Whether focusing on pay-per-click advertising (PPC) or search engine optimization (SEO), Google is a marketing channel your business must be focused on for growth. With more than a billion monthly searches, consumers using billions of Android devices and 100s of millions of people using Google applications such as Gmail and Google Drive, the online search behemoth is the top place to find your customers.

To understand how important PPC advertising is, take a look at the numbers: businesses make on average $3 in revenue for every $1.60 they spend on Google AdWords. But, spending on PPC advertising can be costly if not done correctly.

You can look at hiring a PPC firm to help manage  your business’s search advertising, or you can DIY with the help of Google Adwords online tutorials and guides. Either way, getting the most out of your Adwords investment starts with creating killer AdWords copy that entices your audience to click.

Here are three tips to writing AdWords copy that converts:

 

1. Speak Directly to Your Customers

When writing PPC ads, it’s important to focus on your customer — what will they get out of your service, what are they looking to solve? Instead of writing copy about your business and what you do, write about your customer and what they need.

To write PPC copy focused on your customer, keep these two tips in mind:

Use “You:” Many copywriters and marketers have studied and tested words that perform best in advertising and get people to click. These “power words” include “free,” “try,” “opportunity,” “learn” and more.

The most important power word is: YOU. Since your ad might be the first interaction with a new customer, you want this to be a valuable first interaction. Use words that indicate you’re having a conversation with them, by using “you” to speak to them directly and connect. Anytime you’re inclined to use the word “we,” think about how you can rewrite the copy to instead use “you.”

Solve a Problem With Your Call-to-Action: What’s the problem your customers are looking to solve by conducting a search in Google? Do they need a new logo? Do they want to replace their iPhone screen? Make sure your PPC ad copy in Google AdWords directly addresses the problem they’re trying to solve.

A great example of both tips above can be found with doing a test search in Google of the phrase, “cheap flights.”

 

google adwords

 

Notice the first ad from Expedia starts out with, “We offer the best deals on flights worldwide.” That phrase addresses what they do, not what the consumer needs. A better example of how you want to write your ad copy is the third ad from eDreams where they say, “Compare and save on your flight.” Instead of talking about what their brand is and what they do, this AdWords copy is speaking to the problem the customer is trying to solve.

 

2. Be Hyper-Local

If you sell products nationally or internationally, you might be inclined to write blanket copy and set your targeting at a bunch of different locations. But, specific copy works best. Focus your ad targeting and copy to geographic regions, and they’ll likely perform better (but do a test, just in case there is a use case that differs for your business). Remember these two tips when creating hyper local AdWords Copy:

Target Locally Instead of Broad: Write your headline and copy to speak directly to the customer within a specific geographic region. Mention their location or specific pain points that might exist for customers in that locale.

Include a Local Number Instead of a 1-800 Number: It’s best practice to include a phone number that customers can “click to call” within an ad. A fair amount of brands and businesses using Google AdWords use a blanket 1-800 number for their Google ads. However, studies show that you could double your conversion rate if you include a local number. You can buy local numbers to use and track within your campaigns through services such as CallRail and Call Tracking Metrics.

 

3. Test Copy, Test Headlines & Test Results

A ton of advice exists online for how to effectively run Google AdWords campaigns successfully. However, a lot of the advice and tactics differ based on business type and products. So, the best advice we can provide is to test, test and test again. Don’t think that your first version of AdWords copy will be your best. Google AdWords copy expert Amy Middleton Hebdon suggests writing three versions of your AdWords copy and testing all three versions. The three suggested versions go as follows:

  1. Write an ad version that answers, “what’s in it for me” and discusses the value of your business and what customers will get from purchasing from you.
  2. The second ad version will focus on the pain point you’re solving and the services you provide.
  3. Finally, your third copy version is a wild card — get creative, write creative copy and headlines and something completely different from the first two ads.

After you write these three versions of copy, load them up in Google AdWords and run all three ads to see which one performs the best. As you test, you’ll learn the type of language that speaks to your customers. And don’t forget — with all your campaigns — make sure you’re tracking the right AdWords metrics to measure your success and return on investment.