Don’t bother checking your pay-per-click ads for CTRs, CPCs and conversion rates if you’re not following these basic PPC rules.

ad appearance + aesthetics

Sometimes we see advertisements that use all 35 characters in one line and only 20 or so in the other. This makes the ad appear unbalanced.

An ad should also have all appropriate words capitalized.

Further, ads should have correct punctuation, so they look professional.

send a clear-cut message without overdoing it

It’s best not to make potential customers confused before they even visit your site.  Stick to one clear idea, and go with it. If an ad has two ideas, products, or competitive advantages, split the ad into two ads and make each ad focus on one central theme. Remember that a successful ad only has enough space to elaborate on one idea. Throwing in a bunch of keywords can make your ad appear nonsensical to the user who doesn’t know everything about an industry. Avoid clutter and extra keywords.

absent call-to-action phrases

The call to action, or CTA, is so important because it tells the user what they can expect. A simple “Learn More” or “Contact Us” can go a long way. The connotation of “Learn More” or “Contact Us” implies that the user can expect to gain necessary knowledge on a product or service. Both CTAs are strong indicators that the website commands a certain amount of respect in the industry and can help a user get where they need to go, whether it be buying an apartment or renting a car.