While we in the digital marketing world love to talk about fancy metrics and all sorts of gobbledygook, the truth is that all those depend, in some form or another, on words. No matter the medium of your ads, they can’t generate anything without words.

Obviously we can’t talk about every online ad medium all in one blog post, so today we’re gonna focus on PPC ad copy, why it matters, and how to get it right.

Before we get to the copy — what kind of text ads do these apply to?

When we talk about PPC text ad copy, we first have to know the text ad types. For most people, the first thing this conjures up are Google search ads, although it can mean text ads on many sites via the Google Ads or Microsoft Ads platform. Generally, these come in one of two forms: expanded text ads, or responsive search ads.

Expanded text ads are the more standard format simply by virtue of having been around for longer, albeit not with the “expanded” capacity for text. Pretty much, expanded text ads is a descriptor for standard text-based search ads since Google updated them to have room for more characters per ad.

They’re an older legacy format that have evolved to be more streamlined for both desktop and mobile users. Their text is static, created by you the marketer in three possible headline spots and two description spots per ad. These spots allow up to 30 and 90 character lengths, respectively.

Responsive search ads, on the other hand, are more high-tech. (We discussed them in our previous blog post here, if you want to learn more.)

As the marketer, you submit up to 15 headline options and up to four descriptions (the same 30 and 90 character limits as with expanded search ads apply). From there, Google (or Microsoft, if you’re using Microsoft Ads) will automate combinations of headlines and descriptions in real-time based on users’ search queries and their implied intent. As those combinations go on and more data is collected of which combos work well with which queries, they “learn” and adapt from there.

So, what are some rules that will help you create great ad copy?

There are some exceptions, but in general these can be good guidelines for the more technical aspects of copy:

1. Titlecase your headline text other than smaller prepositions and other mechanical words — “and,” “if,” “for,” etc. — as is standard. There are exceptions: If your headline is marked at the end with punctuation, for example, don’t capitalize other than the first letter of the headline.
2. Feature your brand name — with trademark, if applicable — in your first or second headline position. The third position will rarely be displayed with your ad, so you want it to make an appearance before then.
3. Don’t use disallowed characters! These are symbols like @, asterisks, or bullet points, and using them will prevent the ad from being served. Similarly, excessive, unnecessary capitalization or stylization will prevent your ad from being served.
4. No unsubstantiated claims, or text that’s irrelevant to your landing page.
5. You don’t have to use up literally all available character space, but you want to use up as much as possible. Too short of a text ad will be visually awkward and not as engaging.

As for the actual content of your text ads, many of the same principles that apply to other copy apply here, too.

For example, for each ad you want to understand how it’s attempting to connect with an audience. The classic appeal to pathos, logos, or ethos — used in writing in all sorts of forms — is always a good place to start; are you appealing to one’s emotions, logic, or your own credibility? If the former, identify how your copy is creating an emotional connection, and why it should work. What does your audience want, and how are you helping them get closer to that goal?

Along the way, ensure the call-to-action on your ad is direct and enticing — but not over the top. You also want it in the first description position when you create your ad; the second descriptive position also isn’t always guaranteed to display.

These guidelines aren’t comprehensive, but they’re good foundations to follow.

Benefits of great copy, and how these benefits manifest themselves for marketers

So, we’ve gone through what PPC ad copy is and what it looks like when done well but, really, why does this matter so much?

Well…

Good copy means higher Google (and Bing) quality scores, since good ad copy results in a higher expected click-through rate, particularly when it relates well to the landing page content. This also generally means lower costs per click, and gives you more above-the-fold space on results pages.

All of this tends to lead to greater impressions and an improved overall account performance. Tightly theming ad content by groups and keywords helps further improve engagement. Running a minimum of three expanded text ads and two RSAs can help ensure you generate enough data to determine the best performers and improve your future text ads from there.

In a way, good copy kickstarts a positive snowball effect for much of your digital advertising.

Beyond directly-quantifiable metrics and fancy scores, good copy on text ads has similar effects as good copy regardless of medium. It helps guide consumers in their purchasing decisions — in the case of digital marketing, improving your conversion rate. And in general, it helps build a long-term foundation for your business by portraying your brand positively and helping shape your identity in a way that resonates with your audience.