With so many rules, styles, and quirks, writing can be tricky. It’s easy to get your thoughts jumbled up or make grammatical mistakes. But when business is involved, your writing chops can either bring in customers or send them scrambling away.
Luckily, you don’t have to be the best writer in the world to create a strong pay per click (PPC) campaign. You just need to fine tune your copy at each campaign stage. Read on to see how fixing your words can improve your search ads, landing pages, and calls-to-action.
Search Ad Copy
Because search ads don’t typically feature exciting visuals, an ad’s copy (or text) needs to catch attention all on its own.
Keep Messages Clear. Since search ads give you a limited amount of writing space, it’s essential that your copy stays simple. Stick to plain language and avoid using unnecessary words and phrases that may cloud your message.
Include Targeted Keywords. You should write your ad copy with relevant keywords in mind. Using keywords that closely align with or are identical to a user’s search terms improves the chances of your ad popping up on their radar. Matching keywords also appear in bold, drawing a user’s eye to the ad.
Offer Something Valuable. Include details in your copy that differentiate you from the competition. You can add a blurb about a premium or exclusive product line or promote a current sale. Adding a small trust indicator, like an aggregated rating statistic, can also entice potential customers to click through.
I did a quick search for women’s boots and stumbled upon this PPC ad for Zulily. As you can see above, my search keyword, “boots,” is highlighted in bold within the body text. The headline features the site’s 70% off deals, pointing out Zulily’s bargain angle. There’s also a starred rating metric within the ad, letting me know that other people think Zulily is a great place to shop.
Landing Pages
When they click through your ad, users should arrive on an appropriate landing page. Here, your copy works to engage visitors and hopefully present an answer to their search.
Match Keywords. Take the keywords you included in your PPC ad and make sure to add them onto your landin page. That way, when users click through, they’re presented with information relevant to their search. Matching keywords will also optimize your page for search, so even if you’re not paying for a search ad, your page still might rank highly in search results.
Direct Attention. Arrange your page content in a logical order so users don’t have to go searching for what they’re looking for. You can highlight important content by experimenting with copy design elements like font size and color. Someone will probably look at big, contrasting text first before reading the rest of the page.
Line Up Your Language. Tone and language play an important role in gaining users’ trust. Your page should have the same tone as your PPC ad. Think about it: it would be jarring to click on a funny ad, only to land on a page about funeral services. The same goes with actual language: if your PPC ad is in French, then your landing page should be in French, too.
Zulily’s landing page for women’s boots shares a lot of information in a nicely designed layout. At the top, there’s a header with shopping options, including product categories like, “New today,” and “Last chance,” both phrases that mirror the PPC copy’s tone. The headline, “Boots for Women,” appears prominently above the products.
Calls-to-Action
The job of your call-to-action (CTA) is to convince your visitors to convert. Your copy here needs to effectively direct users on what to do next.
Get to the Point. Like your ad copy, keeping your CTA message concise is best. Nobody wants to read a paragraph of instructions when a sentence would suffice. Clearly state what you want the user to do with phrases like, “Sign up for free,” or “Click to learn more.”
Create Urgency. Fear of missing out drives a lot of decision-making these days. Building a sense of urgency or scarcity can push users to immediate action. Write your copy with emotionally charged words, such as, “Hurry,” “Act now,” “Last chance,” or “Limited edition.”
Appeal to the Eye. People are more likely to trust a website with great design. The same goes for your CTA. Don’t pack it with too much distracting content. Arrange your copy so that important information can be read at a glance, and make sure to choose fonts that are legible and appropriate for your message.
When I clicked through the Zulily ad, I arrived on a product page. But before I could buy some shoes, I had to fill out this form. Zulily’s CTA acts as a gateway to their content. In exchange for my email address, Zulily will send me “daily deals” emails that could save me a lot of money. Even if I don’t buy anything this visit, Zulily can still reach out to me in the future.
The Bottom Line
Your copy choices can make or break your PPC campaign, but if you keep your communication clear, you’ll see more conversions coming your way.
This post originally appeared on eZanga.