Ada Parker The flashy displays you frequently see in store windows are similar to great ad headlines. The headline is the most important part of your advertisement because 80% of users will only read headlines and make a decision about whether to click or not based solely on them. But how to write ad headlines? Some tips include using simple language, including keywords, and posing questions.
I’ll only cover how to create effective PPC ad headlines in this post. These 26 writing guidelines will enable you to create ad headlines that your potential customers won’t be able to resist clicking. Keep reading!
Table of Contents
What Is An Ad Headline?
A few words or sentences that advertise a good or service make up an advertisement headline. Print or digital ad headlines typically highlight a product’s main use or consumer benefit. In order to persuade consumers to purchase their goods, advertisers typically write headlines for their ads that are attention-grabbing and noticeable and pair them with images. One ad headline may be used repeatedly by businesses as their brand’s memorable tagline. You can find ad headlines in the following types of advertisements:
- Billboards
- Websites
- Magazines
- Television commercials
- Social media ads
- Newspapers
- Bus ads
How To Write Ad Headlines?
1. Include Keywords
This may seem like a no-brainer, but I’m always surprised by the number of advertisements I see with hazy, ambiguous headlines that don’t contain the keyword I searched for, like the one below. The keyword I searched for was “sportcoats.”
Although Lands’ End does produce sportcoats, I wouldn’t waste my time clicking on this advertisement since it doesn’t provide what I’m looking for.
Don’t leave your potential customers to guess what you offer. By including the keyword in the headline, you can clearly show how your ad relates to the user’s search query.
2. Ask Questions
Conversion rates must be increased by utilizing user intent. Asking a question in your headline is one way to accomplish this.
The ad in the example is very creative. Not only does it pose a question in the ad headline, it also uses very particular phrasing (“Protecting your family”) that implies solidarity and dependability – qualities that you could very well be looking for in a divorce attorney.
This is also an exception to the “include the keyword” tip outlined above – although this ad headline doesn’t include the keyword I looked for, and compared to the other ads I saw, this one is still much more compelling. If I were looking for a divorce lawyer—which, incidentally, I’m not! – this ad would get the click.
3. Add A Little Humor
A lot of times, advertisers closely monitor the kinds of advertisements that their rivals are running. Unfortunately, prospects frequently fail to do so because all they see is a sea of identical-sounding and-looking advertisements.
Humor can be a great way to differentiate your advertisements from those of your rivals. If you choose to use this strategy, be sure to A/B test your ads to see if your prospects get the joke because what may be hilarious to one person may be extremely offensive to another.
NOTE: It’s probably acceptable if you want to make fun of a rival in jest. But pay attention to the method you select. Even if done in jest, making blatantly false accusations or claims could get you into trouble or result in sanctions from Google or Bing.
4. Include Numbers Or Statistics
A lot of users react favorably to empirical data. Hard data may serve as a trust indicator and sow the seed of credibility in the mind of your prospect. This is why McDonald’s uses its “Billions and billions sold” slogan on its signage.
This advertisement is especially persuasive because the headline states clearly how much I should budget (roughly) for each page of translated text. This could undoubtedly depend on a number of variables, including the source and target languages, but this was the only advertisement I saw that included precise numbers, putting it ahead of the competition by a fair amount of distance.
It may not be as persuasive as Perry’s method of problem-solving, but it makes the point quickly (which is essential when you only have a few lines to work with) and can foster a positive association between your product or service and the prospect’s desired result. Speaking of outcomes.
5. Solve Prospects’ Problems
Solving prospects’ problems in your ad copy is crucial, as Perry Marshall, the author of the best-selling book on Google AdWords, frequently emphasizes. This strategy is just as important for your ad headlines as it is for the ad’s body copy.
People don’t want to buy “things” – they want to solve their problems.
PPC ad headlines that give the impression that your product or service can help them accomplish that are much more likely to be clicked than those that don’t. Check out this article from PPC University about ad text to discover more about the problem-solving aspect of PPC ad copy.
6. Think Carefully About User Intent
You might be passing up a plethora of opportunities if you don’t write PPC ad headlines with user intent in mind.
Many businesses use PPC advertisements to wax poetic about the virtues of their goods. Remember, nobody cares about you or your product; only how it can solve their problems. Naturally, identifying those issues necessitates consideration of the search that originally brought up your ad in front of the prospect.
7. Use Simple Language
Many of us don’t like the amount of buzzwords and jargon used in the digital marketing sector, and I’m sure you use some specialized terms in your field as well. That doesn’t, however, imply that you should stuff your PPC ad headlines with enough jargon to mislead or turn off your potential customers.
Write your headlines in plain, understandable language. They become easier to read, more reachable, and clickable as a result. Don’t overwhelm potential customers with intimidating and frequently meaningless buzzwords or acronyms before you even begin.
Take note that plain language need not be monotonous! Lots of straightforward power words can be used to create ad copy that is both compelling and simple to read.
8. Use Social Trends As Inspiration
Use social media to look at what people are discussing in your industry to get ideas for headlines.
Twitter offers a helpful “What’s trending” section to help you quickly identify trending topics based on your preferences, and hopping on a temporary bandwagon could help you capitalize on social trends to capture additional clicks. Be wary of the (very) fleeting nature of some social trends, though – this is definitely not a “set it and forget it” approach.
9. Use Empathy
People want to know that their problems are understood by others in addition to finding solutions to them. The best ad headlines use empathy as a powerful technique because of this. You can increase trust between you and your customer by empathizing with their situation. At the very least, you’ll catch their attention.
10. Make Use Of The Character Limit
Use the 25-character limit in your PPC ad headlines wisely, but avoid using extraneous words or characters for their own sake. Use as much detail as you can to ensure that users know exactly what to expect when they click on your ads. Speaking of expectations…
11. Be Obsessive About Punctuation, Spelling, And Grammar
Even though you only have 25 characters to work with in your PPC ad headlines, you should still take the time to ensure that your advertisement is grammatically sound. Spelling errors will make you and your company appear foolish, so check everything with a spellchecker before submitting your advertisement for review.
Unfortunately, the above advertisement is just awful, which is bad news for this company. First of all, I’m not even sure if this is relevant to my search term (“cremations”). Second, it’s unclear to me whether they actually provide 1,310 simple cremation services or whether the $1,310 price tag is an estimate.
If, like many companies, you conduct business abroad (in nations like Canada and the U.K.), consider using appropriate spellings for those countries. Although it might not seem important, it could have a significant impact.
Punctuation is also very significant and can significantly alter the meaning of a phrase.
12. Focus On The Benefits
Recall that people want to know how choosing your product or service will benefit them. This is similar to writing PPC ad headlines with user intent in mind. Sales professionals often keep a mantra in mind – “What’s in it for me?” – when talking to prospects, and you should too when writing ad headlines.
Avoid the temptation to tout your awesomeness in your headlines. Instead, like in the example above, concentrate on how your product will improve the lives of your customers.
13. Don’t Make False Promises Or Bogus Claims
Google and Bing will quickly reject your advertisement if it contains blatantly false information. If you make a claim in the headline of your advertisement, make sure the ad copy or landing page (preferably both) supports it with factual information, client endorsements, or other independently verifiable evidence.
Making claims that are difficult to verify is well-illustrated in the aforementioned example. According to whom is this site the “No. 1” online fishing tackle shop? This assertion wastes valuable real estate that could be used to highlight something special about the company. It is also impossible to support.
Don’t make promises you can’t keep because that’s one of the quickest ways to damage your reputation and turn off potential clients.
14. Or Focus On Prospects’ Problems
After a night out on the town, let’s say you forget your keys. You’ll probably feel quite panicked even if you see three or four locksmith advertisements.
The first advertisement in the examples above is the worst. I don’t care if the company is run by a family or if it’s one of the thousands of franchises owned by Wal-Mart; all I want is to get back into my house.
The third advertisement isn’t much better because it instructs me to visit another website and provide my information in order to locate a nearby locksmith. This is an extra step that is not necessary and that I am not likely to take.
15. Use Fear T Your Advantage
Perry Marshall also recommends this advice. A great way to catch your prospects’ attention and get them to click on your ad is to capitalize on strong emotional reactions like fear, suspicion, and doubt.
Check out this example of an emotional ad from Perry’s book, “The Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords, 4th Edition,” which shows this technique done extremely well:
Although it may not be the most moral advertisement (or service, whatever it may be), there’s no denying that this ad grabs attention and masterfully uses emotional manipulation to persuade the user to click on it.
16. Emphasize Your Usp
What distinguishes your company from the competition is your unique selling proposition. If at all possible, mention this special feature in the headlines of your PPC ads. If your USP isn’t truly remarkable, this might not be as effective for you, but it’s still something to consider, especially if some of the other strategies aren’t working as well.
17. Include Quotes Or Testimonials
Use your ardent supporters and customers to your advantage by using some of their quotes and positive reviews in the headlines of your PPC ads. However, use caution when quoting since this can occasionally backfire.
The aforementioned example makes an attempt to use this method, but the outcomes are not entirely clear. In this piece of writing, it’s not immediately clear whether the headline quote is an actual statement or a recommendation. Even mocking the idea that diet pills are effective could be inferred from it. Ignore the dubious-looking URL; the example’s use of quotation marks clearly requires improvement.
Make sure the quote or testimonial is pertinent to the advertisement by using quotation marks to indicate who you are quoting. If the quote includes a direct benefit of using your product or service (such as “I saved so much time!”), all the better.
18. Make Promises Or Guarantees
Making a firm commitment to your prospect through your PPC ads may convey confidence in your good or service, which may serve as a strong motivator for the customer. This is particularly useful if your company competes in a crowded or competitive market. Consider including a guarantee or free shipping offer in the copy if you can’t fit it in the headline.
However, if you choose to promise something in the headline of your PPC advertisement, you MUST be able to fulfill it. Your reputation and brand may suffer irreparable damage if you don’t.
19. Think Beyond Dynamic Keyword Insertion
The search term is dynamically inserted into your ad through a process called dynamic keyword insertion, or DKI. Don’t rely solely on DKI, especially if you’re targeting numerous keywords across numerous sizable accounts.
As Larry pointed out in his popular post on how to triple click-through rates, DKI can increase click-through rates, as you can see in the figure below:
However, you’ll see that DKI doesn’t make much of a difference in the top 5% of PPC ads—the unicorns—and that as you move further down the graph, DKI-enhanced ads actually outperform their non-enhanced counterparts.
DKI can be a helpful tool, but you should also take the time to write genuine, distinctive PPC ad headlines that really speak to your prospects.
20. Be Crystal Clear About What You’re Offering
Many marketers try to get you to click by using deception, but this is frequently the wrong strategy. If a prospect is interested in what you have to offer, you don’t need to trick them into purchasing from you; all you need to do is give them what they need.
The ad’s headline is about as uncomplicated and straightforward as it can be. Additionally, the first line of copy emphasizes the product’s advantage.
When writing the headline for your PPC advertisement, be precise and clear. Make your headlines as simple and straightforward as you can if the other suggestions don’t seem to be working for you. By doing this, you get rid of any uncertainty about what you’re offering.
21. Spy On The Competition And Steal Their Ideas
Business is great with corporate espionage! Thankfully, you don’t have to break into the corporate offices of your biggest competitor or hack into their computer networks to find out what kinds of advertisements are effective for them.
Utilizing tools like SpyFu and SEMrush, you can look at which keywords your rivals are using successfully to drive traffic to their landing pages and other parts of their campaigns for businesses in your industry. I don’t advocate outright idea theft, but a little competitive intelligence might give you the advantage you need.
22. Spell Everything Correctly
Make sure your ad headlines are flawless so that customers can tell that your company is considerate and reliable. Before publishing your ad headlines, make sure your sentences flow smoothly and run through a grammar and spellchecker.
23. Learn The Industry
Examine the advertising strategies used by the leading companies in your industry. For your own headlines, research effective ones from other ads and marketing strategies.
24. Link To Your Website
In your ad headline, include your company’s contact details so that viewers will know how to purchase the product. Mention your brand’s name as well as a website, email, phone number, or social media handle. Feature buttons, such as call-to-action buttons, direct customers to a landing page where they can purchase your goods when you advertise using digital media.
25. Explain The Components
In your ad headline, particularly if your product is complicated or technological, describe how it works. Customers will feel more at ease and confident about purchasing your product if you educate them about its functionality.
26. Address Your Local Community
Give a shout-out to your local audience in the headline of your advertisement if it is for a service that you primarily offer locally. If the place where you make your product affects its quality, you could also mention your city or neighborhood. For instance, if you grow peaches in Georgia, a state renowned for its mouthwatering peaches, you might mention that in your advertisement’s headline to persuade customers to buy them.
Final Words
Search ads are ideal for focusing on customers who are at the bottom of the sales funnel because they can be matched to buyer intent. If your headlines and copy are optimized, you can use search ads to target engaged users and potential customers.
Whether you are producing digital advertising for the first time or have experience with these campaigns, keep in mind all of these suggestions because they may help you save time or money. If you pay attention to your headlines and take action to optimize them, you can expect more leads and conversions from ads on any platform.
Read Next: How To Generate Leads In Google Local Services Ads?
