Why Pay Per Click is the Copywriters Biggest Contest

Many use pay per click (PPC) campaigns to drive fresh leads to their site, and well they should, it is a quick and easy way to do just that.  What many don’t realize is the little ads one writes serve as one of the greatest competitions on the web.  Copywriters aren’t typically known as being fiercely competitive, but obviously everyone wants a great return on investment when handling their PPC campaign management.  Good news is PPC search engines reward the best performing ads with higher rankings, more qualified traffic, and at a better price.  The bottom line, the better the ad the more likely you’ll get clicks (and sales) for less money.  In this post, I’ll share 3 components of a good PPC advertisement.

Why Pay Per Click is the Copywriters Biggest Contest

Great Headline

It’s important catch the attention of the reader so they might read more.  The headline is the first thing searchers see when looking at an ad.  A great headline should engage the reader and encourage them to read on.

In the screenshot there are several ads.  Which headline (blue text) do you find most compelling?  To be fair, it really doesn’t matter what we as marketers think, it isn’t about us, it is about what the market responds to.  I think there is a reason that two identical headlines appear twice for this key phrase (organic food).  What are your impressions?

Great Subhead with CTA

It’s important to motivate the reader to read the ad.  The subhead should offer something to the reader, again, to engage them and encourage them to click, or read on.  The first ad does that quite well, the call to action is subtle, offering answers to questions.  Others are talking about products, or saving money, the last ad seems irrelevant altogether!

Great Domain Name

A solid domain name is great.  The Google adwords campaign now mandates that the domain name displayed in the ads must be the domain name the landing page is served from (not automatically taking them to another page). I am not sure if this is the case on other popular ad networks (chime in with a comment below if you know). While this may create some limitations, it is a great way to brand your domain, while offering an intriguing directory, or page name.

One opportunity that is missed in many ads, is using a clever sub-domain to build relevance and/or intrigue.  Notice only two of the ads offer a sub-directory, and one is bolded as it is a word in my search phrase (organic food).  It stands out, and is rewarded for having the word in the display link.

Lower Cost

While it typically costs more to get a higher position with your PPC campaign, what newbies often don’t realize is that, as ads perform better, they get higher placement and the cost actually falls as the search engines reward you for delivering relevance to its searchers.  This is a great motivator to write great copy!

As you consider your next PPC campaign, remember, it is a contest. Look for examples of great headlines that aim to catch the attention of the reader, compelling sub-headlines and call to action.  Lastly, use an intriguing domain name and/or directory name as the final bait for searchers to click through.  If you win this contest, you’ll get a better understanding of your market, while increasing qualified traffic at less cost.  That is a great combination by any standard.

Agree? Your thoughts?  Chat it up with your comments below . . .

image credit to davichi

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