One of the most effective digital marketing tools is the Google AdWords ad. This is an ad which appears on various websites, in a specific format set by Google. The rate of success for this kind of ad depends on the strict compliance with this format and being able to convey your most persuasive message in these conditions.
What Does a Google AdWords Ad Look Like?
You see them everywhere: a short headline followed by an URL and two short lines of text. The specifications of Google AdWords ads are:
- 25 characters for the headline
- 35 characters for the URL
- 70 characters for the descriptive text
Given this meager amount of characters, why would anyone still run Google AdWords ads? They key answer is in the name of the company itself. Google is the farthest reaching search engine and it partners with millions of websites for delivering ads. This means that you do not get much higher on the scale of reach – if you plan and execute your ads the right way.
So, what are the key elements of a Google AdWords ad which brings you not just the clicks, but also the sales that you want?
Targeting
Targeting involves two key aspects: where you want your ads to appear and what keyword you want to promote. The first aspect depends entirely on you and your knowledge about potential customers.
What hobbies and interests do they have? What kind of websites are they likely to visit? If you target new moms on websites for online tutoring or mountain climbing, for example, you have wasted your money.
The second aspect – identifying the right keywords – is partly covered by Google itself: the free keyword search tool it provides you will help you identify a list of keywords which offer you a fair balance between competition (how many companies use them) and search (how many people type in those words in Google Search).
URL Optimization
You only get 35 characters for the URL displayed in your ad, so you must necessarily work hard to craft a customized one. Remember that out of these 35 characters, 6 of them are already lost on “www.“ and “.com”. In practice you have just 29 characters to tell people why they should click on the link. And your keyword must be included in them.
Looking at successful AdWords campaigns, most URLs contain the name of product advertised (www.company.com/leather-shoes).
State What Makes You Special in Your Copy
Following the theoretical example above, with the company selling leather shoes, why would anyone pick your shoes over other manufacturers? What is your key benefit, your special characteristics, which makes your shoes better than your competitors’? Do you offer free shipping for every order? Are your shoes handmade with special care to details? Do you have special, comfortable shoe models for seniors and pregnant women?
Whatever makes your company and your products special must be included in the 70 characters you have available for the description.
Expand Your Reach with Mobile Ads
At the present, there is more internet traffic coming from mobile phones than from computers. This has changed everything in the world of business, sales and marketing. And it includes the way ads are served.
Among other things you must decide when you are preparing your ads is where you want it to be served: on computers only, on mobile phones only, or both. Each option affects your overall campaign budget, so choose carefully. You must know what kind of device your prospects are most likely to use when browsing the internet – this information is available in your website traffic analytics.
Design Your Landing Page Carefully
The last step for a successful AdWords ad is on your website – that is, the landing page the prospects will be directed to once they click the ad. This landing page must be a full answer of the promises made in the ad: it must offer all the details and persuasive arguments people need to click on the CTA button and complete the sale.
