Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
What do the phrases “Act now!”, “Call today!” and “Click here!” have in common, besides the exclamation points. They are all Call-to-Action phrases (CTAs), albeit overused and obnoxious versions of them. CTAs are a critical part of your PPC ad campaign because they encourage the viewer/reader/audience to do something—which is what your client is paying you for, action. Crafting compelling call to action slogans is essential for driving engagement and conversions in your Google Ads account. For example, utilizing SEMrush Ad Builder can streamline the process of creating effective CTAs that resonate with your target audience while staying within your advertising budget. Whether you’re new to Google AdWords or a seasoned advertiser, integrating impactful CTAs into your campaigns is key to maximizing their effectiveness.
The Search Engine Journal suggests that CTAs should link directly to the goal of your campaign. In other words, if you want people to click on the ad, then you should invite them to do so in the copy. However, “Click here!” can be repetitive in your campaigns, and as the Search Engine Journal says, stale. So, it’s a good idea to follow their five best practices when designing CTAs for PPC campaigns:
Match the CTA to the needs of the target audience. Different targets respond to relevant prompts, so consider what is essential to that target when coming up with a CTA.
Keep it to one CTA per campaign. Multiple CTAs can make the campaign challenging to manage the budget. Instead, focus on one action to maximize your response opportunities. (However, other sources do not share this opinion).
Explain the benefit of the CTA. The responder should know what’s in it for them when they act. It shouldn’t be a mystery to a targeted prospect why they are clicking.
Use Ad Extensions. Ad extensions can reinforce the message of your ad and the CTA you recommend, so use them in your ad copy.
Make the paths customized to increase clarity. You can use up to 15 characters in the field that follows the URL, so use them to reinforce the message of your CTA.
To read the Search Engine Journal’s full article on CTAs, please click here.
You can write your own CTAs, which we encourage. However, you can also borrow from experts that have tried a few and found their favorites. Here are a few we collected that you can “borrow” for your PPC ad campaigns.
25 Top Call-to-Action Phrases for Your Google Ads
From KlientBoost, a digital marketing agency:
- Shop the official site. The key CTA words here are “shop” and “official.” These work well for eCommerce and well-known brands that want to add some authenticity to the ad.
- Get a free quote 24/7. Having an action verb enhances the message of this CTA.
- Download our XX guide. In addition to an action verb, you also see that the searcher will get more information and drives traffic to the client’s site. This one works well on relationship firms that need time to build trust before getting a sale.
- Try XX for free. As KlientBoost says, the best CTAs make an offer the searcher can’t refuse.
To see all 61 CTAs that KleintBoost recommends, please click here.
From Semrush, an online visibility management platform:
- Ends June 28. Shop Now. This CTA for a shoe sale creates a sense of urgency and an action to take, motivating some viewers to action.
- com End of Season Sale – 30% Off* Sitewide. This CTA allows clickers to go to the site and choose where to shop. A second CTA in this ad goes directly to the sale’s landing page. Either way, the clicker is seeing what’s on sale at the site.
To see all Semrush’s suggestions for CTA, access the article here.
Stevens-Tate.com, an attraction marketing agency, lists the following CTAs that encourage different actions by the clicker:
- Download now.
- Join now.
- Talk to an expert.
- Get it now!
- Come in for a free consultation.
- Start your free trial.
- Send for our free brochure.
- Subscribe to our email list.
- Apply here.
- Reserve your spot today.
- Take our quiz!
- Tell us what you think.
- Get started today.
To see the entire message from Stevens-Tate about CTAs, read more here.
Acquisio, AI-Powered PPC Management Tools recommends the following:
Buy [feature and benefit] online. Acquisio likes this one because it uses the CTA to “frame” the copy. Moreover, it includes the feature and benefit in it, which reinforces why the clicker should click.
To read all the suggestions from Acquisio, follow this link.
Crazyegg, a website optimization firm, suggests the following CTAs to increase clicks:
- Yes, I want X! They like this one because it’s in the voice of the customer and reads like the viewer’s thought.
- Score X now. The important word here is “Score,” which has a more interesting connotation than “get.” Crazy egg encourages using a thesaurus when creating a “Get it now” CTA.
- Start your journey toward X. This one works because the X indicates the benefit the user will get if they act on the CTA.
- Activate X today! The nice part of this CTA is “activate” is a driving word that evokes a feeling of control.
- Act before it’s too late! Taking a different tack, this CTA creates a risk of not acting, which is a psychologically powerful motivator for people.
To see everything Crazy Egg says about CTAs, learn more here.
Use these examples as a starting point, but be sure to test your results, as many of these sources will reiterate. Finding out what works for your client is essential to the success of your PPC campaign and your status as their go-to PPC manager.
We cannot overestimate the importance of having a clear and compelling CTA for your PPC campaigns. By matching a focused CTA to your viewer’s needs and creating a CTA that explains the benefit of acting now, you can increase the clicks your client gets on the latest PPC campaign.
So, what are you waiting for? Act now before it’s too late! Fix your CTAs today!
(See what we did there?)
Sources:
Raehsler, Lisa. 5 PPC Calls-to-Action Tips & 4 Gotchas You Need to Know.” Searchenginejournal.com. 7 January 2019. Web. 30 September 2021. < https://www.searchenginejournal.com/ppc-calls-to-action-tips/285009/>
Logue, Laura. “61 Call-To-Action Examples You Can’t Help But Click.” Klientboost.com. Web. 30 September 2021. <https://klientboost.com/marketing/call-to-action-examples/>.
Ofiwe, Michelle. “10 Attention-Grabbing Call-to-Action Examples.” Semrush.com. 28 July 2021. Web. 30 September 2021. < https://www.semrush.com/blog/call-to-action-examples/>.
Szwast, Debbie. Why Call To Action Phrases Are So Important In Inbound Marketing?.” Stevens-tate.com. 15 January 2021. Web. 30 September 2021. <https://stevens-tate.com/category/call-to-action-phrases/>.
Trussell, Cassy. “15 of the Best Call-to-Action Examples We’ve Seen Across the Web.” Acquisio.com. 20 September 2018. Web. 30 September 2021. < https://www.acquisio.com/blog/agency/15-best-cta-examples/#>.
“Increase Clicks with These 12 Call-to-Action Phrases.” Crazyegg.com. 8 April 2020. Web. 30 September 2021. <https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/call-to-action-phrases/>.
