Ads to Click For!

How do you write a great ad? What is it that makes one ad get clicked on more than any other?

Obsessed with getting the top ad position, many Google Adwords users will spend a lot of time, energy and money trying to get to push their ads further up the page. They are convinced that the top position guarantees this will increase their click through rate. Generally they are right. The more prominent your ad the more likely it will get looked at.

However "getting looked at" is not the same as "getting clicked".

In my experience though it is not unusual for ads with lower positions to get more clicks than the ad in the top position.

So why is that?

The secret for this is all in the words used in the ad itself.

Whilst writing a clickable ad is not an exact science there are some tips and techniques that can really help boost the clicks your ads are getting. The added bonus is that they will also save you lots money as you shouldn't need to chase the top position to get a good click through rate.

The Key thing is to test different ads using the techniques I'm about to suggest and over time you will see your click through rates climb significantly.

Tip 1: Get your keyword in your ad.

The subconscious mind is a wonderful thing and most people can take in a page of search results almost immediately without realising it. Their subconscious mind is still focussed on the keywords that they just typed into the search engine so it will instantly connect with any ads displaying the same keywords.

So getting your keywords into your ads is a must. The first line is ideal and also repeating it again in the body of the ad will really help.

Tip 2: State the benefits in your second line.

If you had your keyword in the title of your ad, you've drawn their eyes in and they will read the ad more consciously starting with the second line of the ad. So, this is wear you need to state the benefit they will get if they click on your ad. If the need they are trying to satisfy matches with the benefit you are offering then a click is almost certainly going to happen

Tip 3: Include a Call to Action.

By the time they are reading the third line you need to be nudging them to make that click. So make this final line a call to action. Introduce a sense of urgency into your call so that they will take immediate action. A good example of a third line is something like. Act Now. Offer ends Today.

Tip 4: Never forget the purpose of the ad

The purpose of an ad is to get a click. It is NOT to sell your product. The webpage you take them to when they click on your ad should do that. Don't get drawn into writing a sales pitch for your product in the ad. Stick with the benefits that the prospective clicker will get.

Here's an example of what I mean.

Let's assume you are selling a new back pain relief drug. It's easy to start writing about how good the drug was, how cheap etc. So you may write an ad something like this.

Back Ache?
Try our new drug.
Cheapest Drug Available.

Whilst this might sound okay, it's too product focused. Your prospective clicker is looking for benefits. A better ad would be.

Back Ache?
Wave GoodBye To Back Ache.
Relief Guaranteed. Act Now.

Tip 5: Keep it Relevant

This actually isn't about getting more clicks but it's definitely worth saying. Your ad needs to attract people that will be interested in what your offering. I know this sounds obvious but it's amazing how quickly people can loose sight of this as they get completely obsessed on improving their click through rate.

Read your ad and ask yourself this question. If I clicked on this ad what would I expect to see on the webpage I am taken to. If you can't honestly convince yourself that the visitor will get what they expect then you need to rethink your ad.

If you find you are getting a lot of clicks but very few conversions then this is usually a good indication that your ads are giving people the wrong expectation of what they will find on your website.