Pay-per-click ads can be a great addition to an online marketing campaign, but with limited real estate to work with, it is important that you understand the opportunities and limitations that are presented to you when creating a PPC ad.
Structure of a PPC Ad:
The basic appearance of a Google PPC ad changes somewhat depending on whether it appears on the top, left-hand side of the search engine results page (SERP), or along the right-hand side of page.
No matter what side it appears on however, the design set up is the same, Google automatically changes the format to fit the space in which the ad will appear.
As outlined in the above image, Google PPC ads consist of a:
1. Headline
The is the place to present the problem that your product/service solves or the opportunity that it presents.
- You are allowed a maximum of 25 characters for the headline
- Try to include your primary keyword or search term in the headline
2. Line 1
- Outline the benefit of using your product
- maximum of 35 characters available for line 1.
If Line 1 ends with a period (.), and your ad appears on the left-hand side of the SERP, Google may move Line 1. up to the headline.
3. Line 2
- Present the solution, or additional information about your product, service, or offer.
- Maximum of 35 characters.
4. Display URL
The Display URL is the URL that appears in the ad, but does not have to be the actual URL of the page that the ad is connected to.
It must be the same domain as the actual URL – in the case of the above example . . .
. . . but the remaining space (up to a total of 35 characters) can be customized to emphasize the offering or keywords.
- Limited to 35 Characters
- Must include actual domain
- does not need to display “www” or “http”
5. Destination URL
This is the actual domain that the searcher will visit if he/she clicks on your ad.
i.e. http://www.EchelonBusinessSolutions.com/sem-services/
Ad Extensions
Google gives you an option to add “Ad Extensions” to your pay-per-click ads. Extensions allow you to customize your ad by providing addtional information to the searcher. There is no cost associated with adding extensions to your ads.
There are 7 Extensions to choose from:
1. Location Extensions: help “local” traffic find the nearest brick & mortar location
2. Call Extensions: provides searchers easy access to your business by phone.
3. Social Extension: Displays the Google “+1″ notices that your business has collected on Google Search and Display networks.
4. Product Extension: allows you to include more information about your products in your ad.
5. Seller Rating: display your business customer review ratings with your ad.
6. Add Site-links: allows you to display and promote multiple landing pages.
7. Dynamic Search Extension: Looks the same as a regular ad, but matches ads with searches based on your website rather than on selected keywords.
Thanks for taking the time to visit our blog. As always questions and comments are welcomed and appreciated.
Related Articles:
The Anatomy of a Google Search Engine Results Page
Advertising on Adwords: Part 1- How to Create a Google Adwords Account
Advertising on Adwords: Part 2- Setting Up an Adwords Campaign
Advertising on Adwords: Part 3 – Organizing Campaigns, Ad Groups, and Ads