Search advertising isn’t as easy as creating a stream of ads. It has to have a structure that reflects your marketing strategy. You may also consider the search ad elements.

Basic Search Ad Elements

The most basic search adverts follow a parallel format that includes the following:

  • Heading
  • Advert copy, usually one to two lines
  • The URL
  • Ad extension.

These search ad elements are the most fundamental. And they are effective as long as they work harmoniously to get searchers to click through the site. 

Technically the three main search ad elements are:

  • Keyword-optimized ad text
  • The property link (site, social media platform, content)
  • Ad extension. 

Ad Text

The most important search ad element is the ad text. Search engines restrict the number of characters per line. They also limit what you should write in the advert. For instance, Google AdWord imposes that the heading must be a maximum of 25 characters.

Here are their other editorial guidelines on the maximum number of characters:

Meanwhile, here are other restrictions to take note of:

  • No repetition of exclamation marks
  • Absolutely no words written in all caps,
  • Also, nonsense words allowed
  • No superlatives like “the best” or “number one”
  • Product numbers are allowed
  • No using of phone numbers

Many think that the advert copy is the only feature you can use to catch attention and convey a message. This may imply that you have to write an effective advert copy for effective search advertising.

One way to write an effective copy is by using compelling and well-crafted Calls to Action. This will let the user understand what they need to do or expect. It could be as basic as “try now” or “sign up now.”

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You can enhance it even more by offering a discount or a limited-time voucher!

In ad texts, it is necessary to consider the long tail of search. Remember that 70% of the searches done are unique. You have to focus on search terms to see a small quantity of searches that are high-volume. You’ll also see the large number of low-volume searches. 

Go for the latter when doing a search advertising campaign! This will be helpful because of the lower competition and the high targeting. This, then, may lead to a higher conversion rate!

Display URL as a Search Ad Element

You are allowed to include a display URL when structuring your search ad. This URL on the search engine is not exact as the UST they will click through. In search ad elements, this is called the display URL, or the one shown on the advert. This component directs the user to the URL destination, or what the real page URL is. Sometimes, the display URL is called the vanity URL. It has to be exactly the domain of the destination URL. One advert for every domain is only shown on Google.

The landing page, meanwhile, is the page where the user is led to. It can be whichever webpage on the site. It could be other pages, and not just the homepage. You wish for users to be sent to a web page that is significant to their search. You should also aim for it to be specific to the PPC advert. This process is referred to as deep-linking.

When search advertising, you are not just creating the adverts and considering the keywords. You are in an ongoing process as the user tries to click the advert. The landing page is the one that the visitor arrives at once they interact with the ad. This can be a page that is already existent on your site or a new one specifically for the campaign. This custom-page can be helpful if you are holding a special offer or a competition.

Always thoroughly plan your landing page as it’s the most necessary component of the advertisement. The home page is a poor landing page for a PPC campaign. That’s because they usually do not make conversions. For example, if someone searches for “Apple iPhone 11”, a poor landing page would be www.apple.com. Instead, the landing page must be the actual page where the specs of the iPhone 11 are featured.  

Aside from a specific landing page, you also want to make sure that there is a specific call to action. This will keep the user concentrated on the goal as their needs are being attended to. 

Ad Extension

There are plenty of ways for you to add information to your search adverts. The ad extension is a search ad element that allows this. It offers an amazing way to gather additional data into a search advert. You may do this without having an impact on the standard advert copy limits. Google, for example, has several ways for this.

In AdWords, seven ad extensions are offered. These are:

  • Location extensions to add information on the location and maps to your ad
  • Call extensions for phone numbers under the standard text 
  • Social extensions for users to know how many Google+ users follow the brand
  • Seller ratings for the review ratings based on the information
  • Sitelinks let you add up to 6 links with unique URL destinations
  • Offer extensions for images when available by linking the AdWords with Google Merchant Center 
  • Image extensions for direct images from the ad itself

How to Target Your Search Advert

You can target your search advert in many ways. This depends on the manner you wish to get to your target audience. One way is by using keywords and match types. 

What are the different ways the search engine can read and match the terms to your keywords? Many search engines ask you to enter the search keywords where the advert has to appear. 

You can also make your search advert more targeted through language and location targeting. For example, you want your advert to show only to English searches in Europe. Language and location targeting can be classified into the following:

  • Behavioral targeting 
  • demographic targeting

© Image credits to Pok Rie

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