A commonly overlooked component, the listing, aids in the creation of a powerful Pay Per Click advertising campaign. The listing is what a visitor sees after typing in a search term. It consists of an accurate title, relevant description and working URL. Moreover, listings are the determining factor in a visitor’s decision to click through to an advertiser’s website.

TITLE

The listing’s title should be short, accurate, and catchy, no longer than one line of text. It does not necessary need to contain a brand name, but should be extremely relevant a site’s product or service. It should motivate the Internet visitor and call for action. For example, if a perspective customer types in the keyword “science books” a relevant title could be: “Visit our online store today for the extensive selection of science books.” 

When creating a title, it should be spelled correctly and be grammatically correct, without overuse of exclamation or unusual capitalization A title that contains a misspelling can reduce the credibility of an online advertiser to a potential customer. And by minimizing punctuation marks, the listing text will be less likely to slow a reader down.

DESCRIPTION

After creating a title that calls an Internet user to action, the description needs to tell the Internet user why they are going to a site. It should paint a concise picture of the product or service, while still containing specific product details, in only two or three sentences. The description is where a business can begin to show how they are different from other merchants. It should contain the brand name and common keyword phrases associated with the product or service being advertised. If the site pertains to a specific geographical location, that should also be included in the description. And, it is also ideal to appeal to specific audiences that are interested in the product or service. For example, the description can start with any of the following standard statements: 

• Find out how…
• Online assistant will help you make your widget selection…
• Read testimonials by our participants…
• Overnight delivery with every order…

It is also important to have an in-depth description. Shaun Kulesza JustBecauseBaskets.com CEO is an experience user of Searchfeed.com’s Pay Per Click Advertising services. He comments, “A description should allow your potential customers to know, in a nutshell, what you have to offer. That way if they aren’t interested they won’t click and as a result save you money, and the clicks you do receive will result in educated consumers that are more likely to buy.”

As covered above, when creating a description it is important to be in-depth, however long text should be avoided. Also, it is important to refrain from using long sentences loaded in keywords, which again can slow the reader down and cause them to loose interest. Also be cautious of the usage of phrases like “We are #1” or “We are the best company for widgets” these terms are not recommended, unless the claim has been proven factual.

URLs

After convincing the Internet user to go to a site by creating an accurate title and clear description, it is important to submit proper URL. The URL must be working to allow an Internet visitor to click through to access an advertiser’s products or services. The site should also be a complete page and not contain broken links or be under construction. “It is imperative to have a working URL at all times. You are paying for clicks. Every click going to a non-working URL is money wasted,” clarifies Kulesza.

CONCLUSION

Overall, a listing that is relevant to the site and represents an advertiser’s primary product or service is more likely to result in targeted sales leads for advertisers. Most importantly, titles and descriptions should relevantly portray the submitted URL and not be misleading to searchers. Irrelevant listings tend to frustrated Internet users, deterring them from buying a product because it was not what they were searching for. By clearly represent products and services in a listing an advertiser can receive a higher ROI and targeted sales leads from their Pay Per Click campaign. For future reference refer to the following quick tips:  

Quick Tips for creating listings

1. Create accurate titles

2. Write clear and concise descriptions

3. Always submit working URLs

The next step, after creating a listing, is efficient campaign maintenance. Look for the next article by Searchfeed.com Corporate Communications, which will cover this last step and will address what happens when visitors land on advertiser’s page and how to track these visits.