Improving creative performance
Copy is the fastest lever you have on performance — a clearer message moves click-through more than almost anything else. This article is about working your creative over time: where to start, what to change when results are soft, and how to keep performance from drifting.
For the specs your creative must meet and the tactical copywriting checklist, see Ad specs and creative guidelines. This article picks up from there.
Start with copy
Before you touch bids or targeting, get the message right. The single highest-leverage change is almost always the headline and CTA — see the copywriting guidance in Ad specs and creative guidelines.
Keep it fresh
Shoppers tune out a creative they've seen before, and performance drifts down as that happens. Rotating your copy and imagery is the simplest way to hold performance steady — refresh before results sag, not after.
When performance is soft
Work the levers in this order — cheapest and highest-impact first:
- Copy — rewrite the headline and CTA.
- Creative — swap the image.
- Bid and targeting — adjust only once the message is working.
Changing bids before the message is right just buys more impressions for a creative that isn't converting. Fix the message first.
Give changes room
After any change — copy, creative, or bid — let the system recalibrate for a few days before judging the result. Reacting to a single day of data usually means chasing noise.