Based on my discussions with several Paid Search Analysts at nexus-security, I’ve come to a realization: PPC can be incredibly dull! When asked to describe paid search, my colleagues used terms like “mundane,” “bland,” “dry,” “a numbers game,” “tedious,” and even “mind-numbing.”

However, it doesn’t have to be this way! Countless experts are passionate about this field because it’s results-driven and quantifiable. As PPC specialists, we often get caught up in the numbers – impressions, bids, conversions, bounce rates – that we forget to leverage the creative, intuitive side of our brains. We get stuck in a cycle of logic, analytics, and objections. But here’s a surprising truth: we can significantly improve our PPC campaigns by using emotionally resonant ads. What if we approached PPC from a completely different angle and explored how emotions influence searchers’ actions? Would a humorous ad be more clickable than one that evokes shock? What about an ad fueled by anger? To find out, we examined data from numerous client accounts to pinpoint the four emotions that consistently lead to more clicks and conversions. Over the past few months, I’ve experimented with ad copy that evokes each of these four emotions across a wide range of sectors and industries – from medical practices to online clothing retailers to personal injury lawyers. The findings have been fascinating, revealing some clear trends. In this blog post, I’ll explain why these four emotions – anger, disgust, affirmation, and fear – are so effective in driving PPC results. I’ll also share practical examples of how to incorporate them into your ads to achieve exceptional engagement. Before we dive into the exciting part, let’s clarify why emotional ads are essential.

Quality Score and the Importance of High Click-Through Rates

Google employs a complex algorithm known as Quality Score. As you may have heard, Quality Score is a blend of past performance, ad copy relevance, overall account quality, landing page relevancy, keyword relevancy, and click-through rate. But here’s the key takeaway: click-through rate is the most influential factor in improving your Quality Score.

For each point increase or decrease in Quality Score, your impression share fluctuates by 9%. Essentially, a low QS means your ads won’t appear as frequently on the search engine results page (SERP). What’s the point of crafting ads that no one sees?

A good Quality Score is also crucial for obtaining clicks at the lowest possible cost. A score of 10 can reduce your cost per click by an average of 50%. On the other hand, a lower Quality Score means you’ll overpay for clicks – sometimes up to 400% more than the initial price.

Many people believe that dynamic keyword insertion is the key to creating the best ads. This is a misconception. While dynamic keyword insertion does have its place…

…it won’t propel your ad into the top 1% – the ads that truly capture attention and achieve remarkably high CTRs. Emotions are the driving force behind that success!

To recap the importance of compelling emotional ads: They lead to higher click-through rates, which in turn result in a higher Quality Score and, ultimately… more affordable clicks.

The Science Behind Emotional Ads’ Effectiveness

Let’s briefly delve into the science behind this. Two primary parts of the brain influence our actions – the frontal lobe and the limbic system. The frontal lobe, depicted in pink below, is the “logical brain,” responsible for reasoning, planning, language processing, movement, and problem-solving. The limbic system, on the other hand, is the “emotional brain,” where our intuition, subjectivity, and emotions take center stage.

Consider any commercial you find particularly engaging. For example, I’m a sucker for almost any commercial featuring Budweiser Clydesdales or adorable puppies. Why? Because I’m an animal lover, and these commercials tug at my heartstrings, evoking a range of emotions from sadness and fear to happiness. While I’m not a fan of Budweiser beer itself (it’s widely considered mediocre), I feel a connection with the brand due to their emotionally charged commercials. Budweiser isn’t selling beer; they’re selling the emotions and associations you connect with their beer. Emotional advertising isn’t limited to TV commercials. It’s prevalent in all forms of advertising – billboards, radio, and even digital marketing channels like content marketing and social media. But somehow, PPC has lagged behind!

Recently, I searched for “auto insurance” on Google and encountered the ads displayed above. They were terrible. Each one echoed the same message: “Bad credit accepted,” “No money down,” “Call today.” Google provides advertisers with the same generic advice and best practices for ad copywriting: Include prices, highlight a promotion, use a call to action… If we all follow the same formula, our ads become indistinguishable. Nothing stands out! It’s time to abandon generic ads and create emotionally charged ones that entice clicks!

My Foolproof Process for Crafting Emotional Ads

Here’s the step-by-step approach I use to create high-performing emotional ads for my clients: Step 1 – Clearly define your customer. Are they a working mom? A health-conscious yoga enthusiast? An affluent individual with inherited wealth? Step 2 – Determine the persona you want to embody in relation to your target audience. Will you be the bearer of bad news? The hero or the villain? The comedian? The supportive friend? Step 3 – Craft emotionally charged ads from the chosen persona’s perspective. Now, let’s explore the top 4 emotions that drive incredible click-through and conversion rates! Need assistance with emotionally driven marketing copy? We’re here to help.

Top Emotions for Ad Copy Domination #4 – ANGER

Let’s imagine writing an ad from a divorce lawyer’s perspective using my proven process. Who is the target customer? An enraged woman. What persona should we adopt? The hero/villain dynamic. Here’s an example of an ad that taps into the searcher’s anger:

A real-life example of this is the iconic JG Wentworth commercial that aired between daytime talk shows like Jerry Springer and Judge Judy: IT’S MY MONEY AND I WANT IT NOW! 877-CASH NOW!

Inspired by this approach, I wanted to test similar language for my client, a disability claims lawyer. Using my process – considering who the searcher loves (their family) and who they resent (the government) – we created this ad for appealing disability denials:

This ad achieved an outstanding CTR of 28%!

Top Emotions for Ad Copy Domination #3 – DISGUST

Take a look at this emotional ad my colleague designed for a weight loss management client’s display network campaign. Aiming to evoke disgust, she adopted a comedic persona.

This ad was undeniably humorous, but it also sparked some controversy. It was targeted specifically at men and performed exceptionally well. Here’s another ad she tested for the same client alongside the previous one:

The click-through rate for the disgust-inducing ad was 47% higher than the CTR for the ad above, which is bland, generic, and fails to grab attention. The first ad, on the other hand, demands attention.

Top Emotions for Ad Copy Domination #2 – AFFIRMATION

Returning to my process, let’s consider a plus-size fashion retailer. The target market is, of course, plus-size women. For this campaign, I wanted to embody the persona of a supportive friend. Before testing, the account ran this generic ad. It consistently had a decent click-through rate, so we hadn’t experimented with it much.

I decided to introduce two new ads to run concurrently with the original. The first one focused on complimenting the user.

Although I was rooting for this ad, it didn’t perform as well as I’d hoped. This was likely because it deviated slightly from the core product – clothing. Here’s the other ad I added to the mix:

This ad emerged as the clear winner. The key is to combine flattery with promotional details. We can boost the user’s self-esteem while simultaneously informing them about a sale.

Top Emotions for Ad Copy Domination #1 – FEAR

One of my clients specializes in breast cancer screening services. I was particularly invested in their success, not only for my bonus but also because it’s a cause I deeply care about. When they became a client, they were using this ad:

This ad lacked impact because the phrase “early detection saves lives” has become overused and cliché. It no longer motivates women to take action. Recognizing the need for a change, I paused this ad and replaced it with two new versions, shown below. POSITIVITY

NEGATIVITY

The first new ad incorporated a positive spin. While stronger and more confident than the original, it still fell short. For the next iteration, I considered the target customer – likely a scared woman with children, a spouse, and responsibilities. She was probably searching for something like “breast cancer symptoms,” suggesting she feared having the disease. This was our opportunity to capture her attention. We adopted the “bearer of bad news” persona. The second ad isn’t heartwarming or conventional, but it’s memorable and effectively motivated women to schedule screenings. By presenting a potentially alarming fact, we deliberately aimed to evoke fear – and the negative ad generated 125% more appointments than the positive one.

Even more striking, the negative ad resulted in 170% more phone calls compared to the positive ad. This makes sense. Faced with a potential health crisis, women were more likely to take immediate action and schedule an appointment over the phone rather than filling out a more passive callback form.

So, for the sake of your paid search campaigns, start crafting creative ads infused with emotional words, phrases, and visuals. I guarantee that within a couple of months, you’ll witness a significant improvement in ad performance. Remember – small tweaks yield small results, while substantial changes lead to substantial results. Implementing minor adjustments like dynamic keyword insertion will only result in a marginal increase in click-through rate. However, writing entirely new, emotionally resonant ads that resonate with your audience will generate remarkable results! Embrace your inner mad scientist and strategically leverage human emotions. Don’t shy away from testing bold, unconventional ideas. When you discover something that works, it’s like striking gold! Larry Kim often uses this whimsical analogy: “Be the unicorn in a sea of donkeys.”

I’ve come up with a far superior analogy: “Be the Tom Brady in a sea of quarterbacks!”

Sorry… I couldn’t resist…