How to Find the Perfect Ad Text Fit
Are your PPC ads too wordy? With shortened attention spans online, creating PPC ads today isn’t as simple as packing them with tons of persuasive copy. Too much text can hurt your ad performance. However, using too little copy might not convey enough information to entice searchers. There exists a “sweet spot” in the middle that can help optimize your PPC results.
Finding the optimal amount of text for PPC ads is a key component of effective digital marketing campaigns. As Now Media Group knows well, too much copy can overwhelm potential customers, while too little fails to convey key information relevant to your business. By leveraging Now Media Group’s decade-plus of experience crafting click-driving search ads, you can discover that crucial “sweet spot” word count for your own Google and Bing ads.
To explore how the PPC pros at Now Media Group can fine-tune your ad copy for more clicks and conversions, call (858) 333-8950 today.
Why Ad Text Length Matters
In the early days of PPC advertising, when search ad formats were differentiated from organic results, long, detailed copy was common in ads. The idea was that more text equaled more opportunity to influence potential customers. However, today’s search ad formats blend in with organic listings on SERPs.
In this integrated setting, long blocks of promotional copy stand out like a sore thumb. This makes searchers more likely to ignore these unwieldy ads entirely. On the flip side, though, using barebones copy in your ads may cause them to get lost in the results or fail to provide searchers enough reason to click through.
Finding Your Ideal Ad Word Count
When writing new PPC ads, it’s best to start with a tight introductory sentence or two that quickly grabs attention while clearly emphasizing your exact offering. Follow up on these opening lines with concise copy that calls out the main benefits or compelling reasons to click your ad. You want enough information here to convince potential customers of the value proposition without overwhelming them. After drafting initial ads, test variations with slightly expanded or condensed copy to find the right balance. Routinely monitor not just ad CTR but downstream conversion rates, along with average character counts, to determine the ideal text length.
Optimizing Ad Copy Length
Once you’ve found a good base structure and message for your ads, ad extensions can allow you to incorporate additional persuasive copy without cramming more text into the ad itself. Useful extensions like site links, callouts, and structured snippets expand on your ad’s theme while remaining skimmable for searchers. Even ads with multiple extensions enabled should still follow the same rules of keeping base copy direct and benefit-driven. But when used effectively, extensions give you space for more keyword opportunities and detail without going overboard.
Getting your PPC ad copy length right includes not being excessive and rambling or being too compact and vague, but finding the right fit to maximize your ad performance. Avoid the extremes of either very long or short copy by continually testing new textual recipes to determine the ideal word count for clicks and conversions.
Ad Length Tips
Headline
- Keep it Concise: Aim for 5 to 6 words to grab attention quickly yet effectively.
- Include Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords for search engine visibility and targeting the right audience.
- Test Variations: Experiment with different headlines to identify the most compelling ones and see where you get the most engagement.
Description
- Focus on the Key Benefits: Highlight the main advantages of your product or service. Don’t add any fluffy material that’s of no value.
- Maintain Brevity: Aim for 15 to 20 words to ensure a quick read. You don’t want to lose their attention.
- Use a Call-to-Action (CTA): Encourage users to take a specific action, such as “Shop Now” or “Learn More.”
Display URL
- Keep it Clean: Use a clear and simple URL structure. Simple is often best.
- Include Keywords: If possible, integrate relevant keywords for SEO and user relevance.
PPC Ad Text Olympics
Optimizing your PPC ad text length is crucial, but mastering sophisticated techniques like ad extensions and conversion tracking takes experience. The digital marketing experts at Now Media Group have the know-how to dial in your ideal ad copy length while maximizing performance across your campaigns. With over a decade of perfecting results-driving search ads and PPC strategies tailored to businesses big and small, Now Media Group can help you find advertising success.
To put our award-winning team to work for your organization and discover the PPC “sweet spot” word counts to increase your clicks and conversions, contact Now Media Group today at (858) 333-8950.