How To Use Language
Psychology To Supercharge
Your PPC Campaigns
Helen Freeman | @Digital_Helen
Who am I?
● 5 years in digital (PPC, SEO, social
media)
● Background in languages and
communication
● Likes:
○ Dogs
○ Anything competitive
○ Skipping slides nobody cares about
In this session, I’ll be walking you through the following techniques…
● The Swiss Army Knife Method
● Emotional Triggers
● The Serial-Position Effect
● Social Proof
● Loss Aversion
● Power Words
Session Outcomes
BUT FIRST...
What is language psychology?
How to write a good ad (according to Google)
Quality Score
● Ad relevance
● Landing page experience
● Expected click-through rate
To attract
and draw in
as much
attention as
possible
Why do we write ads?
1
To attract
and draw in
as much
attention as
possible
Why do we write ads?
1
Stand out
2
To attract
and draw in
as much
attention as
possible
Why do we write ads?
1
Stand out
2
Appeal to
the target
audience
3
To attract
and draw in
as much
attention as
possible
Why do we write ads?
1
Stand out
2
Appeal to
the target
audience
3
Convince
people to
choose you
4
The ad copywriter’s toolkit
Who your
audience is
The ad copywriter’s toolkit
Who your
audience is
The ad copywriter’s toolkit
What they
want
Who your
audience is
The ad copywriter’s toolkit
What they
want
How your
product
meets their
needs
Who your
audience is
The ad copywriter’s toolkit
What they
want
How your
product
meets their
needs
How they
want to be
spoken to
The 6 Techniques
Helen Freeman | @Digital_Helen
1
The Swiss Army
Knife Method
(Blade #1)
The Swiss Army Knife Method
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMER
The Swiss Army Knife Method
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMER
The Swiss Army Knife Method
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMER
The Swiss Army Knife Method
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMER
The Swiss Army Knife Method
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMER
The Swiss Army Knife Method
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CUSTOMER
The Swiss Army Knife Method
● Confident, outgoing and about to start
university
● Loves getting together with his mates
● Hates studying
● His best friend is contactless payment
● His worst enemy is his bank balance
● He wants advertisers to give him information
quickly and easily
PETER
The Swiss Army Knife Method
Tip: Check competitor reviews!
The Swiss Army Knife Method
The Swiss Army Knife Method
2
People are
self-obsessed.
We want our ads to
make people feel
something.
Emotional Triggers
Build a story
Emotional Triggers
1
Build a story
Emotional Triggers
1
Play to users’
emotions
2
Build a story
Emotional Triggers
1
Play to users’
emotions
2
It’s all about them,
not you
3
Emotional Triggers
3
The Serial-Position
Effect
The Serial-Position Effect
Users are more likely to recall
the first and last pieces of
information they see.
The Serial-Position Effect
The Serial-Position Effect
4
Social Proof
Social Proof
People copy the actions of
others in an attempt to
undertake a behaviour in a
given situation.
Social Proof
91%
read online reviews when searching for
local businesses
https://www.inc.com/craig-bloem/84-percent-of-people-trust-online-
reviews-as-much-.html
Social Proof
70%
trust peer recommendations more than
professionally written content
https://econsultancy.com/how-user-generated-content-is-changing-
content-marketing/
Social Proof
84%
trust online reviews as much as
personal recommendations
https://www.inc.com/craig-bloem/84-percent-of-people-trust-online-
reviews-as-much-.html
Things to highlight: Awards
Things to highlight: Accreditations
Things to highlight: Customer Feedback
Things to highlight: Ratings
Things to highlight: Endorsements
5
Loss Aversion
Loss Aversion
Most people would
rather avoid loss than
acquire gain.
Loss Aversion
Loss Aversion
Loss Aversion
Loss Aversion
6
Power Words
Power Words
We can break down power words into different domains...
Greed Sloth Lust Vanity
Trust Anger Fear
Power Words: Greed
Best Cheapest Exclusive Savings
Bargain Don’t miss out Expires Giveaway
Last chance Now Reduced Sale ends soon
Ultimate While stocks last
Power Words: Greed
Power Words: Sloth
Efficient Instant Simple
No nonsense
Accessible All-inclusive Kickstart
MereTemplate
Power Words: Sloth
Power Words: Lust
Engaging Fascinating Mind-blowing
Thrilling
Uncensored Naughty Obsession
RivetingUrge
Power Words: Lust
Power Words: Anger
Brutal Force-fed Sick and tired
Fed up WorstAnnoy
Power Words: Anger
Power Words: Fear
Beware Fooled Nightmare Pitfall
Backlash Blinded Caution Embarrassing
Fooled Mistake
Power Words: Fear
Power Words: Vanity
Ahead of the game Effective Hero
Remarkable Ultimate Jaw-dropping
Smart Staggering Kick-ass
Power Words: Vanity
Power Words: Trust
Authentic Expert Guaranteed No obligation
Certified Worldwide Official Accredited
Bestselling
Scientifically
-proven
Power Words: Trust
Key Takeaways
1. Know your customer: The Swiss Army Knife Method
2. Resonate with them: Emotional Triggers
3. Catch their eye: The Serial-Position Effect
4. Convince them: Social Proof
5. Get their click NOW: Loss Aversion
6. Provoke a response: Power Words
Helen Freeman | @Digital_Helen
Slides: impression.co.uk/language-psychology
Questions: helen.freeman@impression.co.uk
Twitter: @Digital_Helen

How To Use Language Psychology To Supercharge Your PPC Campaigns - HeroConf London 19