Let us not forget the fundamental root of search engine marketing: search. The term ‘search’ also comprises these terms: query, hunt, seek, look for, ferret, chase, rummage. Users rummage through search query results looking for a service, a product, a piece-of-information, an answer. Search engine results pages (SERP) are filled with possible answers to a users’ query, but the key to a successful search engine marketing campaign is being the best answer. You can be the best answer to a user’s query by writing ad texts that are benefit-driven. Writing benefit-driven ad texts will allow you to catch more clicks and conversions!
Think of the internet as a vast ocean filled little fish, better known as users, and your ad text is your lure and your benefits are the bait! When writing ad texts you can’t just tell someone to click on your ad (I wish it were that easy!); you need to convince them to click on your ad. This is where highlighting the benefits of your service or product come into the equation.
The first step to writing benefit-driven ad texts is to determine what your core benefits are. Review your website, make a list of reasons why someone would choose you over your competitors. Hopefully, it’s a long list! This list is your tackle box of benefits and it can include:
- Prices (lower than your competitors)
- Product quality (better than your competitors)
- Shipping (faster than your competitors)
- Variety (wider than your competitors)
…and the list goes on and on. Once you have this list of benefits, you need to run a few queries on your core keywords to see what benefits (if any!) your competitors are highlighting. How can you make your ad text different; how can it stand out from all of the other lures on a SERP; how can it be the best answer to a user’s query?
Once you’ve answered these questions you can begin writing new ad texts that highlight these benefits. And you should write an ad for each benefit you’d like to highlight. You’ll find that certain benefits will appeal best to your target audience. Later this week we’ll talk about best practices for multi-variant testing for your ad texts.
The result of following these steps is that you’ll have new ad texts that are benefit-driven, and that stand-out from your competitors. Having these new ad texts in your tackle box will be the best answer to a user’s query and you’ll catch more clicks and conversions!