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Best Practices for Search Campaigns: Write Effective Text Ad Copy for Search Networks
General Requirements for All Search Engines
Note: See each search engine's policy on acceptable ad copy for the full requirements.
Use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
All wide characters and double-byte characters reduce the number of characters permitted per line.
Capitalizing the first letter in each word of your ad is allowed. But a word can't appear in all capital letters to draw attention, unless that is how a term is trademarked. For example, "MAC" is allowed for a MAC brand ad, but "NEW" is not allowed.
Exclamation points are prohibited in headlines/titles, but they are allowed in description line(s).
Special characters such as @,~,\, ^,>,< are prohibited.
Shortcuts, or the use of symbols to replace words, are prohibited. For example, you can't use "U" to replace "you," or "@" to replace "at.
Superlative phrases, such as "Best"' or "#1," are prohibited unless this distinction has been verified by a third party and the verification is clearly displayed on your website.
Use trademark terms only if your client owns the trademarks in question, and the trademarked items must be visible on the landing page.
Inappropriate language is prohibited.
Recommendations for Effective Ads
Headlines/Titles
Write powerful headlines to attract potential customers.
Include keywords in your headline, because that's what most people are looking for. [1]
For some types of product, include pricing in the headline.
Description/Body
Write content that is specific, clearly communicates your intent, and compels the user to click the ad and visit your site.
Include the product, service, and other details (such as promotions) in the description/body.
Always include a call to action in the text, such as "View," "Check out," "Order," or "Sign up," to increase the click-through rate.
Overall Ad
Get to the point fast: include the most relevant information about the business first.
Relate your ad to offers that are on the landing page to help users complete the sales cycle.
Use phrases like "Free Shipping," "Easy Returns," "Free Exchanges and In-store Returns," and "Free gifts," to increase the click-through rate.
If you are offering a discount, include the specific amount or percentage of the discount (such as "20% off" or "Save $20 on first purchase).
If possible, use the keyword both in the headline/title and in both lines of the description/body. [1]
Be sensitive to how the advertiser wants its brand to be perceived. For example, an advertiser may not want the word "cheap" to show up in its ads.
Write more than one ad per ad group, and test the results.
Research what the competitors are doing. Look at the top ads for a space (at sites like www.spyfu.com) and try to understand which ads are working.
[1] If you use keyword insertion, use the correct capitalization for the insertion code:
{keyword:default} = lawn mowers
{Keyword:default} = Lawn mowers
{KeyWord:default} = Lawn Mowers
{KEYWord:default}= LAWN Mowers (which is allowed only if "LAWN" is a brand)
{KeyWORD:default} = Lawn MOWERS (which is allowed only if "MOWERS" is a brand)
{KEYWORD:default} = LAWN MOWERS (which is allowed only if "LAWN MOWERS" is a brand)
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