AdWords Ad Copy Can Tank Your CTR

Space is so precious in advertising.  Space is even more precious in AdWords.  You’ve got 25 characters for an eye catching headline and only 70 more to try and win the click.

I found this AdWords ad for a house painter – the ad was in top position, had site links & call extensions.  The team behind the account knows what they’re doing.  Except for the copy.

It bugged me so much that I threw the ad on WebSavvy’s facebook page to see how savvy our friends are.

There are two crucial mistakes this ad makes.

The first thing that stands out is the ad isn’t customer focused.  It’s a classic error.  We’re seeing more and more narcissism in society these days, and as advertisers we should be making hay while the sun shines!

In this case the ad talks about their experience & time in the industry.  This is mostly something the business is proud of, and for good reason, 20 years is a long time for a business.  It’s a fact that just doesn’t do much for the average person looking for painters.

That said there is something here for the potential customer, but it’s small and hiding behind clunky copy.  The benefit they’re trying to convey is “20 years of painting experience is something you can trust your home with”.  But that benefit just doesn’t come out clearly.  And the customer is being assaulted by ads, and not going to take the time to dig through to find the benefit.

And this leads me to the second mistake.  A more vital mistake.

As I alluded to at the top of the page, you’ve got a tiny space to convince someone to click on your lead.  Use your best stuff here.  Scream out your point of difference.  The  aspect of your business that sets you apart from the competition should be so obvious it drips off the screen.

I’d hope that “time in the industry” isn’t the only thing that makes these painters stand out.  And if it is, then they should be selling the benefit of a freshly painted house.  If experience is so essential, address it on the website where you’re not clamouring for the attention of a user.

I often see AdWords ad copy that ignores the customer.  That type of ad copy is really asking the customers eyes to move a little lower & to the right to see if there is something worth reading there.  It’s the type of ad copy that loses clicks.

Feel free to vent in the comments about missed copy opportunities below or on our facebook page.  Critiques are always fun!!