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Higher Positions Usually Cost More

Targeting your ad copy is a powerful lever: It can raise your ad efficiency by increasing your qualified clicks, so you grow sales in a way that’s cost-effective.

But higher positions usually cost more. And there’s no guarantee that a high click-through rate leads to more sales: If traffic coming from a link doesn’t convert into sales at a high enough rate, the high click through rate is bad news, leading to ad cost out of proportion to corresponding sales, creating an economic loss.

A Better Way to Get Qualified Clicks

Instead, you can increase your qualified clicks by targeting your ad copy. (And Google’s position algorithm takes into account relevancy as well as maximum bid,: so if your copy entices clicks, you’ll climb the page while controlling expense.) The person searching who sees your advertising copy should know exactly what they can expect to see when they click on your ad: hopefully, they should reach the exact product they’re seeking.

Relevance is the critical concept here: getting the copy (and the landing page) right can increase the economic efficiency of your campaigns by 10% or more.

Think Small and Think Hard

Advertisers familiar with the search engines’ character limits don’t have the luxury of writing long. The opportunity is to turn these limits to your advantage. Use them to hone your ability to craft copy that cuts to the chase.

If you’re responsible for your company’s advertising, can you describe why a prospect should buy from you – in three compelling phrases? Can your search provider explain what makes them special – in seventy characters or less?

When you chisel away at your prose, chisel carefully. While you can update copy frequently, there are trade-offs: Google, for example, will start each new ad at a position determined by a set relevancy rating, so new copy means you could drop in position.

Listen” and Repeat

We’re all familiar with the idea that good communicators actively listen and then reflect back what they heard. The same principle applies when crafting advertising copy. Wherever relevant, “echo” the actual search phrase in your copy. Google rewards this “echoed” text with bolding, so to get the most out of this benefit, echo the key terms in the title.

What, exactly, will the visitor encounter when they reach your web site?

When a user searches for “blue-striped widgets,” they’ve said “I’m interested in a subcategory of widgets.” Your copy should respond with your blue widget products and services, rather than trumpeting your laundry list of offerings. Echoing the search phrase qualifies your prospect and gives him the confidence that you understand his need. Identifying specific benefits relevant to the phrase gives the prospect reasons to click.

Consider these two Google ads for the search-phrase “blue-striped widget”:

Blue-striped widgets Buy today at Widget World Great prices and selection www.widgetworld.com

Blue-striped widgets Odd sizes, many patterns Free womble with all widgets www.widgetworld.com

Beyond the first line, the first ad is generic and could easily describe any product or retailer. By contrast, the second ad indicates the retailer’s knowledge of the product and offers a specific reason to purchase. It earns the click.

Say No to Surprises

When you build your keyword list, savvy retailers use Google and Yahoo’s “negative match” and “keyword exclusion.– the features that ensure a marketer of light bulbs won’t serve ads to shoppers searching for tulips.

Keep similar thinking in mind as you develop ad copy. If you want to turn a click into a sale, “no surprises” is among your mantras. Eliminate any ambiguity. If there are exclusions in your selection, make that transparent.

If your prices are exceptionally high — but for good reason – make that clear, too: When searching for house numbers recently, we came across an ad for artisan letters touting the $100 / letter (!) price. That’s a smart way to cut down on unqualified visits and reach out to a shopper with the taste and budget for the unusual. Remember, you pay for every click but only want the ones that generate sales.

Great! Now Repeat 10,000 times

You’ve written the ideal Google ad: In seventy characters or fewer, you’ve reflected the prospect’s search phrase in your ad title, you’ve noted the relevant products and services your company provides, and you even managed to mention a special offer germane to the prospect’s search.

But wait. In an earlier article, when we discussed the importance of effective keyword lists, we suggested that a site selling 2,000 products could easily generate 20,000 terms.

Just when you’ve completed sales poet boot camp, hand-writing those ads (all 20,000 of them!) is looking a bit daunting.

You Need Some Rules

Work with your internal IT team or your search provider to develop logic that builds your ad copy systematically. A well-designed, efficient system carefully mates keyword to ad copy to relevant offers- en masse.

Establish rules that parrot back the search phrase. Map special offers to individual product categories and then use a hierarchy of rules to ensure that your ads default to generic offers (like free shipping) only when no specifics are available—or when dictated by the competitive landscape.

With targeted ad copy deployed across a broad term list that’s tied to unique tracking codes, your search engine marketing program is poised for success.