How to Create Engaging Text Ads for Google Search

Although video and social media ad campaigns have seemingly taken over the digital space, you shouldn’t throw away the practice of producing text ads just yet. Text ads still hold a lot of power in helping you reach your marketing objectives, whether it’s increasing brand awareness or getting your client’s products or services in front of customers.

Countless marketers leverage text ads using the best Google Ads practices for their marketing campaigns. In fact, according to a report from Tech Jury, around 78% of marketers use Google Ads (and social media) to reach customers through their ad campaigns.

Now, while knowing the ins and outs of how Google Ads works is important, creating effective text ads is an entirely different beast to tackle. Text ads need to capture a target user’s attention while also maximizing their quality, especially under Google’s terms. It can be a tricky practice to master but it’s highly worth the effort.

Remember: Google is the most-used search engine, and WebFX reports that it owns at least 73% of the paid search engine market. Taking the time to learn how to craft engaging text ads will allow you to see the results you want from your ad campaigns.

Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Be straightforward in your ad copy.

Flowery language may provide you with extra points on a creative writing assignment, but text ads don’t really work that way. We live in a fast-paced world and customers have information thrown at them every second. According to New Media and Marketing, you only have an average of 3 seconds to grab a user’s attention. As such, you must make the most of your text ad before a potential customer loses interest.

Be specific and straightforward by using keywords and phrases that users are searching for—not just in your headline, but also in your description and URL. Also, don’t forget about your call to action. Your CTA should be clear and concise to help users understand what you want them to do next.

Optimize your headlines.

According to Search Engine Land, the most important part of any text ad is the headline. This makes sense as the headline is the first piece of information a user sees when they make a search on Google. Therefore, it’s important to optimize your headlines so that it’s attention-grabbing while also providing benefits to the user. Of course, this is easier said than done but with enough practice, a powerful headline can make a difference in the success of your campaign.

Along with keeping headlines simple and implementing keywords, make sure your headline (and text ad) is readable across multiple devices. Don’t overexaggerate or use dishonest headlines. As with any marketing practice, a lack of transparency can backfire on you quickly. When in doubt, be genuine, specific, and simple.

Make use of ad extensions.

Ad extensions are incredibly useful not just for you but for your potential customer. Why? Extensions provide context about you or your client’s business and what it offers to users who come across your ads. Through this feature, you can provide users with business locations, products, phone numbers, and other relevant information that may entice a user to learn more.

Depending on the objective of your ad campaign, you have several different extension options to choose from, such as sitelinks, callouts, and structured snippets. You can also opt to use a combination of these extensions to boost the performance of your text ads.

Creative effective text ads can leave your head scratching at times but it’s not impossible. A little creativity and knowing how to utilize the best practices for Google Search ads can make a huge difference in your ad’s performance. As with all marketing tactics, you already know that what matters is providing the right message to the right user at the right time, and text ads can help you reach that goal as long as you’re willing to put in the effort.

If you don’t currently own a blog, you’re likely missing out on a number of marketing opportunities. Check out my blog, 3 Reasons Why Marketers Should Have A Blog to learn more about the importance of blogs.