Writing Google Ads Copy That Converts: 7 Formulas for Higher CTR

A weak approach is: “What should my first headline say?”

A stronger approach is: “What different messages should Google have available when assembling this ad?”

Google specifically recommends providing varied, relevant assets because greater diversity gives the system more combinations to work with.

For most campaigns, leave your headlines unpinned. Pinning restricts which assets can appear in particular positions, reducing the number of combinations Google can test. Google itself recommends avoiding unnecessary pinning.

However, pinning can make sense when something must appear consistently. Examples include:

• A legally required disclaimer
• A mandatory brand message
• A specific compliance statement
• A critical offer condition
• A campaign where a particular message genuinely needs a fixed position

If you need a core keyword or message in Position 1, you can pin it. But you don't necessarily need to lock every other headline around it.

A practical hybrid structure might look like:

• Headline Position 1: Google Ads Agency UK
• Headline Position 2: Generate More Qualified Leads
• Other headlines: Unpinned

This gives you some consistency while still allowing the remaining assets to rotate. Google also allows multiple unique assets to be pinned to the same position, giving the system more flexibility than pinning a single headline.

Never build DKI without thinking about the fallback.

For example: {Keyword:Google Ads Services}. If the inserted keyword cannot be used appropriately, the default provides a controlled alternative.

Also remember the character limits. Google states that headlines support up to 30 characters and descriptions up to 90 characters; your default text needs to fit those limits.

Consider: “Looking For {Keyword:Marketing Services}?”

If the keyword is “SEO agency”, the result makes sense.

But poorly structured keyword lists can produce awkward combinations. For example, “Looking For ecommerce SEO agency?” might be acceptable in one context but could become grammatically poor with another keyword.

DKI works best when the keywords inside the ad group naturally fit the sentence.

A short city name and a long city name do not occupy the same amount of space. Google specifically recommends ensuring that your headline has enough characters available for the possible inserted locations.

You should also provide sensible default text for cases where the location cannot be inserted.

The goal is not: “Make every ad dynamic.”

The goal is: “Use dynamic elements only where they make the message more relevant without making it awkward.”

Start with the problem, highlight its business impact, then introduce the solution.

• Headline 1: Wasting Money On Ads?
• Headline 2: Stop Paying For Bad Leads
• Headline 3: Get A Free Campaign Audit
• Description: Find where your ad spend is leaking and build campaigns around qualified leads.

This works particularly well for services where the customer already knows something is wrong. It does not need exaggerated fear. The problem should be something your target customer genuinely experiences.

Specific numbers can make a vague claim more concrete.

• Weak: Trusted By Many Businesses
• Specific: Helped Generate 113 Conversions

The second version gives the reader something concrete to process. However, only use numbers you can substantiate. Don't invent client counts, conversion figures, revenue claims, ratings, or percentages simply because they sound persuasive.

A legitimate example might be:

• Headline: 113 Conversions Generated
• Headline: B2B Lead Generation
• Description: Search campaigns built to attract high-intent buyers and measurable enquiries.

Instead of promising a result with no explanation, connect the benefit to what you actually do.

• Weak: Get More Customers
• Specific: Get More Leads With Search Ads
• Even stronger: Turn High-Intent Searches Into Leads

This makes the claim more believable because the mechanism is visible.

People respond more easily when they understand exactly what they are being offered.

Examples:

Instead of Contact Us Today, try Get Your Free Ads Audit. The second version answers the user's unspoken question: “Why should I click?”

Customers often have a reason not to act. Maybe they think:

• Agencies are expensive.
• Switching is difficult.
• There will be a long contract.
• They will lose control of the account.
• The service isn't suitable for their business.

Turn that objection into the copy.

• Headline: No Long-Term Contract
• Headline: Keep Control Of Your Account
• Headline: Clear Monthly Reporting

The reassurance must be true. Don't use “No Risk,” “Guaranteed Results,” or similar claims unless the business can genuinely support them.

Call out exactly who the service is for and what they want.

• Weak: Digital Marketing Services
• Specific: Marketing For Beauty Clinics
• Even more specific: Get More Beauty Clinic Bookings

This works because the user can quickly recognize: “This is for a business like mine.”

Specificity often beats generic cleverness.

The final formula reduces perceived risk.

Examples might include:

Be careful with the word guarantee. A guarantee is only useful when there is an actual guarantee behind it. Promising “Guaranteed Leads” or “Guaranteed #1 Rankings” without a legitimate basis can damage trust and create policy or consumer-protection concerns.

A safer approach is often to guarantee something you actually control. For example, Clear Monthly Reporting is a factual service commitment.

Notice what changed. The stronger examples don't necessarily use more exciting words. They use more information.

“Best,” “professional,” “high quality,” and “great” are difficult for a reader to verify. “Google Ads for UK clinics,” “free campaign audit,” and “technical SEO for ecommerce sites” tell the reader exactly what they are getting. That is the real copywriting advantage.

A useful 15-headline structure could look like this:

That gives you 15 distinct assets without forcing every headline to say the same thing.

For descriptions, use four different jobs:

1. Explain the problem and solution.
2. Explain your process or differentiator.
3. Provide proof or a concrete benefit.
4. Finish with the offer and CTA.

Then check the combinations manually. Ask: Does each headline make sense on its own? Does it still make sense beside my other headlines? Am I repeating the same idea? Is every claim defensible?

Google notes that RSA assets can appear in different orders, so individual assets should make sense both independently and in combinations.

• Headline 1: Google Ads Services
• Headline 2: Best PPC Agency
• Headline 3: Grow Your Business
• Headline 4: Get More Customers
• Description: We provide professional Google Ads services to help businesses grow online. Contact us today.

Nothing is necessarily wrong with this copy. The problem is that almost every competitor could write it.

• Headline 1: Google Ads Agency UK
• Headline 2: Stop Wasting Ad Spend
• Headline 3: Generate Qualified Leads
• Headline 4: Campaigns Built Around ROI
• Headline 5: Free Google Ads Audit
• Headline 6: UK-Based PPC Team
• Headline 7: No Long-Term Contract
• Description 1: Find wasted spend, improve targeting and build Search campaigns around qualified leads.
• Description 2: Get a practical campaign review with clear actions for improving clicks, leads and efficiency.

The second version gives the searcher more reasons to qualify themselves before clicking. Someone looking specifically for Google Ads management sees the service. Someone concerned about wasted spend sees the problem. Someone comparing agencies sees the offer. Someone worried about commitment sees the contract message.

That's what a good RSA asset set should accomplish.

• Does every headline stay within the current character limit?
• Are the headlines genuinely different from each other?
• Have you included the core search intent naturally?
• Does every asset make sense independently?
• Do different headline combinations still sound natural?
• Are your claims specific and supportable?
• Are your CTAs clear?
• Is your offer obvious?
• Are you using DKI only where the keyword structure supports it?
• Does your DKI default text make sense?
• Does your location insertion have enough room?
• Are you pinning only what genuinely needs to be fixed?
• Have you avoided repetitive “best,” “professional,” and “quality” claims?
• Does the landing page actually deliver what the ad promises?

Most importantly, don't judge your copy from the editor alone. Look at what happens after the click.

A headline that produces a high CTR but attracts poor-quality traffic is not necessarily better copy. The objective is to create a message that attracts the right click, not simply the largest number of clicks.