Classified Ads are cheap advertising solutions for promoting a product or service. They are very attractive to small businesses and with free classified ads posting now available online, even individuals are now selling directly through classified Ads. This leads to thousands of Ads daily all competing against each other, meaning that each advertiser needs to do more to get noticed. Here are 9 tips to help you post classified Ads that will get noticed by web user as well as bring search engine visitors to your Ad.
This post is part of a free classified Ads series.
1. Write an Inviting Ad Title with Keywords
The title of a classified Ad is very important. This is displayed on the sort/search page, which is what the web user sees first when visit a category, location, or search page. They click on the title to view your classified Ad.
This is your first opportunity to sell yourself and probably the most important. Make the Ad title inviting, but you have to be creative. Using words like Click here will not fly. Make the title as short as possible, but provide information that will make the reader want to click on it.
Make sure you include keywords in your title. This will make it easy for users to find you when they search using the search box at the classified Ads site.
Including the right keywords will also ensure that your classified Ads display on organic search at leading search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing, which will continue to bring customers to your business long after you post the classified Ads. By the way keywords are words that people are likely to use when searching for your product or service.
2. Add Images to your Classified Ads
Images have visual appeal and the human eyes are often attracted to them. Classified Ads sites usually display an image along with your post on the sort/search page. Like I said earlier, the sort/search page is the decision making page. That is where all Ads that meet the user’s criteria are displayed with all Ads competing for the one click.
Users often click on images and since most classified Ads sites make the displayed image clickable, adding an image will naturally lead to more click through rate for your Ad. Add images of your product. Not just any image, but good ones. If you are advertising a service add an image that brings out the essence of your service. You can also include your business logo.
3. Focus your Ad to a Specific Product or Service
Do not advertise your whole business in one classified Ad. This will tend to make your Ad long and difficult to read. Web users scan through content. They want to get the message in the first sentence. Besides most users are only interested in one of your product, why bore them with all of them.
Focusing a classified Ad on one product or service will make it easier to write a good copy for the Ad. It will also enable you fine tine keywords relevant to only that product, making it easy for people to find your classified Ads in organic and classifieds search.
However, do not post all the Ads at once. Wait for one to be reviewed and published first, before posting another one or it may be flagged as spam.
4. Write a Short and Clear Description
Focusing on one product will help you to deliver a clear message. Web users are busy and have short concentration span. There are a lot of activities competing for time. They are probably chatting with a friend on Facebook while LOL to a funny comment on Twitter. So, they do not have all the time in the world.
Your description should be short, readable, clear, and written in simple English. I cannot say this enough use keywords in your description so that your classified Ads can be displayed prominently in organic and classifieds search.
5. Add your Classified in the Right Category
Classified Ads are all about classification. Make sure you add your ad in an appropriate category. This will make it easy for users to find it. Posting a classified Ad in the right category will also increase its chances of appearing in organic search.
This is because the category will serve as a link pointing to your Ad. Since the link is relevant (i.e. related to your Ad), it have more link relevance, which is good for SEO.
The SEO benefit will be more effective if you include relevant keywords in your Ad title and description.
6. Do not set an Expiry date for your Ad
Never set an expiry date for a classified Ad except of course it has one. You can set an expiry date for events and limited time offers. No need setting expiry date for a product or service you are selling and will continue selling for many years to come.
The more time your classified Ads spend online the more traffic it could bring through organic and classifieds search.
7. Update your Classified Ad
Yes, do not set an expiry date for your classified Ads, but that does not mean you should not regularly update them. If the price of a product or service changes, update your Ad to reflect the new price.
The same thing goes for your contact address, email, and phone number. Do not update in all cases. For example, if you are launching a new variant of an existing product or service, it is better to create a new Ad for that product rather than editing the Ad of the older variant.
8. Refresh your Ads
Some classified Ads sites have a feature that enables you refresh your Ads, make use of them to give your classified Ads more exposure. Classified Ads are displayed in reverse chronological order in the sort/search page. This means the longer your Ad stays, the further down it goes on the sort/search page giving it less exposure.
The refresh button will enable you push your classified Ad to the top once more, giving it more exposure at least for the few minutes or hours that it will be there.
9. Delete Ads for products/services you no longer offer
If you are no longer offering a product or service, simply delete the Ad. Do not waste people’s time. Remember customers may call to buy the product wasting their time and money. It is not good for the reputation of your business. Individuals selling their property should also delete it once sold.
However, if you have a substitute for the product or service, you can leave the old Ad and sell the substitute when potential customers call for the old product or service.
So, here you have it, 9 tips for posting great classified Ads online. Do you have more? Share with us as a comment
