The Secret Sauce: Increasing Leads with Quality Ad Copy

Tired of seeing your ad spend go to waste on clicks that don’t convert? It’s time to stop guessing and start mastering the art of hyper-relevant ad copy. Whether you’re a PPC veteran or just starting out, we’ve got the secret sauce to help you create ads that actually work.

In this blog, we’ll dive deep into how crafting ads that speak directly to your audience’s needs can dramatically improve your account performance. From understanding user intent to personalizing your messaging and aligning your ads with your landing page, we’ll show you how to attract the right leads, repel unqualified clicks, and boost your ROI.

What Makes Ad Copy Relevant?
Relevancy in ad copy varies widely and hinges on the understanding of the buyer and their context. It’s not just about keyword stuffing your ads; it’s about speaking directly to the buyer’s specific needs and desires. For instance, an ad targeting young professionals in a big city will resonate differently than one aimed at retirees in the suburbs.
Beyond demographics, consider the buyer’s stage in the customer journey. Are they researching, comparing, or ready to purchase? Tailor your message accordingly. For example, early-stage prospects might benefit from informative content, while those ready to buy should be presented with compelling offers and clear calls to action.
Ultimately, relevant ad copy goes beyond simply attracting attention; it builds trust and establishes a genuine connection with potential customers, leading to higher quality leads, improved campaign performance, and an increase in your ROI.

Understanding the Importance of Relevant Ad Copy

Lets say that you are in the market for a new vehicle and after weeks of mulling it over you finally begin to search. You want something nice but you don’t want to break the bank. You are someone who does a lot of traveling with your family and Gus, the family dog. A sedan doesn’t meet the needs of your family’s active lifestyle, a truck doesn’t have the cabin space needed, and a minivan isn’t quite your style. You’ve decided that an SUV would check most of your boxes so you head to Google and conduct your search “SUV for sale near me”

There are two different ads at the top of your page with the following headlines:

Ad 1: Pre-Owned Vehicle Inventory | Used Cars Near You

Ad 2: The Perfect Family SUV | Affordable & Reliable

With all of your prerequisites for an SUV in mind, which of these two ads appeals to you more?

The first ad is generic and casts a very wide net. The second ad speaks to your desire for an SUV specifically, your need for it to be affordable yet reliable given your lifestyle, and not only is it an SUV fit for a family, it is the perfect SUV for your family.

In addition to this ad attracting a promising lead, it potentially deterred somebody who wasn’t in market for an SUV, saving you money on a click that most likely would not have led to a sale.

Tips for Creating Highly Relevant Ad Copy
Speak Directly to Their Needs
Try analyzing search queries and using that to tailor your ad copy to match the specific intent. Search for any emerging trends within those search terms to help you better understand what people are looking for and start to use that in your ad copy
Picture a hungry traveler typing “best restaurants in downtown Chicago” into their search bar. They’re not just looking for any meal—they’re seeking an experience tailored to their needs. Your ad can catch their attention by highlighting your prime location, signature dishes, and accommodations for dietary preferences. Maybe you emphasize your gluten-free options, vegan-friendly menu, or the care you take to handle food allergies. Adding phrases like “Fine Dining” or “5-Star Experience” creates an even stronger appeal.
Now imagine a runner frustrated by flat feet, searching for “running shoes for flat feet.” They’re not just buying shoes; they’re seeking comfort and relief. Your ad copy that mentions features like arch support and stability demonstrates that you understand their challenge. It’s the same approach when addressing food needs—showing you can cater to specific preferences or restrictions builds trust. Whether it’s the perfect shoe or a delicious meal, you position yourself as the thoughtful solution they’ve been searching for.

Personalize Ad Copy
Crafting effective ad messaging requires a deep understanding of your target audience. This involves creating language and highlighting features that resonate with their specific needs, interests, and demographics. For instance, a fitness company aiming to engage young adults might use vibrant and energetic language, emphasizing the social aspects of their gym or fitness classes. This could include highlighting group workouts, social events, or community challenges. When targeting seniors, the focus could shift towards the health benefits of exercise, such as improved cardiovascular health, balance, and strength, and emphasize low-impact exercise options like yoga, Pilates, or swimming.
Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI) is a powerful tool for personalizing ads. By automatically inserting the keyword that triggered the ad into the headline, DKI makes the ad more relevant to the user’s search, potentially increasing the number of quality clicks. For example, if a user searches for “best yoga classes near me,” an ad with DKI might display a headline like “Find the Best Yoga Classes Near You,” instantly capturing their attention and demonstrating relevance.

Delivering targeted messages that resonate with your audience is crucial for driving conversions. This can be achieved through audience segmentation, which allows you to tailor your ads to specific groups based on demographics, interests, or behaviors. Similarly, retargeting enables you to reach users who have previously interacted with your website or ads, delivering personalized messages based on their past actions, such as products they viewed or items they abandoned in their cart.
Remember that effective ad copy is clear, concise, and compelling. It highlights the unique benefits of your product or service and uses strong calls to action to encourage users to take the next step.

Use Meaningful Call to Actions (CTAs)

Strong calls-to-action (CTAs) are a crucial component of crafting relevant and compelling ad copy.

Strong calls-to-action (CTAs) are a crucial component of crafting relevant and compelling ad copy.
Your CTA should guide the user towards the next step in their journey, and it should align with their intent and your campaign goals.
For instance, if your ad targets users in the awareness stage (earlier in the buying cycle), a CTA like “Learn More” or “Download our Guide” would be appropriate. For those closer to conversion, a more direct CTA such as “Shop Now” or “Get a Quote” can drive immediate action.
By tailoring your CTAs to the user’s position in the sales funnel, you create a more seamless and personalized experience, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
Mirror Your Landing Page
Once you’ve tailored your ad copy to resonate with your audience, the next step is ensuring that the promises made in your ads are seamlessly carried through to your landing page. Consistency between your ad copy and landing page is essential for building trust and delivering a cohesive user experience.
For example, if your ad promotes a limited-time discount or free shipping, your landing page should prominently display the same offer. Misalignment such as mentioning a deal in your ad but failing to showcase it on the landing page can confuse users, damage credibility, and lead to missed conversions.
Additionally, search engines reward consistency between ad copy and landing pages. By aligning your messaging, you can achieve higher Quality Scores, better ad placement, and reduced costs. Creating a smooth journey from ad to landing page ensures your audience feels confident taking the next step.

Test, Pin, & Optimize
Analyzing how well specific headlines and descriptions perform to see which messages drive strong KPIs can separate you from your competition. A/B testing different variations can help you identify top performers and fine-tune your messaging for maximum impact.
Responsive Search Ads (RSA’s) let you pin specific messaging that you always want to appear. For example, if you are a business that has a deal or a benefit that separates you from your competitors, you might want to pin that headline to ensure it is always shown. If you don’t pin, Google will rotate, optimize, and automatically A/B test your 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, serving what they deem to be the best-performing combinations. So, without pinning, you do give Google a fair amount of control, which isn’t always bad, but it does stop you from locking in a description or headline that you want to always show. While there are differing opinions on the effectiveness of pinning, it’s a good option to test if you want to ensure that specific messaging consistently reaches potential customers.
Similar to RSA’s, Ad Variation testing in Google Ads operates by splitting your ad impressions between the original ad and its variations. This split is generally 50/50, ensuring that each version receives enough exposure to gather statistically significant data. Google Ads then monitors key metrics like click-through rates (CTRs) and conversion rates for each variation. Once the test has run its course and gathered enough data, Google Ads identifies the “winning” variation – the one that performed best based on your chosen objective. By highlighting the top-performing ad, this process allows you to continually refine and optimize your ad copy, ensuring that your message resonates effectively with your target audience and drives better campaign results.
Remember that A/B testing isn’t just about headlines and descriptions; you can also experiment with different calls to action, ad extensions, and even landing pages to see what drives the best results. Keep in mind that A/B testing requires a statistically significant amount of data to draw valid conclusions, so be patient and let your tests run their course before making any major changes.
There is no “one size fits all” approach for testing ad copy. However, with continuous A/B testing and analysis, you can improve your ad copy’s performance ensuring that your message is always hitting the mark with your target audience.

Analyzing the Competition
Analyzing your competitors’ ad copy can provide valuable insights for crafting your own personalized and effective ads. By examining their messaging, offers, and targeting strategies, you can identify opportunities to differentiate your brand and appeal to your target demographic.
Pay attention to the language and tone they use, the benefits they highlight, and the call-to-actions they employ. This analysis can inspire you to create ad copy that stands out, addresses your audience’s specific needs and pain points, and showcases your unique selling proposition. Additionally, by identifying gaps in your competitors’ messaging, you can tailor your ads to fill those voids and capture untapped market segments.

Wrap it up already!
Crafting highly relevant ad copy is not just a best practice—it’s the secret sauce to PPC success. By understanding your audience, leveraging user intent, personalizing your messaging, and aligning your ads with your landing pages, you can create compelling ads that attract qualified leads and drive conversions.
Remember, relevance isn’t just about keywords; it’s about connecting with your audience on a deeper level and delivering the right message at the right time. With continuous A/B testing, competitor analysis, and a focus on user experience, you can ensure your PPC campaigns are always optimized for success.