical to the success of your pay-per-click (PPC) campaign is the quality of design work in the image, but we’ll save that for another blog.
Aside from the design and the actual structure of the ad, the copy must be compelling, informative, and include a strong call-to-action (CTA).
It’s important that your ad copy aligns with your keywords and landing page. Following this approach will make your ad relevant, which can reduce your costs and increase your conversions (e.g., sales or registrations).
Whether or not you’re confident in your first attempt at PPC ad copy, we suggest creating a few variations and monitoring to check which ones are working best. This is a method used by some of the best white label PPC agencies, who can ensure your budget is being spent on only the most effective and lead generative ads.
Ad Structure
If you’ve never written a PPC ad (perhaps that’s why you’re here), it entails three to four main pieces of information. These are the description or caption, a headline, and some preview text. Plus, your image or “tile” may require some text written for design, so consider how this complements the rest of the copy.
The word count on each of these differs based on your platform (Google, Facebook, Instagram etc.), so do your research before writing a 200-word headline and wondering why it was truncated.
Below, we’ve described the main form and function of each of these sections. Note that not all sections are applicable to every platform, so take what you will from the below and apply it where necessary.
The description should include your keywords and a CTA. If your word count allows, you should also use this section to answer potential customer questions and build on your brand’s services or products.
The attention-grabbing headline. It’s important to know the difference between attention-grabbing and click-baitey. If your product or service is good enough and you know what your audience wants, there will be a way to be the former without dipping into the latter.
Attention-grabbing headlines intrigue the target audience and imply the satisfaction of their pain points without divulging how it does this.
A click-bait headline will only lead traffic to a landing page that disappoints them and has them feeling as if they’ve been led astray – damaging your brand reputation.
Preview text provides additional information to the caption, or simply builds on the suspense built by the headline. It may be as simple as the first line of the blog, or some details of a sale at your online store.
Image text will include a simple few words that capture the audience’s attention. Put yourself in the audience’s shoes and consider what would stop you from scrolling past the ad. Is it a big sale, recognition of a pain point, or perhaps a location?
Writing Effective Ad Copy
Now that you understand what makes a good ad, let’s talk about what makes a good ad.
How does one write effective and captivating copy that makes an audience feel understood – and all in a few short words?
The copywriting team at Agency Stack have a bunch of expertise in this area and have offered a few key points they keep in mind when writing PPC ads.
Always include your keywords.This is most important when writing something like Google Ads, where keywords help to rank items in the search engine. Without appropriate keywords, not only will search engines rank your ad lower, but users won’t see it as relevant to their needs.
Be specific and descriptive. This is especially important as ad copy has a limited word count. Note that descriptive doesn’t have to mean word-heavy. Rather, it ensures that each word is effectively enriching the text and adding something significant. Remove the waffle and leave your readers with a sentence full of reasons to click-through.
Offer benefits. One major reason to click-through an obvious ad is that it provides value and exclusive sales opportunities. No matter how much users want to save money, a good ad will entice them to find out exactly what you’re offering – and what they could be missing out on.
Call-to-action! We’ll say it once and we’ll say it again another thousand times: call-to-actions are where your ad money is made. Without them, nothing prompts the audience to click-through – not even the biggest discount you’ve ever offered.
Be geographically specific. If applicable, proximity is a great way to be relevant and relatable to your audience. This factor implies you will speak their language, know their values and likely deliver quickly. It doesn’t have to be your main selling point, but it’s a very handy addition to any ad copy.
How Do We Stack Up?
As a white label agency, Agency Stack has been delivering valuable PPC ad copy for years to clients in a range of industries. Businesses in manufacturing, logistics, fashion, interior design, furniture, hospitality and so much more have reaped the rewards of our effective ad copy. So, if you’re struggling to deliver the same for your clients and need some PPC support, get in touch with our friendly team and allow our agency to help yours.