Two High Point dentists ran AdWords ads on the same keyword in March. Same position, same bids, same landing page quality. One ad got a 7.2 percent click-through rate. The other got 1.4 percent. The difference was 95 characters of ad copy. In a single month, that gap changed cost per click by roughly 60 percent and cost per new patient by even more. AdWords ad copywriting is a leverage point most Triad businesses ignore.
The AdWords Format You Have to Work Within
A 2009 AdWords text ad gives you four tight constraints: a 25-character headline, two description lines of 35 characters each, and a 35-character display URL. That is roughly 130 total characters to convince a stranger to click your ad over the eight others on the page. Every word matters.
The Headline: 25 Characters That Earn the Click
- →Include the keyword the searcher typed. Google bolds matching words in the headline, which catches the eye and signals relevance.
- →Include the city when it fits. "Greensboro Family Dentist" beats "Family Dental Practice."
- →Use Title Case for every word. Sentence case looks weak in a search results page where competitors are using title case.
The Description Lines: 70 Characters of Persuasion
- →Line 1 is the benefit or differentiator. "Same-Day Appointments Available." "Award-Winning Personal Injury Team." "Family-Owned Since 1982." One concrete promise.
- →Line 2 is the call to action. "Call for a Free Consultation." "Schedule Online Today." "Get a Free Estimate Now." A specific next step the click leads to.
- →Avoid superlatives Google rejects. "Best," "#1," "Top-Rated" without proof get ads disapproved. Use measurable claims: "Serving 5,000+ Triad Families."
The Display URL: 35 Characters of Trust
Your display URL does not have to match your destination URL exactly. Use it to add a relevant keyword: yourfirm.com/Greensboro-Dentist or yourfirm.com/Free-Consultation. This visually reinforces relevance and meaningfully lifts click-through rate.
The Habits of High-Performing Ad Copy
- →Run two ads per ad group, always. Google rotates and you can see which copy outperforms. Pause the loser, write a new challenger, and never stop the test.
- →Mention price or offer when you legitimately have one. "From $99," "Free First Visit," "No Trip Charge" all lift click-through when truthful.
- →Mention licensing and credentials for legal, medical, and financial services. "Board Certified," "30+ Years Experience," "BBB Accredited."
- →Match the ad copy to the landing page. If the ad promises "Free Consultation," the landing page headline must say "Free Consultation." Mismatch tanks Quality Score and conversion.
Three Ad Examples for Triad Service Businesses
- →Greensboro Family Dentist | Same-Day Appts, Saturday Hours | Call (336) XXX-XXXX for a Free Exam | yourfirm.com/Greensboro-Dentist
- →Winston-Salem HVAC Repair | Same-Day Service, No Trip Charge | Call Now for Fast Local Service | yourfirm.com/HVAC-Repair
- →High Point Injury Attorney | Award-Winning, 30+ Years Experience | Free Case Review, No Fee Unless We Win | yourfirm.com/Free-Review
After rewriting the High Point dentist's losing ads using the framework above, his click-through rate moved from 1.4 percent to 6.8 percent in three weeks, his Quality Score rose, and his cost per click on the same keywords dropped 47 percent.
Read the companion pieces on how AdWords actually works and picking your first 20 keywords, or have our digital marketing agency write and continuously test AdWords copy for your business.