PPC Copywriting That Brings Quality Clickthroughs

As seen in Website Magazine

By Karon Thackston © 2008, All Rights Reserved

 

It’s a common mistake that almost every pay-per-click (PPC) advertiser makes. Assuming that one clickthrough is as good as the next could be costing you sales while also hiking up your advertising budget. Never really given the matter much thought? You should, for one paramount reason: quality clickthroughs convert better than generic clickthroughs.

 

 

Relevancy is king in PPC. The more general the keyphrases, the higher your tendency to attract tire kickers. One reason for this may be because people typically begin their online searches using general terms that grow more specific as they determine precisely what they want. This follows the logical progression of an average buying process.

 

When people start a search for a product or service, they have already recognized a need and have entered the information-gathering stage of the buying process. They are attempting to survey the marketplace to see precisely what they want. As they progress, they clearly define what they’ve decided to purchase. Lastly, they shop for the best price, most convenient location or other determining factors for making their buying decision.

 

Although variations occur throughout the process, most searches and purchases follow this basic format. In PPC copywriting, there are two traits you can include that will help you attract those who are ready and most qualified to buy.

 

Relevant Keywords Deliver More Qualified Clicks

 

Countless advertisers have shown that the more specific the keywords and landing page, the higher the tendency of the site visitor to convert. This is not a principle that’s exclusive to PPC. Long-tail keywords (those which are highly descriptive such as [long sleeve white men’s dress shirt]) in organic search results convert better when they direct surfers to a particular page about those types of shirts. Conversely, generic keywords such as [men’s shirts] that point to a home page have extremely low conversion rates. The same holds true in PPC.

 

It’s easy to see the difference between the following keyphrases:

 

boy’s jackets ……..	boy’s Levi’s denim jackets
stepladder…………	heavy duty aluminum stepladder
attorney……………	elder care attorney in Manhattan, NY

 

What does keyword research have to do with PPC copywriting? Everything! Obviously, the keywords will determine the general subject matter of the ads. Also, from as far back as the days of Overture.com, it’s been noted that PPC ads which contain keywords in the headlines receive higher clickthrough rates than those that don’t. When you write your ads, make every effort to use keywords in the headline copy.

 

If your goal is to get the highest clickthrough rate (CTR) possible, general keyphrases are more likely to deliver. However, if you hope to receive more qualified clicks that have a greater tendency to convert to sales, choose more specific search terms to target.

 

Negative Copy Boosts Qualified Clickthroughs

 

Sounds odd, doesn’t it? “Negative” copy? Who would want to use that? This form of PPC copywriting is sometimes called “filtered” copy because it can filter out unqualified or lesser-qualified searchers by eliciting a negative reaction.

 

The idea is to offer details in your copy that would cause someone to potentially think, no, if _____ is the case, I don’t want this. You save money because you’ve prequalified the prospect before they clicked your paid ad.

 

Elements that make good filters/negative language include:

> > locations

> > dates

> >  prices

> >  colors

> >  sizes

 

You can also combine several elements of negative language in a single ad. For instance, if writing copy to sell a cruise vacation, consider one of these alternatives. Here’s a typical example of an ad written to bring in the most clicks:

=======================

 

Exciting Mexico Cruises

Cruise Mexico this winter. Three

popular cities in 1 special tour.

www.abcxyz.com

=======================

 

There’s nothing “wrong” with that ad. It would certainly be worth testing. In fact, chances are it would receive a high number of clickthroughs. But, would it prequalify visitors to your site? No.

 

Because of the vague language of the ad, searchers would have to click to your landing page to get details. Once there, they might discover that the cruise:

 

> >  is 14 days long

> >  departs only from New York City

> >  returns the day after Christmas

> >  visits cities they’ve already been to

> >  costs too much

 

In any of those cases, you’ve paid for someone to click your ad that stood no chance of actually booking a cruise. A true waste of money. What’s a better choice?

=========================

 

14 Day Mexico Cruise 12/5

Tour tropical Cozumel, Puerto

Vallarta & more. Depart NYC $2500pp

www.abcxyz.com

=========================

Before the prospect ever gets to your landing page, they must already:

 

> > be available on the specified dates

>>  want to go to the cities listed

> >  be able to depart from New York

> >  be able/willing to spend $2500 per person

 

Now that’s a qualified site visitor!

 

How Will This Affect Quality Score?

 

But wait a minute!, you might be thinking. Isn’t reducing the number of clickthroughs to my site going to also reduce my Quality Score in Google? Until recently, the answer would have been an unequivocal “yes.” Just a few weeks ago, however, the Quality Score was revamped and, according to Google, the changes should have a positive effect on ads.

 

In their AdWords Blog, Google states, “Most importantly, we are replacing our static per-keyword Quality Scores with a system that will evaluate an ad’s quality each time it matches a search query. This way, AdWords will use the most accurate, specific, and up-to-date performance information when determining whether an ad should be displayed. Your ads will be more likely to show when they’re relevant and less likely to show when they’re not. This means that Google users are apt to see better ads while you, as an advertiser, should receive leads which are more highly qualified.”

 

In the blink of an eye, Google will assess all the factors associated with its Quality Score in comparison to each and every search query. Google will evaluate your:

> >  keyword relevance

> >  landing page relevance

> > landing page load time

> > ad text relevance

> >  clickthrough rate

 

As you can see, clickthrough rate is still an issue. The fact that Google indicates that leads should be more highly qualified as a result of the new Quality Score calculation is an indication that relevancy will be rewarded. But, even if your Quality Score should fall slightly, would that be so bad? You’d need to test that and see for yourself.

 

In many instances, it’s less expensive and more profitable to pay more per click for highly targeted leads that convert quickly than to pay less per click for generic leads that may never convert. Obviously, it will greatly depend on the cost of ads in your particular PPC campaigns.

 

Elevated CTRs are certainly a good indicator that your ads are pulling in arbitrary clicks. Is that really the end result you’re hoping for?

Remember, not all clicks improve your bottom line. The next time you evaluate your PPC copy, don’t get too elated just because you see a high percentage in your CTR column. After all, while clickthroughs are exciting, qualified clickthroughs are profitable! And that’s the name of the game.

Improve your PPC copywriting skills today when you get Karon’s ebook How to Write Successful PPC Ads at http://www.writeppcads.com. Subscribe to Karon’s copywriting blog at https://www.marketingwords.com./blog.