Writing ad copy
There are 4 elements to an AdWords ad that will persuade (or otherwise) a searcher to click on it, with the following recommendations being based on vast experience with what is most effective for attracting clicks:
1) Headline
This should match the search phrase that has been typed in as closely as possible (see later section on choosing keywords).
The idea is that you should match this phrase with the thought in the mind of the searcher at the time they are searching. Google will bold any words within the ad that match the words in the search phrase, which makes the headline doubly eye-catching if it matches.
Example: History of Photography
2) Description Line 1
This should promote some kind of benefit to be gained from the topic being searched for.
Example: Learn about photographic history
3) Description Line 2
This should provide information about what is featured on the site that the visitor will click through to.
Example: One of the world's largest archives
4) Display URL
This can be utilised to make the advert stand out more from the others on the same page.
Example: www.VAM.ac.uk/photography
- in this example we've capitalised the letters VAM, as well as included another reference to the word "photography" - which Google will bold. It should be noted that this display URL must actually work in its own right, though, so a redirect should be set up if the URL doesn't exist in the first place. The example used does currently exist so is fine.
So our complete advert will look like this in the SERPs:
History of Photography
Learn about photographic history
One of the world's largest archives
www.VAM.ac.uk/photography
The above example ad assumes the search phrase being searched for was:
history of photography
In our example ad, the whole of the headline has been bolded as each word matches each word of the search phrase. Also, the word "history" in Line 1 and "photography" in the Display URL have been bolded, as they match a word in the search phrase.
This technique may be utilised further to increase the eye-catching level of the ad, through, for instance, making another reference to the "history of photography" within the ad.
A Google search for the phrase
history of photography
will provide more examples to backup the above explanation.