A completed search engine ad typically consists of three parts – a keyword, creative, and landing page. All three components are important for generating a high CTR, and the remainder of this article will focus on designing an effective creative for the China market. 

Components of an SEM creative

Standard SEM creatives contain two components, the basic ad format and ad extension.

1. Basic ad format

When designing an SEM creative, there are three mandatory components: ad title, ad copy, and landing URL, as shown in the example below. To further increase users’ attention, adding your business logo and wildcard can help elevate the visual aesthetic of your creative. 

The red term ‘旅游’ in the above photo is an example of a wildcard. ‘Wildcard’ concerns the particular words in the ad title which can be replaced by the user’s specific search terms. Utilizing the wildcard tool can help increase the relevancy of the creative and search term.

Therefore, from above, the term ‘旅游’ in red is an example of a wildcard. Note the user searched for ‘旅游’, and the first search result is the paid ad from tunui.com, with some words in the title changed to appeal and accommodate the user’s enquiry. 

2. Ad extensions 

In contrast to the basic ad format, ad extensions support different design elements including multi-image, multi-text link, and the conversion button. 

The conversion button refers to various types of forms and buttons, which helps to increase the number of direct lead generations. An example of a conversion is the ‘Call’ button, where when added, can encourage users to contact the business for further inquiries. Conversion buttons can be added under the basic ad component, as illustrated in the photo below.

Tips for generating quality creatives for your SEM campaign

1. Utilizing appropriate ad formats 

Although each campaign can support many variations of creatives, we suggest incorporating only 3-5 sets of creatives simultaneously. In particular, we advise using multi-image add-ons with >3 images for auto-optimization purposes and simultaneously preparing landing URLs with relevant contents. 

When designing mobile creatives, remember to customize the ad copy and title to be more concise than PC creatives. 

2. Optimize ad content 

The most effective way to optimize ad content is to create your ad using brand-specific, original content. Avoid directly copying other businesses’ creatives. It is also important to be concise with your ad copy; only short and easy-to-understand copies should be used. All your keywords should not be grouped together in the same ad copy. 

Other ways to optimize ad content include:

• Adding numerals and symbols to attract users’ awareness, i.e., ‘学历报考，仅需1,680’ and ‘已服务30万名学生’. 

• Focus on selling your product only, i.e., ‘1 对1辅导’ and ‘0基础入学’. (Note: overstated descriptions are forbidden). 

• Inserting a conversion button, accompanied with a call-to-action phrase such as ‘在线咨询.’ 

• To increase the click-through rate of your ad, consider adding 1-2 additional relevant sentences. 

  
  

When thinking of your next campaign, it is important to bear in mind that the quality of your creative is important. ‘Quality’ of a creative concerns the design, language used, and combination of visuals. Together, these elements help to generate a higher CTR. 

For more information on SEM in China, feel free to contact our marketing consultant:  enquiry@so360.hk