How to write Google Ads copy that gets clicks.

1. Be specific and concise

Google Ads doesn’t give you much space to write compelling copy. You’ve got 30 characters in your heading and 90 characters in your description.

So, keep your copy concise and specific. Cut out all the extra bits and boil your copy down to the juicy good stuff that matters most. Be clear about your products, services, offers and benefits.

Use words that are sharp and precise, not vague and dull. Numbers and stats are a good option if they’re relevant to your ad.

2. Mention your keyword

People are more likely to click on your ad when they know it’s relevant to their search. Using the right keywords or search terms in your ad copy shows people that if they click on your ad, they’re going to find what they’re looking for. 

Referring to the search term will also boost your quality score, increasing your ad ranking and lowering cost per click. We recommend putting your target keywords in both the headlines and descriptions – but keep it natural. You still need to sound trustworthy and engaging.

3. Focus on solutions

One of the biggest ad copy mistakes is forgetting why your customers are searching. Instead of listing all the features of your service, tell your customers exactly how you can provide what they’re looking for. Solve their problem and you're more likely to win their attention.

Start with your heading – make sure it reflects what they've searched. For example, if someone is searching “cash for cars”, they’re probably looking to get rid of an old car – and earn some cash while they’re at it. Your heading could read something like: “Get Cash For Your Car Fast”, “We Pay Top Money For Your Car” or “Cash For Cars in 1 Hour – Free PickUp”.

4. Highlight your unique benefits

With hundreds of other search results jostling for a Google user’s attention, how are you going to stand out? You’ve got to highlight your unique selling points – or the unique benefits you offer your audience. These are the things that set you apart from competitors and pique the interest of Google users.

Here are some examples:

• Highlight any specials, deals or offers you have, such as “15% Off Your First Purchase” or “Free for 14 Days”
• Emphasise the benefits of your service. For example “24/7 Customer Support” or “Obligation-Free Quote”
• Touch on how your service is better, such as “Quick Installation” or “Fast & Easy”
• Mention key awards or achievements, such as “50+ 5 Star Reviews” or “Award-Winning Service”

5. Maximise all assets (AKA extensions)

Have you noticed all those extra details that come with search results? A phone number, a rating, maybe an address. Those are assets (previously known as extensions). Little bits of extra information to help users make a decision.

Assets are free, and you should use them to boost your click-through rate and get a competitive edge. 

1. Firstly, it frees up your headlines and descriptions so you’ve got more space to focus on your unique selling points and benefits. You don’t need to list your phone number or address in the ad description if it’s already included in an asset.
2. Secondly, assets take up more space, giving your ad more real estate on the page. The more room your ad takes up, the more impact potential it has.
3. Finally, assets make your ads more compelling to Google users because you’re giving them so much more information upfront. It’s a good way of attracting higher-quality leads.

6. Address your target audience

The most basic rule of marketing—know who you're speaking to. Your ad has to be written for your target audience. That means using language, information and key facts that appeal to their needs and interests. In most cases, it’s best to address your audience directly by using “you” and “your” in your ad copy – this is so much more engaging and personal than third-person language “him/her/they”.

7. Include a call to action

A call to action (CTA) tells the user what they should do next. Ads with clear, actionable CTAs perform better than ads that don’t have a CTA at all. Whether you want your audience to sign up for a free trial, get an obligation-free quote or book a free consult – make sure you tell them. CTA’s are a crucial part of knowing how to write Google ad copy.

8. Create a sense of urgency

People are more likely to take action immediately when there’s a sense of urgency involved. For example, they’re more likely to sign up for a free trial when it’s only available this week – and they’re more likely to purchase an item if it’s only on sale today. Consider creating a sense of urgency in your ads by using words like “Now” and “Today”. Countdown timers can also be a great way to increase urgency in your ads.

9. Match your ad to your landing page

Your ad doesn’t exist on its own – it’s simply the starting point of a journey a potential customer has with your business. Your ad copy may get the click, but if your landing page isn't engaging or relevant, you’ve already lost your lead.

Remember that Google uses relevance as a measure of your ad’s success. Ensure that your ad copy is in line with the messaging on your landing page and vice versa. That way you can take potential customers on a smooth journey from start to finish.

Need to optimise your landing page content? Check out these content tips.

10. Add testimonials and reviews

Social proof works wonders when you’re trying to win potential customers. Consider including testimonials, product reviews and star ratings in your Google ads to show potential customers that you’re trustworthy and a great investment.

11. Conduct competitor analysis

Your ad copy may be engaging as hell, but if it doesn’t stand out from the crowd of other ads, you may not get the click. That’s where competitor research comes in.

Take a look at what your competitors are saying—note down the pain points, unique selling points and other techniques they’re using. Your goal is to try and one-up them. Ask yourself: how can I take it one step further to show customers we’re the best in the business?

12. Get location specific

If you’re a business with a physical store, studio or shopfront, get location-specific with your ads – it’ll do wonders to pull in a local audience. Mention locations like “Adwords Management Perth”, “Footscray Family Dentist” or “Byron Bay Yoga Studio” in your headlines and you’ll see a rise in the quality of your leads.

13. Check for errors

A simple tip for any copy your business puts out is to always check for factual errors as well as spelling and grammar mistakes. Blunders like spelling a word wrong, using the wrong tense or misquoting a statistic can all compromise the trustworthiness and authority of your business. Also, make sure you’re following Google’s capitalisation and punctuation rules.

14. Test what works

Experimenting and testing your ad copy for the sweet spot is an essential part of running Google search ad campaigns. Without testing, how do you know what performs the best? 

A/B or split testing is a great tool that any advertiser can use to monitor and optimise their ads. You run two ads that are essentially the same—except for one key difference.

For example, you could change the order of your copy, the specific wording you use or the particular benefits you list. By collecting the results of the two ads over a few weeks, you can see if one outperforms the other. Then you can use this information to optimise your ads and keep doing more of what works. 

Also read: How to calculate ROI on a marketing campaign.

15. Get creative with coding

A lesser-known function in Google Ads is dynamic insertions. Use these built-in coding features to make your ads more interactive, more engaging and more outstanding.

Countdown timers

Set a predetermined amount of time, like a sale 48 hours away, and your headline will count down in real-time.

Dynamic location insertion

Much like keyword insertion, you can ask Google to identify where a user is and drop it in the headline. So you may have a headline like Dentists {location:Perth}. If they're searching from Como, for example, it'll show up as "Dentists Como".