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Formating Your Successful Google Adwords Ad

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Continuing on our theme of creating Great Google Adwords Ads, today we’ll look at formating your ad.  Last time, we talked about picking keywords and elements that make an Adwords ad successful.  But, what does an Adwords ad look like?

Here’s a real Adwords ad that shows up in the first position in a search for “Shoes”.

Dockers® Shoes
Official Site. Dockers® Shoes In
Many Styles & Sizes. Shop Today!
www.dockers.com/shoes
Now, let’s deconstruct the ad.
The 1st line is the headline for the ad.  It’s also a hyperlink taking you to the website – although I removed the hyperlinks so as not to advertise anything.
The 2nd line gives you more information
The 3rd line makes the offer and the call to action.
The 4th line is the hyperlink again (although I removed the link again).
All Google Adwords ads look like this — limited to 4 lines and a total of 25 characters for the headline.  Additional lines are limited to only 35 characters each.  Your URL (or hyperlink) is limited to 35 characters (although the actual URL may be longer, only the 1st 35 characters will display.
That’s it.  That’s all the space you have and its not much.  So you need to be clever, make every word count, and create compelling text that drives users to your website.
So, what do you think about this ad? Does it adhere to our recommendations for a successful Adwords ad?
Good attributes of the Google Adwords Ad
  • Well, they get the keyword in the ad multiple times.
  • There’s a clear call to action — “Shop Today!”

Improvements on the Google Adwords Ad

  • Personally, I don’t feel the copy is that emotionally charged.  The writers spend too much time convincing you this is the official site for Dockers shoes, which probably doesn’t buy them a lot of interest.
  • The offer isn’t that great — “Many styles and sizes”.  Again, this doesn’t really peak my interest.

Let’s compare this with another ad

Shoes at Zappos.com

www.zappos.com/ Free Shipping Both Ways on All Shoes at Zappos.com!
This ad looks a little different because it’s displayed before organic search links rather than along the right side of the organic results.  But, the format of the ad is the same — headline, link URL and 2 lines of description.
Why this Google Adwords ad is BETTER
  • The headline BEGINS with the keyword.  The more prominently your keyword appears in your Adwords ad the more likely folks will select the link and visit your site.
  • Zappos makes a compelling offer — free shipping both ways.  This shows they know their target audience.  The biggest single factor detracting from ordering shoes online is that you can’t judge the fit of the shoe or how it will look on YOUR foot.  Free shipping both ways eliminates the expense and inconvenience of having to send the shoes back.  It eliminates any risk associated with buying the shoes.  This makes their Adwords ad very strong.
  • They repeated the brand name multiple times, building on their strong brand recognition.

I hope this helps give you some ideas for creating more successful Google Adwords ads.

Next time I’ll walk you through using the Google Adwords platform now that you understand the marketing and structure of good Adwords ads.

I’m a Google Engage Agency – and I can help

Google gave me a limited number of $100 free coupons for companies getting started with Google Advertising.  If you’d like one of these coupons to test the Adwords waters, let me know and I’ll set you up (normal consulting fees apply if you wish help in creating your ad).

About Angela Hausman

I manage Hausman and Associates, a full-service marketing firm operating at the intersection of marketing and digital media. We provide a host of digital marketing solutions including content marketing, email marketing, SEO/ SEM, social media marketing, lead generation as well as marketing strategy, branding,, market research, and a variety of other marketing programs to mid-sized businesses and nonprofits.

I hold a PhD in Marketing from USF. I live in Alexandria with my 3 kids, 2 dogs, and 3 cats.

I'm a featured contributor to Business2Community and was named to Content Marketing Institutes 40 digital luminaries for 2014.

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