PPC Campaigns: Optimizing Your Ad Copy to Maximize CTR

When running a PPC campaign, the goal is to drive search traffic to a specific site or landing page and get the visitor to take further action: buy something, watch a video, download an asset, sign up for a free trial, etc. To motivate both clicks and the subsequent desired action, ad copy must be engaging, action oriented and relevant to the content on the landing page.

I attended a webclinic hosted by MECLABS that offered two basic principles of copywriting for PPC ads that can drastically increase the CTR (click-through-rate).

#1. The Principle of Connotation

This is the idea that language matters. MECLABS used the example of ‘clinic’ verses ‘center’ for an alternative treatment/rehabilitation facility in a PPC ad. Keeping the offer the same, but when thinking of the viewer, considering which word is more appealing. The word ‘clinic’ has the ability to feel over crowded, frigid and very medical, whereas the word ‘center’ brings some warmth, openness and a welcoming feeling to those in need of rehabilitation services. The CTR increased by 289% when that one word within the ad copy was changed from “Bayside Marin Clinic” to “Bayside Marin Center,” while the rest of the original copy remained exactly the same. MECLABS attributes this increase to changing the copy with the psychological word connotation of the reader in mind.

#2. The Principle of Motivation

The second principle refers to directly motivating the viewer to click the ad through giving them information and action that is relevant and important to their search and topic of interest. If you can capture the three key components of motivation in your ad copy, you’re likely to generate more clicks.

• Relevance
• Importance
• Urgency

By applying these two simple principles, you can dramatically improve the CTR of your PPC campaigns. If you’re new to paid search, these principles will set you off on the right track! For those of you that are needing to reevaluate a current campaign, I encourage you to look at your current PPC analytics, apply these principles to the copy of some under-performing ads and witness the difference immediately.