Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your website

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to customize to your heart’s content, but you can also do well with just one well-

written ad for each keyword group.

Your HTML title and meta description tag for each landing page are a good

starting point, but you’ll probably need to edit them substantially for PPC use, in part

due to editorial guidelines and character limits. You can read your PPC service’s guide-

lines for lots of advice on writing ads (after all, they make money on your click-

throughs, so they have every interest in your success!).

Here are some additional tips that we think will help you:

DO use keywords in the text.

Studies show that people are more likely to click on

your ad if the exact keyword they searched for is incorporated into your ad text.

DO be true to your landing page.

Make sure that you write each ad with its intended

landing page(s) in mind. Does the ad mention a specific product or solution? The land-

ing page had better contain a clear path to it. Does the ad set up a need? The landing

page should tell your visitor exactly how to fulfill it.

DO snoop on your competitors.

If you’re stumped, and even if you aren’t, enter your

keywords into the search engines and see what you’re up against in the PPC venue. If

everyone’s ads are mentioning a certain topic, such as their low, low prices, you might

not want to ignore it in your own ad. Then again, if you notice that you’re competing

against a clutch of nearly identical ads, you may want to describe yourself using lan-

guage that will help you stand out.

DO use dynamic keyword insertion if it’s available…

You researched on Monday

whether your PPC service of choice allows you to automatically insert searched-for

keywords into your title. If a searcher enters the term “halogen bulbs” or “chande-

liers,” you may want to format your ad to say, “Halogen Bulbs and other lighting

inventory” or “Chandeliers and other lighting inventory” to match the search. This can

be a powerful way to attract the attention of your targeted audience.

…but DON’T insert the wrong keywords.

If you’ve ever seen what appear to be inap-

propriate PPC ads, you can probably blame careless dynamic keyword insertion. It can

create almost comical messages like “Tonsillitis: Buy Now at Shop-n-Ship.com.” Like-

wise, if you’re using broad matching, you might end up inserting nonsensical or mis-

spelled words into your ads, so think through each keyword carefully in the context of

your ad before using this feature.

DO include a compelling message.

What makes your audience tick? Is it price? Is it the

hope of succeeding at something or the fear of failing at something? Is it convenience? A

desire for quality? A need to fit in, or to stand out? Use your ad text to speak to this need.

Now:

Following your PPC service’s guidelines, write your ads. Store them in your PPC Keywords Worksheet

or in your PPC service’s admin screen, making sure your campaign is not turned on yet.

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