The headline is the first thing prospects encounter when your ad appears on their SERP. It’s easy for the eye to glide over paid ads while scrolling down through the organic results, but great writing can grab a potential customer’s attention so tightly they find it impossible to resist.
Companies have more characters at their disposal than ever in PPC ads today, but each word still has to count. There’s a real art to writing powerful PPC headlines – so join us as we take a closer look at some expert tips below..
Phrase your Headline as a Question
Composing your PPC headline as a question can help your ad stand out more than generic alternatives.
For example, a parent whose young child needs their first haircut might search for something like ‘hair salon Orange County infants’. An ad with a headline like ‘time for that first haircut?’ would suggest the business behind it has everything you need, ultimately promising a solution to your problem.
The salon could elaborate on the ages it accommodates and its prices in the ad’s text, but the headline would stand a better chance of hooking prospects than a blander alternative like ‘great haircuts’.
Add Relevant Stats or Figures
Numbers can be more attractive to prospects than flowery self-aggrandizing copy.
Try to incorporate prices and statistics to reinforce your ads’ clickability. For example, tell customers that you have an 80% sale in your headline, and include your lowest prices in the text. The headline may read ‘Men’s beanies – 80% Off’’.
That may not set the world on fire, but you get the idea.
Prospects searching for men’s beanies would see that they can make a real saving on the exact items they want, instantly.
Don’t Be Afraid to Be Funny
A little humor goes a long way. At least, it does when used wisely.
A subtle joke in your headline can help your ad jump out from the more straight-faced alternatives around it. However, it’s vital that you don’t make fun of the customer, bend the truth, or say anything blatantly derogatory about competitors.
Be breezy. Be quirky. Just don’t be offensive or crude. Quirkiness and informality is especially effective if your brand’s website has a similar style, as the ad feels like an extension of your domain.
Run some A/B tests on your ads to see the difference between specific types of humor. You can learn a lot about buyers’ response this way.
Focus on Searcher Intent
It’s vital to tell prospects how you can solve their problems and make their life easier. That’s it.
Avoid the temptation to discuss how successful or experienced you are in the headline. A turnover of $20m is impressive, sure, but how is that relevant to someone looking for a restaurant in New York City? How does announcing you have 15 years’ experience help a buyer find the Italian hand-crafted women’s shoes they need?
Be specific. Gain clicks through your problem-solving rather than waxing lyrical.
These are just four expert tips on writing great PPC headlines – and Nett Solutions PPC has many, many more outstanding ideas to help you! We’re an Orange County digital marketing agency helping businesses just like yours reach new customers and secure better results.
Want to know more? Just give us a call! 949-330-7060