Write Ad Copy That Gets Clicks & Conversions for Google Ads

Struggling to get results with Google Ads? One of the primary culprits behind this setback is often lackluster ad content.

It's surprising how many people neglect their ad copy, ending up with repetitive headlines and uninspiring descriptions.

To thrive in Google Ads, crafting engaging ad copy that entices clicks and conversions remains an indispensable skill, even with the growing presence of AI in the platform.

👉 MORE AI is Coming to Google Search Ads

Upon analyzing numerous Google Ads accounts, a recurring issue emerges – ads boasting 15 headlines, yet all saying the same mundane things.

To achieve triumph with Google Ads, your headlines must seize attention.

Instead of mundane phrases, use lines like "Keep Your Loved Ones Safe" or "Stop Porch Pirates," dare to stand out!

Now, while employing the four vital elements for successful ad copy in Google Ads is crucial, it isn't the sole key to triumph. Regularly conducting ad copy split tests is equally vital in refining your approach. To guide you through this process, watch my full YouTube video below.

If you are new to copywriting, here is a guide on how to craft a winning ad copy:

The Basic Elements in Google Ads Copywriting

Before you begin crafting your Google Ads copy, let's cover the fundamental building blocks of a Google Ad. An effective Google Ad comprises three main components: the headline, the display URL, and the description. Each of these elements plays a crucial role in attracting your target audience and eliciting the desired emotional response. Let's break them down:

Headline: This is the first line your audience will see and serves as the initial point of contact. An effective headline must be compelling enough to grab the audience's attention while also inspiring an emotional response. It can spark curiosity, create a sense of urgency, or offer a solution to a problem, among other things.

Display URL: This element represents your webpage in the ad. While its primary function is to provide a destination, it can also evoke feelings of trust and credibility. Optimizing the display URL to align with your audience's expectations can add an extra layer of emotional connection.

Description: This is where you can delve deeper into what you're offering. A well-written description not only provides information but also tells a story that can connect emotionally with your audience. It's an opportunity to resonate with their needs, fears, desires, or curiosity, and present your offering as the perfect solution.

Defining Your Target Audience and Identifying Their Emotional Triggers

The key to successful advertising, especially when trying to elicit an emotional response, lies in understanding your target audience. Without a deep knowledge of who you're speaking to, your ads risk falling flat, no matter how well-crafted they might be. Here are some steps you can take to better define and understand your audience:

Audience Persona Creation: Develop detailed audience personas, including demographic information, interests, behaviors, and emotional drivers. These personas should act as a guide to help you understand who you're talking to and what they care about.

Emotional Triggers Identification: Once you've defined your audience personas, identify the emotional triggers that resonate with them. Are they motivated by fear of missing out (FOMO)? Do they respond to feelings of joy or aspiration? Identifying these emotional drivers will help guide your copywriting strategy.

Audience Segmentation: Consider segmenting your audience based on the different emotional triggers you identify. Different segments may respond better to different emotions, and tailoring your ads to these segments can lead to increased engagement and conversions.

By investing the time to understand your audience's emotional triggers, you're able to craft more personalized and emotionally resonant ads. For instance, if you identify that a segment of your audience responds well to ads that invoke a sense of urgency, you can create ad copy that taps into this feeling, compelling them to take immediate action.

Writing Attention-Grabbing Headlines

Crafting a powerful headline is an art. It's the initial hook that grabs your audience's attention and intrigues them enough to want to learn more about your offer. Here are some tips to ensure your headlines are effective and compelling:

Include a Keyword: Add a keyword to increase CTR as people will notice the same phrases that they were searching for. Google also includes keyword focus in their Ad Quality score.

Incorporate Power Words: Power words are dynamic, action-oriented terms that can make your headlines more compelling. Words such as "exclusive," "discover," "save," or "limited" can add an extra punch to your headlines and entice readers to click on your ads.

Address a Problem: Speak directly to a common problem or challenge that your target audience faces. This strategy shows that you understand their needs and have a solution to offer, which can make your ads more compelling and relevant.

Personalize Your Message: Using words like "you" and "your" in your headlines can make your ads feel more personalized and tailored to each reader. This can help to increase engagement and click-through rates.

Keep it Clear and Concise: Your headline needs to quickly and effectively convey your key message. Avoid jargon and ensure your headline is clear, concise, and easy to understand.

Here are some examples to illustrate these principles:

Ineffective headline: "High-quality shoes on sale"

Effective headline: "Discover Your Perfect Style - Limited Time Offer!"

The first headline is bland and doesn't provide a compelling reason to click. The second, however, invokes curiosity with the word "discover," suggests exclusivity with the phrase "limited time offer," and engages the reader on a personal level with "your perfect style."

Crafting a Clear, Compelling, and Relevant Display URL

Your display URL is an often-underestimated component of your Google Ads, yet it provides valuable context and can contribute to the overall effectiveness of your campaign. It serves as a visual indicator of where your audience will land after clicking your ad. Here are some key considerations to ensure you are maximizing the potential of your display URLs:

Incorporate Keywords: Using a keyword that aligns with your ad's offering in your display URL can help to reinforce your message and assure the audience that they'll find what they're looking for when they click on your ad. It also aids in SEO and can improve your ad's ranking.

Ensure Relevance: Your display URL should accurately reflect the landing page. This not only ensures you stay within Google Ads' policies but also builds trust with your audience by setting the right expectations.

Leverage Subdomains and Path Fields: Google Ads allows you to customize your display URL with subdomains and 'paths' (up to two). These can provide extra information and context about your offer. For example, a shoe store could have a display URL like: www.shoestore.com/SummerSale/WomensSandals.

Keep it Clean and Simple: A convoluted URL can be off-putting. Keep your URL easy to read and understand.

To illustrate, let's take a look at two examples:

Unoptimized display URL: www.shoestore.com/product12345

Optimized display URL: www.shoestore.com/SummerSale/WomensSandals

In the first example, the URL does little to tell the reader what to expect when they click the ad. The optimized URL, on the other hand, provides a clear indication of what the ad is promoting, thereby enhancing its effectiveness.

Writing Powerful, Engaging, and Emotionally Driven Descriptions

The description in your Google Ads is where you can truly captivate your audience. It's the space to provide more detailed information, tell a compelling story, and build an emotional connection. Here's how to craft descriptions that are not only powerful and engaging but also emotionally resonant:

Speak Directly to Your Audience: Use your description to directly address your audience and their needs. Show them that you understand their challenges and that your offering is the solution they've been looking for. This type of empathetic language can create an emotional connection and inspire trust.

Utilize Emotional Triggers: Weave emotional triggers into your description that align with your audience's motivations. Words that invoke excitement, comfort, urgency, or curiosity can influence your audience's feelings about your product or service, making them more likely to take action.

Include a Clear Value Proposition: Clearly articulate the unique value your product or service offers. Show your audience why they should choose you over your competitors. This not only provides a rational reason to click your ad but can also evoke feelings of confidence and certainty.

Keep it Clear and Concise: Avoid using jargon or overly complex language. Your description should be easily understood and quickly communicate your main points. A straightforward, compelling description can be more emotionally resonant than one that is confusing or hard to read.

Here's an example to illustrate these principles:

Average description: "Our shoes are made from quality materials and are currently on sale."

Emotionally engaging description: "Experience ultimate comfort with our handcrafted shoes. Don't miss out - your perfect pair awaits at our exclusive summer sale!"

The first description is generic and uninspiring. The second, however, uses emotionally charged language ("experience ultimate comfort", "don't miss out", "your perfect pair awaits") to evoke feelings of anticipation and excitement.

Implementing Compelling Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

The call-to-action (CTA) in your Google Ads is the final nudge that encourages your audience to take the desired action. Whether it's to 'Buy Now,' 'Learn More,' or 'Sign Up,' your CTA should be compelling, clear, and incite immediate action. Here's how to create CTAs that effectively motivate your audience:

Use Actionable Language: Your CTA should direct your audience on exactly what to do next. Start with strong command verbs like "Discover," "Buy," "Register," or "Download" to drive action.

Create a Sense of Urgency: Encourage immediate action by creating a sense of urgency. Phrases like "Limited Time Offer," "Sale Ends Soon," or "Don't Miss Out" can instill a fear of missing out, which can be a powerful motivator.

Highlight the Value: Remind your audience of what they stand to gain by following your CTA. For instance, "Download Your Free Guide Now" emphasizes the immediate value the audience will receive.

Keep it Short and Sweet: A CTA should be concise and to the point. The aim is to convey a clear, quick directive to your audience.

To illustrate, consider these examples:

Weak CTA: "Click here"

Strong CTA: "Discover Your Perfect Style Today!"

The first example is bland and generic, offering no compelling reason for the audience to take action. The stronger CTA, however, uses actionable language ("Discover"), personalizes the message ("Your Perfect Style"), and adds an element of immediacy ("Today").

Effective CTAs are crucial in guiding your audience toward conversion. By making them clear, compelling, and action-oriented, you can increase the chances of your audience taking the desired action, resulting in improved performance for your Google Ads.

Testing and Optimization

Once you have your Google Ads crafted and running, it's not time to sit back and relax. Instead, it's time for testing and optimization. This ongoing process ensures your ads stay relevant, impactful, and perform at their best. Here's how you can approach this:

A/B Testing: Also known as split testing, A/B testing involves creating two versions of your ad with a single variable changed to see which performs better. This could be the headline, description, display URL, or CTA. It's a powerful way to determine the most effective elements of your ad copy.

Monitor Performance Metrics: Keep a close eye on your Google Ads metrics. This includes the Click-Through-Rate (CTR), Conversion Rate, Quality Score, and more. These metrics can provide valuable insights into how well your ads are performing and what may need to be improved.

Adjust According to Insights: Use the insights gained from your metrics and testing to refine your ads. If one emotional trigger seems to be performing better than others, try using it more. If a particular headline style is getting more clicks, implement that style in more of your ads.

Keep Testing: Digital advertising is constantly evolving. What works today might not work tomorrow. Continual testing and optimization are key to maintaining and improving your ad performance.

To illustrate, consider an A/B testing scenario:

Version A: "Discover Your Perfect Style - Limited Time Offer!"

Version B: "Unleash Your Style - Exclusive Sale Now On!"

Both versions could be tested to see which headline performs better. If version B receives more clicks, the headline's style and emotional triggers could be used in future ads.

Optimizing your Google Ads is a constant, ongoing process. Regular testing, monitoring, and refinement based on data and insights will ensure your ads remain effective, leading to improved engagement, more clicks, and ultimately, higher conversions.