How To Write Little Tiny AdWords Ads That Bring Giant-Sized Profits

It seems to be a phenomenon. You try Google AdWords Select, your ad gets "disapproved" by the powers that be at Google, you count your losses and give up. It doesn't have to be that way. There are two primary factors to succeeding at Google AdWords. The first is getting the right keywords. The second is writing little tiny ads. Neither is all that easy, but they can both be done.

Mark Twain said it best. "If I would have had more time, I would have written you a shorter letter." The point? it takes much more skill, and much more time to write short copy than long copy.

Let's go through the process together and I'll show you a few tricks of the trade that have brought me AdWords click through rates of 7.1%, 8.0%? even 25%.

Step One - You would be very wise to either use a benefit or an end result in your headline. In order to do this, you'll have to be aware of the difference between features and benefits. Start by making a list. I'll use the example of an online shoe store.

Here are a few features:

• huge inventory

• wide selection of sizes

• discounted prices

• free shipping

And here are the benefits associated with those features:

• hundreds of styles to choose from

• hard-to-find sizes in stock

• save money

• free shipping (costs nothing extra)

Step Two - Know what your customers are looking for. YOU may feel that one benefit outweighs another. However, your customer might feel differently. Be sure you understand what is important to your customer before writing your headline and your ad. You have no room to waste so it is vital that you find a so-called nail and hit it right on the head.

Step Three - Work in your keywords. There tends to be a greater click through rate on search results that use the exact keyphrase the surfer types in. The same holds true for Google's AdWords program.

While the following have by no means been researched, we'll assume that some optimum keywords for our shoe store are: women's shoes and sandals. We'll want to include these in our ads.

Step Four - Start big and narrow it down. Begin by writing a few sentences or a paragraph about what you'd like your customer to know. Perhaps:

You'll find everything you're looking for in one place! Hundreds of styles to choose from including hard-to-find sizes in stock. You'll save lots of money because our regular prices are far below that of other stores. Plus shipping is always free - regardless of the amount of your purchase. Check out our excellent selection of women's shoes and sandals.

Now, go back and take out every word that does not absolutely need to be there. You probably came up with something like this:

Everything in one place! Hundreds of styles, hard-to-find sizes. Prices far below other stores. Shipping free. Women's shoes and sandals.

That's a LOT smaller and still gets the point across. However, it is still too long for AdWords. Your headline must be less than 25 characters (including spaces). Your copy can only be 35 characters per line. (You get two lines.) Now is the time to begin rearranging words to create an ad that will match Google's guidelines, include your keywords, and draw a crowd to your site.

Here are a couple I came up with:

100s of Styles-Low Prices

Big savings on women's shoes. Plus

free shipping! All sizes in stock.

Discount Women's Sandals

Latest styles at deep discounts.

All sizes in stock. Free Shipping!

Step Five - Test, test, test! Put them up and give them a go. See what happens. Believe me, Google will notify you quickly if your ads aren't performing. Those that get lower than a .05% click through rate are immediately "disapproved." You are notified that your ad has been pulled and that you need to make changes.

Use the information in the AdWords campaign section to track the results. I've heard countless tales of those who have changed one little word and gone from a .07% CTR to a 5.0% CTR. If your ad is pulled, make simple changes to start with. Swapping out the word "savings" for "discount" or "big" for "huge" can be all it takes to catapult you to the top of the list.

When you write extremely short copy, remember to stay focused. There is not enough room to sell the customer within your copy, but there IS enough room to pique their interests. Use the limited space you have to punch up the biggest benefits or end results your customers are looking for and you'll see bigger returns on your AdWords investment.

About The Author

Most buying decisions are emotional. Your ad copy should be, too! Karon is Owner and President of Marketing Words, Inc. which offers targeted copywriting, SEO copywriting & ezine article services. Visit her site at http://www.marketingwords.com today, or learn to write your own powerful copy at http://www.copywritingcourse.com

JumpFly PPC Advertising News (blog)

Use PPC Advertising in a Declining Economy JumpFly PPC Advertising News (blog) When looking to make cuts, make sure that your Pay-Per Click (PPC) advertising budget is not on the chopping block first. PPC advertising is unique in that, ...

PPC Advertising and Geo-Targeting: SMN Webcast Thursday Search Engine Land (blog) On Thursday at 1 PM EST, join Dan Soha of Five Mill Inc as he explains the ins and outs of geo-targeting, on the SMN Webcast: “PPC Advertising and ...

PPC Advertising and Geo-Targeting is the Topic for November 12 Webcast at ... PR Web (press release) By limiting the geographic target, advertisers can increase efficiency, boost conversion rates and improve their overall ROI for PPC advertising. ...

JumpFly PPC Advertising News (blog)

Black Friday & Cyber Monday PPC Management Strategies JumpFly PPC Advertising News (blog) You have likely heard the terms Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but do you know how to use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to take full advantage of these ...

Web Host AIT Offers Free Search Engine Ads Web Host Industry Review (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Web hosting provider AIT (www.ait.com) announced on Friday it is now offering free search ... and more »

Inconsistency in Google Maps May Be Business Killers The Social Robot (blog) You've hired the best SEM firm in town, ran PPC advertising, and created back links to entice people to visit your site. You're hoping that with more ...

Alternatives to Google AdWords -- Worth Your Time? Search Engine Watch When you look for alternatives to Google AdWords (or even Bing or Yahoo PPC advertising), think about how people find the site you're going to advertise on. ... Google on the Move with PPC Managenent Test Betas: Keyword Search Pros to HelpClickPress (press release) all 13 news articles »

New Chart: How Agencies View Client Search Marketing Budgets MarketingSherpa.com (subscription) In a world where accountants understand PPC advertising, the levels of efficiency (or minimum ROI) would increase on elastic budgets in tight times, ...

Pay-per-click Advertising: Seven Pointers for Smaller Campaigns Practical Ecommerce Managing small-budget pay-per-click campaigns (under $3000 per month) is typically more difficult than managing campaigns with higher spend levels. ...

Elephant Traffic Unveils First Transparent Web-Based Interface for Advertisers ... Reuters ... search traffic has been neglected till now but our research has shown that it delivers up to 50% higher conversions rates than standard PPC advertising. ... and more »