As a PPC company we’ve seen all kinds of ads. The awesome, the mediocre, and the ‘what the hell are they thinking?’  You wouldn’t think there could be so much variation in so few characters.  Sadly the cost per keyword is the same for all three. Some clients just spend their budgets much better than others.

Here are some tips for writing awesome ad copy:

1. Hire a native language speaker to write the copy.

Great ad copy sounds great to the reader. It doesn’t sound stilted. The vocabulary has to be right. Regional issues matter. American English and Australian English are not the same. Make the text clear and easy to understand.

2. Write specific ads for your keywords.

We know people select ads that they see their queries in. Now focus your ad to reflect the intent behind the query. For example “Good vacuum animal hair” could mean a couple of things. Odds are they are looking for a vacuum cleaner that’s good at sucking up animal hair, not one that’s good for vacuuming an animal’s hair.  Carry the keywords onto your landing page.

3. Use the right tone of voice and vocabulary for your market.

Again, this sounds obvious. Trust me that it isn’t. If you are marketing to a technical audience you had better be using the correct terms in your ad. An ad for the newest plush doll will require a different tone.

4. Make your call to action clear and compelling.

Sell it. Sell it. Sell it. Tell them what you want them to do. What more is there to say?

5. Do testing and analysis.

Do your split testing with different tones, different headlines, and different unique selling propositions.

6. Consider the buy cycle for your product and tailor your ads accordingly.

Your product may be searched for many reasons. Are potential customers investigating the product, investigating return policies, warranties, or buying accessories. Take your keywords and write ads specific to the need, directing to the landing page that is appropriate.

So there you have it. Go write some good ads. Test them. Then go write some more.