8/18/2010

Writing Pay-Per-Click Ads – Strategy, Tips, and Resources

If you fancy yourself a concise writer, you can easily put it to the test by writing pay-per-click ads. Google’s specifications for text in its PPC ads are rather limited:

• Title – 25 characters

• Line 1 – 35 characters

• Line 2 – 35 characters

• Display URL – 35 characters

In those scant 130 characters, the PPC ad writer must create:

• A dazzling, attention-getting title

• A crystal clear value proposition

• An irresistible call to action

• Credibility

• One or two keyword phrase inclusions

No easy task! And considering the low click-through rates that go with the PPC territory, the ability to write effective PPC ads is arguably the most important skill a Web copywriter can have.

But it gets more challenging still, because writing is only half the equation. Equally important is the art and science of A/B split testing PPC ads, and that means knowing what to test and how to test it.

Here are 20 excellent information resources for writing and testing pay-per-click ads. There’s some overlap, but each writer comes at the topic from a different angle. I like these articles because they’re clearly written, include good examples, and make a lot of sense.

1. 10 PPC Ad Copy Tips

2. 17 Most Common PPC Mistakes Web Marketers Make

3. 18 Tips For Writing Better Pay-Per-Click Ads

4. 18 Tips For Writing High CTR PPC Ads

5. 25 Idea Generators for Writing PPC Ads

6. 6 Common Mistakes In B2B PPC Advertising

7. Do Not Overlook the Importance of the Display URLs in PPC Ads

8. Effective PPC Ad Copy 101, Part 1

9. Effective PPC Ad Copy 101, Part 2

10. Killer PPC Ads: The Fundamentals

11. PPC Ad Copy – Advice from the Experts

12. PPC Copywriting: The Evolution of a PPC Split Test