8 Tips To Write Amazing Google AdWords Copy

When done correctly, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising with Google Ads can provide a 200% ROI and boost your brand awareness by 80%.

Why’s that?

It’s because your search ad will jump to the top of page one of Google’s SERPs – all without having to rise in the rankings organically through SEO. 

However, writing effective Google Ads can take some practice, especially since you need to fit your ad copy into a limited space while also trying to stand out from your fellow advertising competitors.

In this article, we’re going to break down 10 simple yet highly effective tips to help you drastically improve your ad copy.

When you implement them, you’ll see your click-through rates (CTR) go up while your costs go down!

Read on to discover our insider advice for writing amazing Google AdWords copy.

1. Use Keywords To Mirror The Search Query

One of the most common mistakes that we see with PPC accounts is with message match, which is the process of matching your ad content to a specific search query – or the link that directs visitors to your landing page.

When a user enters a search query into a search engine like Google, they’re giving you a glimpse into their mind. From the query or keyword, you can determine:

• If the user is looking for a product or a service. (i.e., ‘best running shoes’ would be a product, while ‘​​masseuse new england’ is looking for a service)
• If there is buyer intent. (i.e., ‘sneakers deal’ shows an intent to make a purchase)
• If the user is looking for information. (i.e., ‘what are’ or ‘what is’ keywords)

As such, the keywords you choose to include in your ads are extremely important. You’ll want to conduct some thorough keyword research so you can match your target audience’s searcher intent as closely as possible. 

In this regard, keyword research is just as crucial for paid ads as it is for organic SEO. 

That’s why the first step to creating a Google Ads campaign is using specific keywords in your copy that mirror your target audience’s search query.

Google Ads allows you to get extremely specific for which queries you want your ad to show up for, so you want to use this to your advantage.

Understanding ad groups 

You’ll likely want to create an ad group for each Google ads campaign you create. 

What’s an ad group?

It’s a group of ads that contains similar targets or search terms. Each ad group needs to have a series of related keywords to use. 

If you use too many keywords in one ad group, it will be difficult to use them all in an ad while still writing relevant copy. As a result, your Quality Score will go down – and you’ll show up on fewer SERPs related to your niche. 

Most industry experts agree the sweet spot lies within 1 – 5 tightly grouped keywords. That gives enough room for keyword insertion while still leaving space to get creative with your copywriting. 

Editor’s note on keyword research 

If you need some help with keyword research, check out these easy strategies. In no time, you’ll have a list of high-quality keywords related to your niche. 

Pro tip: Keep it very simple with the usage of keywords in the ads. It’s best not to get poetic here, as being on the nose is far better. 

You’ll want to add your keywords to a few key spots in the ad. In your Google Ad copy, insert keywords into the headline, description, and display URL. That ensures your ad addresses what your audience wants and persuades them to click on it.

Understanding match types 

For the keyword ‘lawn mowing service’, we can match the following queries

Broad match (loose matching): Ads may show on searches that relate to your keyword such as “lawn aeration prices”.

Notation for inputting keywords– lawn mowing services (without any brackets or inside quotations).

Phrase match (moderate matching): Ads may show on searches that include the meaning of your keyword such as “lawn mowing service near me,” “hire company to mow lawn,” or “landscaping service to cut grass.”

Notation for inputting keywords– “lawn mowing services” (keyword in quotations).

Exact match (tight matching): Ads may show on searches that are the same meaning as your keyword such as, “lawn mowing service” or “grass cut service”

Notation for inputting keywords– [lawn mowing services] (keyword within square brackets).

2. Structure Your Ad Copy Around The Searcher’s Desired End Goal

Now that you have a list of search queries for your text ads – it’s time to get down to business with writing the Google Adwords copy. 

You won’t have much wiggle room here, as a Google Ad takes up very little space on a SERP. As such, being concise is the name of the game here. Here’s a list of the character limits for writing text ads:

• Headline 1: 30 characters
• Headline 2: 30 characters
• Headline 3: 30 characters
• Description 1: 90 characters
• Description 2: 90 characters
• Path (2): 15 characters for each one

30 characters is not a lot of room when trying to use keywords and make the headline relevant – nor is 90 characters for the description. 

To keep things concise when writing your Google Ads text, consider your target audience’s end goal. 

In other words, what do they ultimately want to accomplish by searching for your keyword online, and how can your product or service help them do this? 

Advertisers often get lost in the weeds with what their product is – advertising the product itself vs. the end result. For example, they’ll boast about the elite features of a product but never clue the audience in on why they need it to solve their problems. 

Let’s say your company is selling an oscillating fan. It has 10 different speeds, adjustable height, and can even connect to your WiFi. 

In the Google ad, you roar about its amazing capabilities – yet miss the main selling point. (i.e., ‘The Most Advanced Fan Ever’ as a headline)

Here’s a much better version of that same headline ‘Beat the Heat with Our Fan.’ It’s concise and fully addresses the customer’s end goal. They want to get out of the heat, and that’s what you just promised with your headline. 

And note that Google’s response to Responsive Search Ads means that you get to use more headlines and descriptions, so you don’t need to pick just one. Here’s a great resource on this.

Remember, don’t get caught up in all the fancy details of your product – that’s what the landing page will provide later. 

3. Back Up Your Claims With Specific Numbers

Do you have a statistic you can include with your Google Search ad? If so, do it! 

Numbers are easy for our minds to digest, and they add credibility to your advertisement. For example, if you’ve saved money for clients in the past, get specific and put a number on it. 

To illustrate, which one of these performing ads has more power in your opinion?

• Ad A: Through our digital marketing services, we’ve helped countless clients increase their revenue significantly. 
• Ad B: Thanks to our digital marketing expertise, we were able to help our clients earn over $1,000,000 in revenue so far. 

Ad B is more persuasive because it puts an actual number to the claim. The company is letting you know that they’ve helped clients earn millions, and they have the figures to prove it. Including specific numbers will always be more persuasive to customers, so you should include them wherever you can. 

Beyond that, there’s merit to getting even more specific. That’s because exact figures like 2,512 can improve ad performance over round numbers like 2,500+ because we associate precise details with authenticity.

Therefore, if you’re going to use numerical claims in your Google Adwords copy, opt for writing out the specific number, not just a generalized version of it.

For example, you might say:

• 3,987 customers’ lives have changed
• $7,945 saved this month
• 587 proven case studies

Do some digging to discover the statistics for your company so you can put them in a new ad. Specific numbers and statistics can help you increase your conversion rate – so don’t forget to include them in your copy wherever possible.

4. Keep It Personal By Writing ‘You’

A common mistake that we see in writing ads is the advertiser talking about themselves. In other words, they harp on and on about their products, awards, and successes. (i.e., we were rated the top real estate firm in Los Angeles three years in a row!’)

Yet, the truth is that searcher isn’t there to learn about you – they are there to solve THEIR problem, so you should speak to them specifically. 

The example above is a poor ad because it doesn’t let customers know what their real estate services will do for them. Instead, it lists an award that they’ve received, which doesn’t tell you anything about what they can do for you. 

When it comes to writing successful Google ads text, it’s all about ‘you’ (well, them).

Remember how we mentioned that great ad copy focuses on your customer’s needs?

This is achieved by personalizing your ads and referring directly to the reader (you, your), rather than talking about yourself as a company (I, we, our).

If you want to draw attention to the results page, make your ad copy directly address the reader in an enticing way. Instead of listing an award, the real estate agency listed above might try something like this, ‘Selling Your Home Stress-Free.’ 

Now the ad addresses the reader directly and lets them know they can help sell their home without any stress. 

That’s far more appealing to a prospect than listing your awards. That doesn’t mean your awards don’t have any merit – just that they’re best left for your landing pages. You only have so much space to work with, so your ad snippet needs to address the reader and get straight to the point. 

5. Keep Things Current

When writing your ads, try to keep your copy as up-to-date as possible. That’s because users are attracted to ads that contain recent information. The last thing you want is for your ad to feel too dated – as that will lead to users glossing over it. 

How do you make ad copy ‘current?’

There are lots of ways, and they usually involve adding a few tweaks to existing ads. 

One of the easiest ways to do so is to include how many clients you’ve serviced within the month or year. Here’s an example to visualize it:

• Debt Relief Services: 500 clients helped in March 

That lets users know that your services are up-to-date and that you’re finding recent success. Including current information in your Google Ads can lead to better conversion and click-through rates, so it’s well worth the effort. 

6. Optimize Your Headline and Description

There’s a real art to Google Ad copy – and it’s primarily a balancing act. In other words, you need to strike the perfect balance between optimizing the ad for keywords as well as including relevant information designed to convert. 

It can be a bit tricky to find this happy medium, especially since you only have 30 characters for the headline and 90 for the description. 

To help, here’s a list of elements to include in your ad copy:

• Your target keyword
• Address customer pain point
• Provide a solution 

As long as you have all three included in your ad, you should be good to go. It’s up to you if you want to include statistics or current information during the ‘provide a solution’ phase. As a rule of thumb, though, your ad should have all three of the elements listed above. 

Let’s consider an example so you can see these elements in action. A small business called ‘Theme Lion’ creates eCommerce landing pages for merchants. Their keyword is ‘ecommerce theme,’ and they want to sell to online business owners. Here’s an example of an ad using all three elements:

• Theme Lion | Custom Ecommerce Themes. Can’t find a layout for your online store? Call us for five-star themes tailored to you. 

Voila, the company now has an optimized Google Ad that checks all the boxes listed above. It includes the target keyword, addresses a customer pain point (not being able to find a suitable ecommerce theme), and then poses a solution. 

That’s all it takes to write a succinct online ad that will generate clicks for you. Yet, in order for it to also convert, you’ll need to continue this type of persuasive copy on your landing pages. 

7. Leverage Loss Aversion with Countdown Timers

Nobody enjoys the fear of missing out (FOMO). It’s what leads many of us to engage in social events that we wouldn’t normally – all in hopes of experiencing something we don’t want to miss. 

The good news is you can use FOMO to enhance your Google Ads with countdown timers. 

Google recently added a countdown timer feature to its ads. To use it, add this snippet to your headline or description ‘{=.’

Doing so will bring up the countdown timer popup. It allows you to set specific times for the end of the countdown and how many days before it starts.

This is a fantastic feature that you should use on ads that have time-sensitive components. An example would be a special retail sale that only happens once a year. Without the timer, your customers may not know that it’s only for a limited time. 

The simple addition of a timer counting down will trigger loss aversion in your prospects or the FOMO. They’ll see the precious seconds ticking down and will want to take advantage of your great prices while they still can. 

In addition to sales like Black Friday, you can also use countdown timers for other reasons – such as a timer for a product that’s about to go OOP (out-of-production). Starting a sales timer will elicit a sense of urgency in your customers – and they’ll want to buy the product before it disappears. 

You can also use countdown timers for selling services, too. Do you have a special package you’re running at your spa for a limited time? If so, include a countdown timer for it! The more urgent you can make your ad appear on Google, the better it is for your click-through and conversion rates. 

8. Include a Call-To-Action (CTA)

Last but definitely not least, every ad needs a strong and persuasive call to action. 

After all, a prime reason for placing a Google Ad in the first place is to get people to take a particular action. It could be as simple as signing up for a newsletter or as in-depth as calling for a consultation on home renovations. 

It may sound crazy, but you have to be very clear about what you want the searcher to actually do next.

Where will they go when they click on the ad? Does your landing page continue sending them down the funnel? What is the next step?

According to Google, keywords such as “purchase,” “order,” or “browse” clarifies what the following steps the target audience should take.

Just remember that your CTA must tie in with your searcher’s end goal, and your ad’s URL must deliver relevant content. Whether they’re looking for products, services, or information, your CTA should be in line with their goals. 

Concluding Thoughts: 8 Tips To Write Amazing Google Adwords Copy

By implementing these 8 tips to write successful Google Ads text, you’ll be well on your way to reaching more potential customers than ever before. Remember to do thorough keyword research, focus on the end goal of the customer, and include a CTA in your ads. 

Do you need help running PPC ad campaigns?

At HOTH PPC, we specialize in creating profitable PPC campaigns for our clients. That means you can focus on running your business while we design winning ads that will convert. 

If you’d like additional help setting up your Google AdWord campaigns or improving conversions, don’t wait to schedule a PPC strategy session with us today! 

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