Having Trouble Determining the Length of Your Ad Copy?

Writing ad copy can be a challenge given the limitations in copy length of both Google and Bing.  For Google, you get 25 characters for the Headline and 35 characters each for Description Lines 1 & 2.  For those new to search marketing, a character is any letter, number, or punctuation that takes up ad copy space.   Bing, on the other hand, offers the same 25 characters in their headline, but combines the Description lines giving you 71 characters in total.  The 71 character description line in Bing is a recent change, increasing from 70.  Given the limitations of this character space, it is important to point out that a character is also the space between words.   <Insert deep sigh here>

If you are having trouble with ad copy spacing, use this little gem in Microsoft Excel.

First, you will need to create an Excel spreadsheet with 6 columns.  Column A will be your Headline, and columns C and E will be for your description lines 1 & 2.  The remaining columns, B, D, and F, will be for the formula.  The formula to use is =LEN(cell).   The LENGTH formula counts all characters in that cell, including those pesky blank spaces (Click Image to Enlarge):

 

For example, if I am writing an ad for travel:

As you can see, this formula allows you to easily write multiple ads while staying in compliance of ad copy lengths!

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding this tip, please feel free to email me at mark@chackamarketing.com.