How to write ad copy that actually converts (and three major mistakes to avoid)

Search Engine Land says that when you’re testing copy, you should make it worth testing. Use power words or emotional calls-to-action to really analyze what messaging has a stronger appeal and why.

The author says that when it comes to creating ads that convert searchers into customers, many advertisers dive into structure, testing, and more and gloss over one of the most important elements of any campaign: copy. Your ad copy is the very basic building block of your advertising. Getting it right can be the difference between a milquetoast conversion rate and driving huge value for your clients and stakeholders. Alyssa Altman did a deep dive into writing ad copy that actually converts, including understanding search engines, funnels, intent, and more:

“Google, Microsoft, and other search engines have reversed engineered their search algorithms over time (and re-engineered them) to make sure that they are giving someone the best answer to their ‘question’ as humanly possible”

She adds that many pieces of information that used to exist solely on websites are being pulled directly into the search engine results (things like weather, mortgage rates, math problem answers, etc.). That means there’s a lot of competition for clicks in SERPs as a result, and the key to effective ad copy is understanding what your PPC copy is answering in the first place:

• Is someone looking for general company information?
• Are they doing company comparisons?
• Are they doing some window shopping?

How funnels can help
That’s easier said than done, right? Well, Altman says that marketing funnels can help you to figure out how to align intent. Ad copy that converts starts with narrowing down the funnel. The traditional notion of the marketing funnel assumes the user does a search to gain awareness of solutions to a problem. From there, they consider a company/solution, and then they convert, but you can have two searchers using the exact same query with completely different intent. That’s where writing PPC copy gets tricky. To determine what people actually mean when they search for something, advertisers have to test.

This article is well worth a read if you’re not getting the results you need or expect from your own ad copy! It’s full of facts and actionable tips.