A good Google Ads ad comes down to three things: a clear promise that echoes the word your customer typed, a concrete reason to choose you, and enough headlines and hooks for Google to find the right combination at the right moment. Everything else (budget, bids, targeting) is useless if the ad itself does not make people want to click.

Google leaves little to chance, in fact. A responsive ad now accepts up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions, and the engine assembles the best-performing combinations itself for each search. According to Google, advertisers who move their ads' strength from Poor to Excellent see 15 % more conversions on average. In other words, the quality of your copy has become a measurable performance lever, not a creative detail.

For a Belgian SME spending a few hundred euros a month, every click counts double. Writing your ads well is the cheapest way to improve your results, before you even touch the bids.

Understanding what Google expects from a modern ad

What is a responsive ad?

The standard format on the Search Network is the responsive search ad (RSA). You provide a stock of headlines and descriptions, and Google generally shows up to 3 headlines and 2 descriptions, in the order it judges most effective based on the search, the device and the user's history. You no longer write a fixed ad: you write a palette of elements that the engine recombines.

That changes how you write. Each headline must stand on its own and stay coherent with the others, since you do not control the order in which they appear.

What is the ad strength score for?

In the interface, Google shows an Ad Strength gauge ranging from Poor to Excellent. It is not an aesthetic grade: according to Google, it measures four concrete things, the presence of your keywords in the headlines, the number of headlines and descriptions provided, the quantity of sitelinks available, and the diversity of the messages (avoid repeating the same idea).

Aiming for Excellent is not an end in itself, but a low strength is almost always the sign of a weak ad: too few headlines, redundant messages, no assets. That is the first warning light to fix.

Writing headlines and descriptions that convert

How many headlines should you really provide?

The minimum Google imposes is 3 headlines and 2 descriptions, but aiming for the minimum starves the engine. Provide at least 8 to 10 genuinely different headlines and 3 to 4 descriptions. Google confirms this with figures: adding a second responsive ad to an ad group brings on average 6.6 % more conversions at a comparable cost, and a third one another 3.7 %. The more quality material you provide, the more levers the system has.

Watch the diversity: ten headlines that say the same thing are no better than three. Vary the angles, the price, the deadline, the guarantee, the zone, the proof.

What to put in your headlines

A few reflexes that make the difference:

• Reuse the main keyword in at least two headlines. If the customer searches for « plumber Wavre », seeing « Plumber in Wavre » in the headline reassures them immediately.

• Give a reason to choose you : « Quote within 24 h », « Same-day service », « 15 years of experience in the Brussels area ».

• Remove an obstacle : « No deposit », « Free call-out », « Price announced upfront ».

• Add a clear call to action : « Request your quote », « Book online ».

An SME working on both sides of the language border writes separate ads in French and Dutch, never an automatic translation.

Strengthening your ads with assets

Assets (formerly extensions) are the add-ons that appear below your ad: sitelinks, callouts, phone number, price. They enlarge it, take up more space against competitors and offer extra entry points.

Google makes it a criterion of ad strength: having at least 6 sitelinks at the account, campaign or group level improves the score. For an SME, the most useful sitelinks point to your pages that reassure or sell: « Our prices », « Customer reviews », « Service area », « Contact ». It is also the best way to occupy ground without paying more per click.

These settings are part of the management of your Google Ads campaigns: a few well-invested minutes that weigh heavily on the final cost. If you are just starting, our article on how to launch your first Google Ads campaigns lays the groundwork before you refine the copy.

Measuring and correcting without spending your days on it

An ad is judged not on feeling but on figures. Two benchmarks are enough to start: the click-through rate (how many people click when they see the ad) and the cost per conversion (how much a contact or sale costs you). A good click-through rate without conversions signals a gap between the promise and the landing page.

Google also indicates, headline by headline and asset by asset, which ones perform (« Best », « Good », « Low »). Replace the « Low » elements rather than rewriting everything. A lot of budget is wasted on avoidable details, a topic we covered in the Google Ads mistakes that waste your budget.

Frequently asked questions

How many headlines should I write at a minimum?

Google requires at least 3 headlines and 2 descriptions, but aim for 8 to 10 varied headlines and 3 to 4 descriptions. That material lets the system find the best combination, and it is what raises the ad strength.

Should I absolutely aim for « Excellent »?

It is a good goal, not an obsession. Strength mainly measures that you have provided enough varied material and your keywords. A « Good » ad that converts beats an « Excellent » one that promises what your page does not deliver.

Can I reuse my ads from one language in another?

No, not as they are. Translate the meaning, not the words: a hook that works in one language often falls flat translated literally. Write ads designed for each language, especially in a Belgian market where several coexist.

How long before you see whether an ad works?

Let it run for a few weeks and wait for a sufficient volume of clicks before concluding. Judging an ad on two days leads to random decisions: the system needs data to optimise.

Priority action plan

1. Check the ad strength of every active ad in your account and spot the ones rated Poor.

2. Build up to 8-10 headlines and 3-4 descriptions that vary, slipping your main keyword into at least two headlines.

3. Add at least 6 sitelinks to your pages that reassure or sell (prices, reviews, contact, area).

4. Separate the languages with copy designed for each one, not a translation.

5. Review your figures every month and replace only the headlines and assets marked « Low ».

Written well, your ads sort the curious from the real prospects and bring down your cost per contact. It is the cheapest lever in paid search, and the one your competitors almost always neglect.

Are your ads plateauing despite the budget? We optimise Google Ads advertising for Belgian SMEs, copy and assets included.