Menu
SCHEDULE A DISCOVERY CALL
Menu

Copywriting

Blog banner for: Everything You Need to Know About RSAs

Everything About Google Responsive Search Ads

Copywriting, Google Search Ads /

With Google sunsetting Expanded Text Ads (ETAs) in 2022, Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) are now the main text ad format in Google Ads. If you haven’t switched over from ETAs, or are just starting a brand new Google Ads campaign, you need to know all the ins and outs of using RSAs. In this article, we will go over exactly how RSAs work and the best practices to follow to generate more leads from them. What Are Responsive Search Ads? Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) are the main text ad format used in Google Ads and replacing its predecessor, Expanded Text Ads. RSAs allow you to use multiple headlines and descriptions, making it easier to have different variations for a single ad. Google’s machine learning algorithms will mix and match these headlines to create various ad combinations to match different search queries. Headlines: You can use up to 15 headlines in RSAs, and each headline can be up to 30 characters long.  At least three headlines are needed to create an RSA. Descriptions: You can have up to 4 descriptions for a single RSA. Each description can be up to 90 characters long. At least two descriptions are needed to create an RSA. How to Create Responsive Search Ads Select Your Campaign. Click on Ads in the sidebar. Click on the blue plus sign and select “Responsive Search Ads” Click on the Ad Group that you want to add the RSA to. Fill out the final URL and add your headlines and descriptions. Best Practices for Google RSAs 1. Use All Available Ad Copy Real Estate So what does this mean? Technically, you could use only three headlines and two descriptions just like with Expanded Text Ads, but that isn’t the best use of RSAs. Take advantage of the maximum number of headlines and descriptions allowed by Google. This provides more flexibility for ad combinations and Google can find the best possible combination. It’s recommended to reach the maximum character limit for each headline and description. Many advertisers make the mistake of using short descriptions, but that usually isn’t enough words to persuade your target audience to click on your ad. Plus, it can make your ad look empty compared to competitors. Use all the available “real estate” that is given to you but don’t stress if you are off by a few characters. 2. Think About How Each Headline and Description Will Be Used In Combination Knowing that Google will combine different headlines and descriptions, you need to think about how your ad copy will go together. Avoid saying similar things in both your headlines and descriptions because your ads will sound strange and repetitive. Spread out your unique value propositions and address pain points over various descriptions and headlines. Don’t use different CTAs either. If you mention that you want people to schedule an appointment online, don’t use a CTA that asks people to call for scheduling. It’s confusing! Although you can pin headlines and descriptions, that’s not best practice. If you absolutely need to pin something, pick one headline or description. 3. Don’t Overuse Target Keywords Including your target keywords (when possible) in your RSAs can help increase your relevancy in the eyes of Google and the target audience. However, do not overdo it. Overstuffing your ads with your target keyword is going to turn off your target audience, reduce your CTR, and lower your overall performance in Google Ads. Aim to balance between including the keywords and creating genuinely compelling copy. It needs to sound natural! For example, if you are targeting dentist near me, including that in your headline is going to sound a little awkward! You can say something like dentist in Irvine to help get your point across instead. 4. Use Strong CTAs Call-to-Actions (CTAs) are used to guide and influence the audience’s behavior, encouraging them to take a desired action and move forward in the sales or conversion process. Include CTAs in your headlines and descriptions.  Examples of strong CTAs include: Buy Now or Shop Today Schedule a Consultation Request a Free Estimate Start Your Trial Get in Touch or Contact Us Call Us Today The CTA you use will vary depending on your end goal. For many local service businesses (think roofers and locksmiths), Request a Free Estimate and Contact Us are some of the most common CTAs.  It’s best practice to Include CTAs at the end of your descriptions and in your headlines. 5. Include USPs & Appeal to Customer Pain Points Unique selling points (USPs) are what sets you apart from your competitors. Local small businesses can set themselves apart in a few different ways which can include: Years of experience Family-owned and operated Extended hours Financing options Any customization/personalization Unique services that only you offer By including USPs in your ads, users will immediately understand what makes your offering unique and will be more likely to click on your ad. You also need to hit customer pain points. For example, if you are a locksmith then you can write ad copy that conveys you understand the frustration of being locked out of a car or vehicle. For example, you can write: Locked Out? We Understand The Frustration. We Offer 24/7 Emergency Assistance. Call Now! Remember, Google rewards ads that provide a clear and compelling reason for users to click. 6. Use Google Ad Assets Since RSAs are the standard text ad format, utilize other ad assets to help your ad stand out from the competition. Assets that can help add additional value, increasing the chances your ad will appeal to your target audience. Here are some ad assets that you can use: Sitelink Extensions: Add additional links from your website to your ads. These links can be product categories, services, or important pages. Callout Extensions: Inserts short, descriptive text snippets to your ad. Typically used to emphasize unique selling points, special offers, or key features of products or services. Call Extensions: Adds a phone number, making it easy

Everything About Google Responsive Search Ads Read More »

How to Write Responsive Search Ads

How to Write High-Converting Responsive Search Ads

Copywriting /

With millions using Google to find the product or services they need, it is no surprise that many businesses use Google Ads as a lead generation tool. A well-designed responsive search ad campaign with compelling ads can put your business in front of the right audience at the right time when they’re looking for your service. Compelling responsive search ads are critical to higher click-through rates and engaging traffic to become a lead. However, writing ads is often easier said than done. Google Ads only provides a limited amount of characters, so your ad copy needs to be concise and effective. In this blog, we will share best practices for creating compelling, high-converting ad copy. Google Ads Structure & Response Search Ads To write high-converting ad copy, you’ll first need to understand the structure of Google Ads. Extended Text Ads used to be one of the most popular ad formats in standard search campaigns, but it has since been sunsetted in mid-2022 by Google in favor of Responsive Search Ads. This gives you an advantage as you are allowed to have more headlines and descriptions. Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) allow you to implement up to 15 headlines (30-character limit) and 4 descriptions (90-character limit). Google will then use machine learning to serve a combination of headlines and descriptions that they think will perform best. Best Practices for Writing Google Search Ad Copy 1. Know Your Target Audience You need to understand your target audience before you start writing any ad copy. Identify the demographics, needs, and pain points of your customer persona. Creating ad copy without an audience in mind results in generic ads that do not yield the best results. For example, if you need to generate more leads for a swim school, your target audience would be parents. Some of their needs could be small class sizes and flexible schedules. Those would be pain points you need to address in your ads. If your business has a few different types of customers, then you need to consider having multiple campaigns for each customer profile. The more targeted your ads are, the more they are likely to generate leads. 2. Identify Your Unique Selling Points Remember, your ad copy is one of the first things your targeted audience will see. You want to capture their attention, so they’ll click on your ad specifically. Your ads should be able to lay out why your business is heads above the rest. Questions to Ask: Is there a specific service that you offer that others do not? Does your experience set you apart? Do you have a specific certification? Do you offer free estimates or consultations? For example, many roofing businesses use subcontractors. If that is something you do not do, that will help you stand apart from the competition! Or are you a med spa business that offers a specific procedure that others do not? Mention that in your ad if it’s relevant!  3. Include Your Targeted Keywords in the Ads Conducting keyword research needs to be part of your campaign planning process. You will need to select commonly used terms by your target audience. Once research has been completed, your targeted keywords should be placed strategically in your ad copy. However, do not stuff your ads with keywords! If your ad copy does not have your targeted keywords, you may not be able to achieve the best Quality Scores which are scores given to keywords that influence your ad rank and how much your cost-per-click will be.  If you are looking to get more commercial roofing clients, then you’ll want to use “commercial roofing contractor” in your headlines and descriptions. This will boost your Quality Score as it signals to Google that your ad is relevant to those searching specifically for commercial roofing.  Higher Quality Scores mean you’ll have more efficient costs which can lead to a lower cost per conversion! It also ensures the customer that you have exactly what they are looking for. See an example of the targeted keyword being placed in the first headline. 4. Select Your Call to Action Carefully If your customer is enticed by your ad and is ready to take action, you need to point them in the right direction. This is why you need to include a call-to-action (CTA). CTAs tell the customer what action they need to take to get in contact with your business. For example, a popular CTA with small businesses is Schedule an Appointment. This means that when the user clicks on the button, they will be ready to make an appointment with your business. Other examples of CTAs are: Call Today Schedule a Demo Claim Your Offer Think carefully about what you want the customer to do. Should they call? Or do they need to fill out a form to sign up for a free trial or consultation? Many private practices or home services will want customers to fill out a form or call. While SaaS businesses may want users to request more information or schedule a demo. Make sure to keep your CTAs consistent. Don’t tell the prospect to call and fill out a form. They will get confused! 5. Be Local When You Can A very localized Google ad will be highly relevant and personalized to the end user. These prospects will feel more compelled to engage and become a lead because you are closeby to them. This is especially critical for small businesses. Use your location in the actual ad copy. For example, “Commercial Roofer in Encino”. This will also help increase the likelihood that your ads will be served for keywords like “commercial roofer near me”. It’s also best practice to use a local phone number and location extension to increase your relevancy. 6. Use Numbers and Special Offers When Possible Numbers will stand out in the sea of letters in ads that the customer has to scroll through. This could be in a discount, the number of customers you have

How to Write High-Converting Responsive Search Ads Read More »

Clear Messaging Graphic

The Importance of Clear Marketing Messaging

Copywriting /

How much is your unclear marketing message costing you? The short answer is – probably a lot more than you think. Take a look at the contents of your website and if your answer is no to any of the following questions, you may be losing customers faster than you’re gaining them: Is there a clear and direct call to action above the fold on your website? Is it obvious exactly what you do when a user lands on your website? Do you make it easy for users to contact you from your website? Is there an offer available that doesn’t require a massive commitment? Are you using language that your audience understands? Be careful about industry jargon. Do users know how you can solve their problem based on your home page? When I worked on Toyota, Sage, and Qualcomm accounts, I noticed the copy approved to use in advertising were “cutesy” and clever in order to capture attention. This is perfectly fine when you are a well-known brand name that has spent millions on advertising over many decades but when you are a small business, you cannot afford to use “cutesy” and colorful copywriting that doesn’t convey clear outcomes. Let me make this clear: there’s nothing wrong with being clever in your messaging but don’t sacrifice it for clarity. It’s time to overcome the curse of confusion in your marketing. Many small businesses who are advertising on platforms like Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and IG are being ignored! The reason for this is because they are not communicating clearly. Reminder: If you confuse, you lose. Abundance of Information Can you recall any advertising you saw the last time you were on LinkedIn or Facebook? Probably not, because you are being bombarded with information overload and triggered by too many distractions. Most people will only listen to people and brands that do a good job in communicating in a simple and clear manner. This leads to some serious issues when it comes to converting prospects into leads for your business such as: Ideal prospects not understanding what you offer. If they don’t know what you offer, how can they buy from you? Your sales team is unclear about how to differentiate your offering in the marketplace Your goals are muddled and you aren’t connected to a purpose that drives your business forward Word of mouth isn’t spreading as it should because people cannot explain what you do in layman’s terms Your ideal customers are doing business with competitors because they know how to communicate The good news is, it’s not that difficult to make these changes. The key to successful marketing is first understanding your customer and how they think, talk, etc. It’s not only important to know their demographic profile but their psychographic profile too. Once you identify those along with their pain points, you’re one step closer to developing clear messaging that communicates and agitates their point points to convert into a qualified lead. Solve a Problem for Your Customers If you’re in business, you’re offering some type of product or service that solves a problem (otherwise, you probably won’t be in business too long). Your customers will only go to your website and spend quality time there if you’ve identified their problem – that’s how you get their attention. Your job as a business owner is to speak to their problem on your website in a clear and effective manner so that your customers are drawn to take the next step you want them to take – whether it’s to download an e-book, purchase, get a free consultation, whatever it is, it needs to be crystal clear and easy to do. But don’t just speak about their problem, share how you as a business can help them alleviate their pain. Speak to what life would look like if they worked with you and all the benefits that comes along with that. Tip: Being in business for 58 years and having a MBA are not strong enough reasons to work with you. These are great things to mention to position you as a qualified guide but do not directly solve the customer’s pain points directly. Clarity Wins The key to a high-converting website, landing page, or ad in general is simply clarity. Don’t make it difficult for people to understand what you do – that’s the fastest way to lose the attention of your customers. The problem that too many business owners and marketing leaders face is that they get too deep in the weeds of the business that they forget how to communicate with their prospective customers online. Don’t let that be you. If you’re not getting the volume of leads you’re looking for, it’s very likely that there may be an issue with the copy on your website or landing page contributing to the low conversion rates. Take a few steps back and audit your messaging using the questions at the beginning of this article to see if you need to make some adjustments. Marketing is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Every business is different and requires a different messaging strategy. If you’re stuck in terms of your lead generation messaging and strategy, feel free to reach out. I’d love to chat and see how I can help you elevate your results to the next level     Michelle KopMichelle Kop is a marketing consultant and award-winning pay-per-click marketing strategist. She has over 8 years of professional paid advertising experience in Google and Microsoft Ads, with a specialization in lead generation for B2B and B2C companies. After working in corporate marketing with Fortune Global 500 Brands like Toyota and BP, Michelle founded Level 28 Media, a lead generation micro-agency for small to medium businesses. www.level28media.com

The Importance of Clear Marketing Messaging Read More »

Scroll to Top