Start from one ad group and one intent
Write copy for one ad group at a time. Open its keyword list and the search terms behind it. If the ad group mixes several intents, fix the structure first. See Structure the account around how buyers actually search.
Then write the buyer's problem in one sentence, in their words. For example: "We send invoices by hand and chase them for weeks." That sentence feeds every headline and description below.
Know what you are filling in
Google's standard search ad is the responsive search ad. You supply up to 15 headlines of 30 characters each and up to 4 descriptions of 90 characters each. Google then shows up to 3 headlines and 2 descriptions in different combinations.
This means every headline must read well next to any other headline. Write all 15. Most weak ads have five headlines that say the same thing in slightly different words.
Write 15 headlines in five groups
Write three headlines for each of these jobs:
- Keyword: the phrase the buyer typed, such as "Invoice Automation Software".
- Outcome: what changes for them, such as "Send Invoices Without Chasing".
- Proof: a fact you can show, such as "[Number] Accountancy Firms Use It".
- Action: what happens next, such as "Book a 20-Minute Demo".
- Difference: why you and not the other three, such as "Works With Exact Online".
Replace the bracket with a real number or drop the line. Never claim what you cannot show on the landing page.
Write four descriptions that finish the thought
A description does one job: it gives a reason to click. Use this order: problem, outcome, proof, action.
"Chasing late invoices costs you hours every week. Automate reminders and see who has paid in one view. Free setup call."
Talk about what the buyer gets, not what the product has. "Dashboards, workflows and integrations" is a feature list. "See who has paid without opening a spreadsheet" is a reason.
Pin as little as possible
Pinning fixes a headline to a position and cuts the number of combinations Google can test. Pin one headline to position 1 only if the searcher's words must always show, or if legal wording demands it. Leave the rest free.
Add the assets
Google now calls extensions assets. They make the ad taller and give the searcher more routes in. Set these up in this order:
- Sitelinks: at least four, each to a different page, each with two short description lines. Link to pricing, a case study, the demo page and the main solution page.
- Callouts: four or more short phrases of up to 25 characters, such as "Free onboarding call" or "Dutch support team".
- Structured snippets: a header such as Services, then a list of your real offerings.
- Call asset: only if someone answers the phone during the hours you set.
- Lead form asset: only if you can follow up within the hour.
- Promotion asset: only for an offer that actually exists.
Check the assets report after two weeks and remove any that never show.
Treat ad strength as a hint
Google rates each ad from Poor to Excellent. If it says Poor, you probably need more varied headlines. Do not chase Excellent for its own sake. A rating tells you nothing about whether the leads are good. Judge the ad on conversions and on qualified leads.
Test one angle at a time
Run two ads per ad group. Change one thing between them, such as an outcome headline against a proof headline. Do not judge a test before each ad has had around 100 clicks, and compare conversion rate, not click-through rate. A funny headline can win the click and lose the lead. The review routine is in Search campaign optimisation.
Send the click to a page that matches
The ad promises something. The page must keep that promise in the first screen. Read The landing page is part of the ad, not a separate problem before you launch.
Common mistakes
- Writing headlines that repeat the same words, so combinations read like a stutter.
- Using the company slogan instead of the buyer's search term.
- Making claims the landing page does not back up.
- Copying one ad into every ad group.
- Adding sitelinks that all point to the homepage.
- Leaving old promotion assets live after the offer has ended.
- Judging an ad after three days.
How you know it works
Your ad shows the searcher's own words in the headline for your main keywords. The assets report shows sitelinks and callouts being served. Click-through rate rises against your previous ads, and cost per qualified lead falls. If clicks rise and qualified leads do not, the copy attracts the wrong people, so tighten it.
On Monday morning: open your biggest ad group in Google Ads, count the headlines, and write the missing ones until you have 15.
