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Best Practices for Search Campaigns: Create Effective Ads for Content Networks

General Requirements for Text Ads on 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 prohibited.

  • 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

  • Create ad copy that is designed for the intended audience.

  • Create ads that are specific, clearly communicate your intent, and compel the user to click the ad and visit your site.

  • Include the product, service, and other details (such as promotions) within the ad. For some types of products, include pricing in the ad. 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).

  • Include keywords in the ad, but avoid keyword insertion.

  • Use phrases like "Free Shipping," "Easy Returns," "Free Exchanges and In-store Returns," and "Free gifts," to increase the click-through rate.

  • Always include a call to action, such as "View," "Check out," "Order," or "Sign up," to increase the click-through rate. If you're using an image ad, include the call to action on a button linking to your website; if you're using a rich media ad, include the call to action in an early frame.

  • Relate your ad to offers that are on the landing page to help users complete the sales cycle.

  • Control content performance using site exclusion, as prudent.

  • Create 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.