Many marketers are starting to come to the realization that while SEO is a vital part of any marketing strategy, the time it takes to build up page rankings could mean the success or failure of their businesses. They are also learning that cost-per-click advertising (CPC) is a way to shortcut the process. It is far easier to develop organic SEO by simply sending traffic to your content than it is spending months or even years getting Google and the other search engines to take your site seriously on nothing but sweat equity.
The only problem is that the notion of quality content extends to everything, including your ads. They are the first line of defense toward capturing those clicks. While there are other mitigating factors, like how much you’re bidding for your ads (which has a direct correlation to the number of impressions your ads get in the first place), once someone sees one of your ads, the content has to be compelling enough to make people want to learn more.
Today I’m going to give you five do’s and five don’ts that, together, will help you put in motion a high-converting PPC ad campaign.
The Dos
1. DO Write Engaging Headlines
For a number of PPC ad companies, you have to get the job done with text. This means that the message you send with your words has to compel the reader to click through. How do you do this? I have a few rules that I follow and that I look for when freelancers who work for my copywriting company write ads for clients.
• Involve the user – “You” and “your” are your friends. It’s not “5 ways to burn belly fat,” it’s “5 ways you can burn stubborn belly fat in just 30 days.” This makes the readers part of the conversation and makes them feel involved in the process.
• Define a call to action – Instead of “5 Great American Landmarks,” try, “5 American Landmarks to see on your next road trip.”
• Keep it simple – 50-55 characters is the sweet spot for ads. Never go above 70, but try not to go below 45 either.
2. DO Use Emotional Language
Words like “explore” and “discover” are proven to get more clicks than words like “learn,” especially when it’s the leading word in your headline. There are also analytical tools out there that will let you know if you’re hitting the right emotional hot buttons in your ads.
3. DO Hit the Pain Points
Remember that belly fat headline? Words like “stubborn” and other negative adjectives can really put the reader in “help me!” mode, but you have to squeeze the solution into those 55 characters, too. I managed it in 54 with that example, in case you hadn’t already counted.
4. DO Position Yourself as an Authority
This is where you start to build trust. You have information the reader doesn’t know but needs to know. Not to harp on the same subject, but another angle to the belly fat theme could be, “5 things to stop eating if you want to lose belly fat” (that’s 53 characters, by the way – see how effective that little bit of real estate can be?).
5. DO Know the Rules That Govern Ad Content on Your Ad Network
Bear in mind that every ad network has its own rules, so check the policies before you go to the trouble of writing ads only to have them rejected. Some, for example, do not allow a call to action in the headline because of the way some marketers abuse them. I’ll get to how they manage that in a minute.
The Don’ts
1. DON’T Over-Hype Your Message
Some ad companies disallow calls to action because they say they create unrealistic expectations or shift the focus off the actual relevance of the content.
Instead of, “Click here to learn 10 marketing secrets that will help you fire the boss,” try a more subtle approach with, “10 pro marketing strategies you should be emulating.” There’s no questionable promise here, just a message that that you have information the reader might find useful. The call to action is focused on the reaction to the content, not the ad, which, in our experience, is subtle enough to make it past most editorial reviewers.
2. DON’T Try to Sell Anything with Your Ad
I think I should probably qualify that statement a little better: Don’t try to sell anything besides the value of the content. Once they click through, follow up with relevant content and monetize however you wish.
3. DON’T Be Too Formal
Ads that are more native in appearance seem more conversational. That means don’t capitalize headlines as if they were… well… headlines. Write in phrases like you’re writing a sentence. It’s more personal.
4. DON’T Be Too Subtle
Make sure your ad is clear about what’s waiting on the other side. If your content doesn’t match the message in your ad, it’s only going to increase your bounce rate and wreak havoc with your ROI.
5. DON’T Be Deceptive
For the same reasons mentioned above – you will accomplish nothing by baiting people to your site under false pretenses beyond making people distrustful of you and your intentions. This is a big deal if you ever do want to start seeing that organic traffic start to flow.