Chris Young
As of the writing of this article, there are approximately 9 billion searches per day on Google alone, not counting other search engines.
Of those 9 billion searches, less than a quarter will end up moving past the first search engine results page. Furthermore, anywhere from 40% to 50% of these searches result in a click on a sponsored ad appearing at the top of the first page. With the plurality of each day’s 9 billion searches (or 18 billion eyeballs) moving to the first few search results (sponsored or not), SEM ads are an incredible opportunity for most businesses to pursue. However, just paying for ad placement isn’t enough–the ad must attract attention, give information, and then drive action.
SEM ad copy consists of the words that appear on all SEM ads; excellent SEM copy is most important with plain text ads where no additional visual assets are provided. The SEM ad copy consists of two parts: the headline text and the description text. The heading text should be short, sweet, and attention-grabbing with action-driven language. Since most people skim the search results, the headline should grab the attention of skimmers and then drive their attention to the description where more information is given. The description, while hardly a treatise, should offer more detailed and pertinent information and should drive searchers to the website or landing page where even more detailed information will be provided.
Adherence to best practices for writing SEM ad copy will play a major role in the success or failure of any SEM ad campaign. As a result, launching an ad campaign requires substantially more effort than setting up a campaign “on the fly” and should be backed up with keyword volume data and persona profiles.
Most people who execute a search query sift through the results by skimming. While this is a distinct disadvantage for companies that want a “few minutes of your time,” it is the on-the-ground reality of SEM and therefore must be dealt with as such. Writing for skimmers means, more than anything, writing an attention-grabbing headline that pushes them to read the description and click through to the landing page where they’ll find more information.
Writing to the search query means writing to your customer and his or her concerns, problems, and questions. If all the groundwork has been done properly, most companies should have consumer personas as well as a fair amount of data to draw on regarding who most uses a given product or service and why. Writing to the search query requires the SEM ad copywriter to put themselves in the shoes of the person executing the search query.
SEM ad copy should evoke emotions and engage the imagination whenever someone reads it. This emotional engagement makes a conversion far more likely since the person is actively imagining what it would be like if…. Instead of writing, for example, “Caribbean tours available. Book now for your next family vacation!” We recommend writing, “Discover the hidden gems and best-kept secrets of the Caribbean. Book the family adventure of a lifetime in your own personal paradise.” The second example is much more visual, action-oriented, and directed at the imagination.
Keywords are the backbone of SEM and incorporating the relevant keywords helps to link your content and website with different search queries. Incorporating keywords directly from the query or related to the query can help draw attention to the SEM ad and then send prospects further down the funnel to a landing page.
Focusing on the benefits rather than the features is one of the oldest lessons in the sales book. However, it actually works. People are far more interested in what a product, service, or solution will get them than they are in the actual product itself. When you explain the benefits of your specific product in terms that the prospective customers can resonate with, they’ll likely click your ad in search of more information or to take action.
Having a clear and powerful CTA is key to getting a prospect to contact you, make a purchase, or get their contact information. Without this crucial step of “what’s next?”, it will be difficult to convert prospects into customers. Using ambiguous CTAs such as “Go, Click Here,” or simply adding one’s website does not help with conversions. Use clear and specific CTAs such as “Get Your Widget Now, Sign Up Before It’s Too Late,” or, “Download.” These CTAs give the prospect an idea of what actions they should take and what they might expect from taking action.”
Leveraging urgency and FOMO (fear of missing out) is another tried-and-true SEM tactic to drive more conversions. Leveraging urgency involves using language that entices a prospect to take action now rather than considering it and leaving it for later. This can be accomplished in a number of different ways such as by modifying a CTA: “Space Limited. Apply Now!” Using “apply now” also switches the dynamic, making the prospect feel like they have to prove themselves to you rather than you proving yourself to them. While this has become a little overused in recent years, the context will dictate whether this option is legitimate or not.
SEM copy is really only the leading portion of a successful SEM campaign. There are a number of other things that can be done to increase the effectiveness of an SEM campaign, two of the most important considerations which we’ll discuss below.
The effectiveness of an SEM ad ends as soon as the prospect leaves the ad and goes to the landing page. In fact, everything is a small part of a much larger funnel: The SEM ad heading funnels a prospect to the description. The description funnels them to subscribe to an email drip campaign. The email drip campaign sells a low-ticket item. This purchase puts them back into a new email drip campaign for a larger ticket item… and so on and so forth. That being said, it does no good to have excellent SEM copy if your landing page sucks or if the deeper sections of the funnel also suck. Just as the SEM copy must be tailored to the intents and desires of the prospect, the landing page must be a more detailed reflection of this same principle in order to convert.
A/B testing both the landing page and the SEM ad copy is a great way to determine which ads are performing the best. If possible, we recommend using software that allows you to A/B test landing pages as well. Finding the right mix of SEM ads, landing pages and even nurturing campaigns can yield dividends once the “magic formula” is discovered.
Finally, all data that can be reviewed should be reviewed on a weekly basis (in the beginning) and then on a monthly basis later on. This will help to maximize the effectiveness of the budget for each ad set and landing page while trimming the fat of those that simply aren’t performing well. Looking at important metrics such as click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, cost-per-click (CPC), and click volume. Analyzing the data and then feeding these findings back into the campaigns can be helpful for further optimizing and improving each campaign.
Writing the best SEM ad copy is an iterative process of incremental improvement. Some ad sets will be based on educated guesses and will therefore be more accurate out of the gate. However many initial attempts will simply be instinctual and, with any luck, will yield some valuable data that will act as an initial foothold. The most effective way to launch an SEM campaign is by partnering with an experienced agency like Be More Digital.
Get in touch with the expert team at Be More Digital today for an SEM proposal or let us know if you simply have a question about the right strategy for your company. You can also view our case studies here to see our success stories with current and former clients. Our Customer Experience team is standing by waiting to hear from you!
.png)
