Your Google ads are not performing.
It’s frustrating because you have a small number of characters on the search engine results pages (SERPs), and you need to use them wisely. You know the copy must have a people-first approach and offer a cohesive experience to your target audience from query to landing page, but something is missing.
Have you considered leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) powered tools under the guidance of an AI specialist to enhance your ads? This collaborative approach could save you time, offer different ad versions, and provide you with real-time data.
So, how can you improve your pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements? Delve into our practical tips below.
Do You Fully Understand Your Audience?
The first question you need to ask yourself is: am I sure I understand my audience?
Do you know what they want, why they want it, and what their intent is behind the search? Google Ads allows you to get very targeted with advertising and show your advertisements based on demographics, search history, previous brand interactions, and more. But if they are not clicking on your ad, then there is a disconnect with your target audience.
Have you explored Google’s Insights Finder? It can be beneficial in understanding the evolving behaviors and preferences of your target audience, which is crucial for crafting ads that resonate and compel clicks. Also, don't overlook Google Analytics 4 (GA4) audiences and predictive audiences. Your website data tracks your user behaviors and can offer nuanced understanding to tailor your ads effectively.
Regularly harnessing these tools not only aligns your strategy with the dynamic digital landscape but also amplifies your PPC ads' potential to connect and drive conversions.
Are There Better Keywords You Should be Targeting?
Keywords are the foundation of PPC ads, and your Google Ads copy should include keywords that mirror the searcher’s query. The right keywords are getting more competitive, more expensive, and harder to find, especially when there is so much competition for the same target audience.
What can you do differently?
Certainly, revisiting the placement of keywords in your copy and ensuring consistency of keyword placement on your landing page is a smart move. You may also want to consider using negative keywords as well which can help in filtering out irrelevant traffic, saving your ad budget, and improving your ROI by ensuring that your ads reach a more interested and relevant audience.
There are many keyword search tools out there that can help guide keyword selection, including Google Ads Keyword Planner, Semrush, Ahrefs, and even BrightEdge, which is AI-powered for real-time research. However, the true power of these tools is unlocked when coupled with the expert guidance of a digital marketing consultant or agency. They specialize in extracting actionable insights from these platforms to refine your ad strategy, ensuring your keywords are not only relevant but also competitively positioned to capture your audience's attention and drive conversions.
Optimize The Headline and Ad Description
We're all busy people—and potential customers only read the PPC ad headline first, and if it grabs their attention, they will move to your ad description and CTA before hopefully converting and clicking on your advertisement.
If you're not getting the clicks you want, look at your headlines and ad descriptions again. Are you including the keywords your target audience uses in their search? Do you need to change your unique value proposition?
Here are some tips to consider:
- Be Concise and Attention-Grabbing: Headlines should be short, punchy, and designed to catch the attention of potential customers. You have a limited number of characters for each headline (30 characters).
- Create Complementary Headlines: Write three headlines for each ad that work together, building on each other to convey a message about what your customers are searching for without repeating the same information.
- Clearly State Your Offering: Ensure your headlines and descriptions clearly explain what you are selling to attract the right audience.
- Provide Unique Value Propositions: In your descriptions, highlight what makes your product or service unique and why someone should choose your business over your competitors.
- Include Special Incentives: Mention any special incentives you offer, like free shipping, special discounts, or risk-free returns, in your descriptions to make your business more attractive to shoppers.
Personalize Call-To-Actions (CTAs)
Let's say you have your ad ready: your target audience reads your headline, moves to the ad description, and then your call-to-action is the standard, “Click now.”
Boring, right? 😒
This generic CTA may be one of the reasons your Google ads are not converting to sales. Using a more personalized CTA by including specifics about your business, product, or offer will make your CTAs more clickable. Every audience reacts differently to CTAs, so you should duplicate the language your target audience uses as much as possible in your CTA design.
Some examples of more personalized CTAs include:
- Discover More: This CTA invites curiosity and exploration rather than just a straightforward action.
- Get Your Free Quote: Offering something of value, like a free quote, can entice users to click.
- Save Your Spot: This creates a sense of exclusivity and urgency.
- Unlock Special Offers: This suggests a benefit awaiting the user, creating intrigue.
- Explore Our Collection: This is inviting and less commanding than "Buy Now."
- Join Us Today: This creates a sense of community and invitation.
- Claim Your Discount: This CTA creates urgency and offers value.
- Book Your Appointment: Personalized for service-oriented businesses, and it's a direct call to action.
- Start Your Journey: This is enticing and suggests a positive experience awaiting the user.
- Get Started: This is a motivating CTA that encourages users to take the first step.
Copy And Landing Page Cohesion
So you've followed all our tips. You know your audience backward and forwards; you have a killer list of keywords; you've written genuine, compelling ad copy and avoided generic sales language, just like Google wants. Your headline and description line messaging ties to your keywords, and your CTAs are specific and relatable. It’s going well, and your customer is excited to buy your product because your advertisement shows a 20% discount that people want to leverage.
Then they enter your landing page—and it’s like they're entering a different world. 😖
Can we suggest a final reason why your PPC ads may not be performing? Does your landing page deliver what your Google ad promised? The message in your ad copy, including that 20% discount CTA you worked so hard on, must also be featured on the landing page, or your potential customer will feel like there's a disconnect, and you'll lose the sale.
Consider the landing page as the place where the promises made in your ad are fulfilled. It's crucial that the messaging on your landing page aligns seamlessly with your ad copy to provide a coherent and trustworthy user experience. When a potential customer clicks on your ad, they have certain expectations based on the message they've just interacted with. If they arrive to find different information, or if the promised discount or offer isn't immediately visible, their trust can be eroded, and the chance of conversion significantly decreases. We cannot stress enough the importance of the landing page in your Google Ads campaign!
In Conclusion
There is an art in creating Google Ads campaigns that work and convert. As much data informs everything we do, creating an ad campaign that works requires the knowledge and expertise of a digital marketer who knows what they're doing.
Struggling with your paid search advertising? Don't let the frustration of underperforming Google ads hold you back. Contact a WSI Certified Digital Marketing Consultant and let us transform your advertising woes into robust campaigns that deliver results.
