How do you write a compelling CTA for SEM?

1 Know your goal

Before you write your CTA, you need to have a clear idea of what you want your audience to do after they see your ad or land on your page. Do you want them to sign up for a newsletter, download a free ebook, request a quote, or buy a product? Your CTA should match your goal and align with your offer. For example, if you are offering a free trial, your CTA could be "Start your free trial today". If you are selling a product, your CTA could be "Buy now and save 20%". Your CTA should also match the stage of the buyer's journey that your audience is in. For example, if they are in the awareness stage, you might want to offer them more information or education. If they are in the decision stage, you might want to offer them a discount or a guarantee.

2 Use action verbs

A CTA should be clear, concise, and direct. It should tell your audience exactly what you want them to do and how to do it. To achieve this, you should use action verbs that convey a sense of urgency and benefit. For example, instead of saying "Learn more", you could say "Discover how to grow your business". Instead of saying "Contact us", you could say "Schedule a free consultation". Action verbs can help you create a sense of excitement, curiosity, or value for your audience and motivate them to take the next step.

3 Add modifiers

Modifiers are words that enhance or modify the meaning of your action verbs. They can help you create a more compelling CTA by adding specificity, emotion, or persuasion. For example, you can use modifiers such as "now", "today", "instantly", or "limited-time" to create a sense of urgency and scarcity. You can use modifiers such as "free", "guaranteed", "proven", or "best" to create a sense of value and credibility. You can use modifiers such as "you", "your", or "my" to create a sense of personalization and relevance. For example, instead of saying "Download ebook", you could say "Get your free ebook now". Instead of saying "Join webinar", you could say "Claim your spot in the exclusive webinar".

4 Test and optimize

The best way to find out what works for your audience is to test and optimize your CTAs. You can use tools such as Google Ads or Google Optimize to run experiments and compare different versions of your CTAs. You can test different elements such as the wording, the color, the size, the placement, or the shape of your CTAs. You can also test different combinations of action verbs and modifiers. You can measure the performance of your CTAs by tracking metrics such as CTR, conversion rate, bounce rate, or ROI. You can then analyze the results and make adjustments based on the data. By testing and optimizing your CTAs, you can improve your SEM campaigns and achieve your goals.