7 Google Ads Copy Tips to Get More Clicks
Your copy can make or break your AdWords campaigns. In this guide we will take your through the top 7 Google Ads copy tips that will ensure you get the most clicks for your buck.
AdWords Copy Tip 1: Make Your Point Early On
With Google Ads, space is not your friend. You have limited characters to get your point across and make those potential shoppers click through to your store. Therefore the first thing you will want to ensure with your AdWords titles and descriptions is that you’ll want to make your point as quickly as possible. You can have the best copy in the world, but if you wait too long to reach their pain point you’re going to run out of space and your message will be lost. The fix? Getting to your point as quickly as possible and forget all the unnecessary words.
Let’s say you’re an online clothing store selling affordable coats. If someone is searching for ‘cheap winter coats’ then they will be looking for price points in your AdWords search ad copy. You’ll want to make sure you highlight your affordability/cheapness/discounts as early on as possible. You also want to include things that make your jackets affordable such as ‘free shipping, ‘70% off’ or ‘starting from $X.’
Here’s google’s breakdown of adwords ad sections and character limits:
AdWords Copy Tip 2: Get Clicks with Power Words
Next, you’ll want to make sure your titles and/or descriptions include power words that help you get more more clicks. Power words are what we in the copy game call words that trigger emotion and elicit curiosity and therefore clicks. Words such as: opportunity, sale, free, try, exclusive, get, now, best, affordable, etc. Including these small but powerful words is a sure way of getting more clicks with your SERP (search engine results page) ads.
Here’s a list of popular AdWords power words to get your creative juices flowing:
| Accelerate | Enhance | Obtain | Achieve | Extend | Offer Ends Soon |
| Avoid | Faster | Potent | Beat | Final | Powerful |
| Best | Find | Prevent | Best Buy | Free | Price Cut |
| Boost | Free Sample | Prime | Build | Gain | Profit |
| Buy | Generate | Provide | Buy and Get | Genuine | Quick |
| Buy Now | Get | Raw | Buy Today and Save 70% | Great | Reduce |
| Buy-today | Guarantee | Refinance | Care | Hurry | Retire |
| Cash | Improve | Sale | Certified | Increase | Sale |
| Change | Join | Sale Ends Tomorrow | Cheap | Last | Save |
| Complimentary | Last Chance | Say | Create | Learn | Score |
| Cut | Leverage | Seize | Cut | Limited Time | Show |
| Decrease | Lower Prices | Smash | Develop | Lowest | Take Advantage |
| Discount | Lowest Price | Tell | Discover | Make _ Per Week | The Best |
| Discover Your Potential | Make Money Now | Try | Don’t | Marked Down | Ultimate |
| Donate | Money Off | Uncover | Download Free Trial | Most | Vital |
| Drive | Most Comprehensive | Want | Easy | New | Wider Variety |
| Eliminate | Now is Your Chance | You Should |
AdWords Copy Tip 3: Tap into Emotions with Triggers
As we mentioned above, emotional triggers are super important when crafting your AdWords ad text to ensure you get those clicks. This is not just about using power words, but ensuring your whole ad -titles and descriptions included -, triggers shoppers’ emotional impulse to click to your store. You can do this by ensuring your text does things like appeal to those shoppers who don’t want to feel left out by creating urgency, or appeal to emotions such as humor or intrigue, creating curiosity.
To do this, you’ll want to tap into the emotions of your potential shopper using copy triggers to enforce it and get the ad clicks you want. How do you tap into the emotions of your shopper? By highlighting the benefits - not the features - of the products you are selling. Benefits address pain points, express product value, alleviate possible fear and elicit emotions needed to get those clicks.
AdWords Copy Tip 4: Don’t Forget Your CTAs (Call to Actions)
You may be short on space, but like with any marketing you do, without a CTA your text won’t be effective enough to get those clicks. The trick to a good CTA is that it is clear, to the point (we don’t have a lot of space, remember) and includes action. It can be anything from ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Click for Discounts’ to entice clicks and create urgency or as creative as ‘Read Our Best Reviews Now.”
It all depends on what URL you’re pointing to. You wouldn’t have a ‘Sign Up Now to Save’ CTA if you were not redirecting the browser to a sign-up landing page. Take a look at these three AdWords SERP ads displaying straightforward CTA when I searched “affordable car rental.”
All three have similar CTAs which are:
- Ad 1: Book Online Today
- Ad 2: Book Now & Save
- Ad 3: Save Today!
But it’s ad 2 whose CTA stands out for me. Its “Book Now & Save” creates urgency while implying that booking is quick and if you do it now, you will save. Here’s another example of two AdWords Serp ads that show up when I search for cupcakes in New York.
The first ad’s CTA is, “Order Cupcakes Online for Pickup or Delivery”, while the second ad actually has two, the “Order Yours Today!” which is easy to spot and, less noticeable, “Choose From Our Delicious & Fun Designs.”
Here is a good list of words that make good building blocks for CTA’s to help get your started:
| Access | Checkout | Double | Form | Make | Produce |
| Run | Tap | Acquire | Click | Download | Gain |
| Manage | Program | Rush | Test | Act | Collect |
| Drop | Gather | Master | Purchase | Satisfy | Think |
| Activate | Come | Earn | Get | Maximize | Put |
| Save | Tour | Add | Compare | Ease | Give |
| Nab | Qualify | Score | Trade | Apply | Compile |
| Edge | Go | Navigate | Quit | Seal | Train |
| Attain | Connect | Elevate | Grab | Obtain | Rate |
| Search | Trave | Attend | Consult | Eliminate | Grasp |
| Open | Read | Secure | Treat | Be | Contact |
| Guide | Opt | Realize | See | Triple | |
| Beat | Create | Engage | Haul | Order | Receive |
| Seize | Try | Begin | Customize | Enhance | Heighten |
| Overhaul | Recognize | Select | Turn | Beware | Decide |
| Enlist | Help | Own | Recruit | Send | Uncover |
| Book | Decrease | Enrich | Imagine | Package | Redeem |
| Share | Unleash | Boost | Deliver | Enroll | Improve |
| Pay | Reduce | Shop | Unveil | Brighten | Design |
| Ensure | Increase | Perform | Refine | Sign | Unwind |
| Bring | Develop | Enter | Insure | Visit | Register |
| Sort | Update | Broade | Diagnose | Entertain | Join |
| Pinpoint | Renew | Speak | Upgrade | Browse | Discover |
| Escape | Keep | Place | Repair | Start | Use |
| Build | Do | Exceed | Learn | Plan | Report |
| Stop | Verify | Buy | Dominate | Expand | Let |
| Plunge | Request | Submit | View | Call | Don’t |
| Expose | Lift | Research | Subscribe | Watch | |
| Catch | Discover | Feel | Lighten | Polish | Reserve |
| Support | Write | Cater | Do | Find | Limit |
| Prevent | Revamp | Take | Yield | Check | Dominate |
| Flaunt | Locate | Prevent | Review | Talk | Zip |
| Don’t | Look | Rock |
Some CTA’s you could make from these are: Don’t Delay. Try Now. Earn VIP Points. Search Best [Products] Now… Just to name a very few.
AdWords Copy Tip 5: Add Stats and Numbers to Headlines
As we said, less is more when it comes to AdWords copy, and headline stats and numbers are a good way of making a clear point, quickly and effectively. To show you just how effective, here is a great eCommerce AdWords copy example.
This online store uses numbers throughout their ad and in their headline. At a quick glance I can see that I can save 50% while enjoying fast delivery. They also show their lowest price, have recommendations and a good CTA: “Order Now!” This is a highly effective ad. By listing the price they are showing just how affordable they are in a simple, no-mess no-fuss way.
Not only does it make it easy to see at first glance what is being offered and for how much, but by being straightforward and upfront it gives an extra level of trust to a potential shopper who hasn’t bought from you before and therefore a higher chance of a click.
AdWords Copy Tip 6: Make Sure Your URLs are Keyword Rich and Unique
URLs matter more than you think and it is often a novice mistake to overlook just how much sway they have on how many clicks you get. URLs are the second thing a searcher will see after the headline, and they should not only include one of your prime keywords but also give you that added push. The URL is essentially part of your ad and therefore part of your ad copy.
The biggest advantage of having keywords in your destination URLs is that even if you are not bidding on that specific keyword, you have a chance of your ads showing regardless because of the words in your URL.
Here’s an example of a good URL from Farfetch. It’s clear and has their keywords ‘Nike’ and ‘Sale’ in their URL.
AdWords Copy Tip 7: Test, Test, Test!
And last, but NOT least: Test, test, test! Testing your ads is the key to marketing success and Adwords copy is no different. Test between headlines, offers, keywords, URLs, CTAs. Test until you have that winning, converting, combination. This is very helpful if you have a low performing ad where you want to check how one change affects your clicks or if you want to compare and narrow down two headline options, for example, before launching new search ads to make sure you choose the copy that brings in the most clicks!
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There you have it, 7 Google Ads copy tips for more clicks. Want to take the hassle out of AdWords optimization? Try our traffic booster today!