PPC Should Stand for Particularly Precise Copy

By Karon Thackston

It's a major mistake in pay-per-click (PPC) copywriting. Writing general ads aimed at large groups of unidentified people that are directed to all-encompassing home pages is a sure-fire way to lower your clickthrough and conversion rates. So, why does it happen more times than not? Because people begin writing PPC copy and landing pages without giving any thought to the searchers or the path that leads from search engine listing to order page.

Real estate professionals have a well-known mantra: location, location, location. PPC copywriters should adopt one, in my opinion: specific, specific, specific.

Can't Afford Not to Do It

The primary excuse for lumping all people, keyphrases and clicks together is that it costs too much to create separate campaigns along with specific landing pages for each. Truth be known, for all the sales you're missing running a generic campaign, you can't afford *not* to narrow your focus.

For example, imagine developing PPC copy for a digital converter box that sells for $40. In essence, when using a government-issued coupon, shoppers would get the box for free.

But, what happens if you take a generic approach to PPC copywriting and just say that this is a high-quality converter box? Or that this converter box is from a well-known brand? Because you aren't specific, your visitors won't understand how special this offer is. Which is more appealing to you? (NOTE: Google will make you verify the "free" statement before the ad will be approved.)

Free Digital Converter

Use your $40 gov't coupon & get a

free Magnavox converter. Ends 10/14

Or

Digital Converter Box

Magnavox converter box in stock for

immediate shipping.

Taking it one step further, what if a highly specific PPC ad linked to the home page of a giant electronics retailer? The customer just read an ad about the super deal your site is offering and is then dropped off in the middle of know nowhere. That resembles a bad practical joke. I can hear a symphony of clicks right now as almost every one of those visitors exits your home page out of sheer frustration.

Test, Tweak, Track

Here's another common mistake: not testing, tweaking and tracking your PPC copy. It's so easy to do and you get instant feedback. Yet most site owners aren't taking the time to maintain their campaigns. They ask a copywriter to create a few ads or develop a landing page; they upload the ads to their control panel and the landing page to their server, then they walk away.

When the ads don't pull or the landing page has a poor conversion rate, they get frustrated and pull the campaign. PPC copy is not static. In fact, the entire PPC process is one of the most hands-on types of advertising I've ever encountered because it requires constant attention.

After the ads have had a chance to gain a decent amount of impressions, evaluate the performance of each ad. Then tweak them, run them again and track the performance of the adjusted copy. The same goes for your landing page(s).

It's not a myth that changing one word can literally double your clickthrough rate. I've seen it happen plenty of times with my own clients. Never ignore your copy.

While it may take a bit more work, or be a little more expensive, using precise copy for your PPC ads and landing pages has been shown to pay off. Still a skeptic? Test it for yourself and see!

Discover the proven methods for writing powerful PPC ads with Karon's latest ebook How To Write Successful PPC Ads. This quick-read has easy, tested ways to create PPC ads fast that get higher click-through rates. Learn PPC copywriting today at http://www.WritePPCAds.com. © 2008, All Rights Reserved