Google Ads. We need them, we love them, but they can be challenging if you’re unsure of how to optimize them to maximize their impact.
Google is the largest search engine out there. Billions of people log on every day and ask questions, seek out solutions to problems, and shop.
So, naturally, it pays to have your business front and center for your ideal audience – so that when they type in that magical search query, your brand is one of the first that they see. For more relevant traffic, higher conversion rates, and first-time customers that turn to brand loyalists.
But, how do you optimize your Google ad copy?
This is something that any expert PPC agency in London will know, and engaging their services is usually one of the best ways to make sure that whatever PPC marketing efforts you’re undertaking are structured in the most impactful way; optimized for success. They can make sure that your messaging is attracting the right audience, at the right time.
However, if you want a little more information before you engage a PPC agency’s services, we’ve collated some tips from these top PPC agencies in London to help you along the way.
Optimized Headings
This is one of the first rules of creating optimized Google ad copy. Your headings are crucial. Don’t do them the disservice of forgetting this.
There is no finer waste of your hard-earned marketing budgets than not utilizing the headings within the Google ad set up properly. One of the most straightforward ways of boosting your ad quality is by ensuring that your heading 1 contains, or consists of, the keywords that your account is targeting within this ad group.
This will change from ad group to ad group, however, when it comes to optimized Google ad copy – heading 1? Always, your primary keyword.
Why so?
This way, when a user types in “Blonde hair extensions”, for example, when your optimized ad pops up, this user sees “Blonde hair extensions” at the forefront of the ad. Naturally, your position in the SERP depends on factors like your account budget, ad quality score, search impression share, and more.
It’s immediately clear that this is an ad that sells exactly what this in-market user is searching for.
But don’t ‘keyword stuff’. Appropriately inserting the targeted keyword in the right places will increase your ads chances of catching, and holding, your user’s attention. You should also opt for keyword variations in your ads, given that there will be multiple keywords you’re likely targeting in your ad group – unless you’re going for a single keyword ad group, in which case you can just stick to just one.
This means that by testing out different variations of your primary targeted keywords in the copy, you can see which drives higher performance. Slowly building an understanding of what messaging your ideal audience prefers.
Break Down Your Ad Copy into Key Factors
Your ad copy messaging is vital when it comes to connecting with your target audience. So it needs to resonate with them; whether that’s by addressing a pain point that’s understood to be a commonality, offering benefits that separate you from your competitors, or offer that are likely to entice audiences into converting.
Your ad copy should be as relevant as possible to what your audience is looking for. There’s no right or wrong way to create content for PPC, but there are best practices when it comes to structuring your ads.
Ideally, in each ad your users will be able to discern these main aspects:
1. Product/Service Features
2. Business USPs
3. Call To Action
For example, if you’re running a health insurance program, then you can break down the components as follows:
Product Features – Low Premium, Fixed Prices, Quick Claim Settlement, Free Check Ups
Benefits – Maximum Insurance Coverage, Cashless Treatment, Tax Benefits
Call To Actions – Get A Simple Quote Now, Get Insured Today, Get A Free Quote Today
By doing this, you can not only streamline the process by which you create your ads, but you’re also ensuring that when users see your ads, they’re getting information that’s relevant. This makes for more effective ads, and higher conversion rates.
Use Appropriate Call to Actions
More often than not, your ads will have Call To Actions (CTAs) that motivate users to click through onto your landing page and convert.
For some industries, like the law industry, for example, ad copy is better spent promoting the particular business-specific USPs rather than an unnecessary CTA, as users are already in-market for a lawyer if they’re searching for these services.
In this case, having “Get In Touch Now” is a wasted headline, because if your audience is already searching for “Family lawyers in London” then they’re going to get in touch because they’re further along the funnel than someone looking for good running shoes – as an example.
However, many ads will need a CTA to drive that Click Through Rate. So it’s essential that you’re using CTAs that are appropriate and impactful.
Common CTAs for sale ads include:
1. Save X% Off Now
2. Book Now
3. While Stocks Last
4. Get £X Off Now
This sets the tone for the ad and lets users know what they can expect.
However, lead generation and non-sale-focused eCommerce campaigns might opt for a less ‘sales’ heavy approach in order to motivate their users.
1. Get In Touch Today
2. Speak To Our Team
3. Explore Our Ranges
4. Shop The Collection
5. Contact Us
6. Shop Now
7. Explore New Season Arrivals
A/B Testing
While this is not strictly optimizing at the outset, A/B testing is a fundamental part of optimization. Especially when it comes to finding the message that works the best for your intended audience.
By A/B testing multiple variations of your ad copy, you can run these to your users, and check their effectiveness after giving the ads enough time to exit the learning phase and start generating insightful data.
Those that are driving the best engagement, most conversions, or highest level of performance depending on your core KPIs can be prioritized while those that are not performing can be paused.
A/B testing essentially ensures that you can trial different messaging and slowly fine-tune your ad copy to specific offerings, language usages, and tone of voice that generates a higher level of engagement and therefore conversions.
At the end of the day, it’s all about finding a message that suits your users, which will vary from client to client and campaign to campaign depending on the messaging, the offer, and the product/service.