If you’re a business owner and you are running your own PPC Ads or any PPC campaign, you’ve probably been tempted to showcase your pricing right in the ad. It seems honest, right? But here’s a smarter PPC strategy: stop putting the price in your ads. It’s one of the most common PPC mistakes business owners make. While you may think you’re helping customers decide faster, you could be killing your click-through rate and turning away leads before they even reach your website.
In this article, we’ll explain why leaving out the price in your ads might be the smarter PPC strategy and what to do instead to attract better, more qualified customers.
Why Business Owners Put Price in Ads (But Shouldn’t)
It’s understandable why so many business owners include pricing in their paid ads:
- They want to filter out “cheap” leads.
- Believe it’s transparent and honest.
- Think it saves time by pre-qualifying visitors.
However, while those reasons sound logical, in practice, including prices in ads can harm your results. Why?
Because it removes curiosity, once people see the price, they make a snap judgment, often without knowing the value behind your service or product.
The Psychology Behind Curiosity-Driven Clicks
In digital marketing, curiosity is a powerful tool. If your ad sparks interest but doesn’t give away everything upfront, like the price, users are more likely to click through to learn more. This small tweak can:
- Improve your click-through rate (CTR)
- Lower your cost per click (CPC)
- Drive more engaged traffic to your website
Think about it, would you click an ad that simply says: “Logo Design for Just $499” or one that says: “Premium Logo Designs That Make Your Brand Stand Out – See Our Portfolio”?
The second one doesn’t mention price, but gives a reason to click. It focuses on value.
The Hidden Costs of Price-Heavy Ads
Including price in your ads may seem efficient, but it has hidden costs:
Lower CTR
Google’s algorithm rewards ads that get clicked. If your CTR is low, your ad quality score drops, making you pay more per click.
High Bounce Rates
Users who click solely based on price often bounce quickly if they don’t see immediate value on the landing page.
Price Shopping Behaviour
Listing prices encourage shoppers to compare your offering with others based only on cost, not quality or benefits.
Unqualified Leads
Ironically, price-focused ads may attract the wrong kind of clicks, people only looking for the cheapest deal, not your service excellence.
A Smarter PPC Strategy: What to Include Instead
Instead of putting price in your ad copy, focus on value, benefits, and differentiators. Here’s what you should highlight:
What Makes You Different?
- Unique selling points (USP)
- Awards, certifications, or experience
- Special offers (without exact price)
Emotional Triggers
- Solve a pain point: “Fix Your Tax Problems Today”
- Create urgency: “Only 5 Spots Left for August!”
Social Proof
- “Rated 4.9 Stars by 200+ Happy Clients”
- Testimonials and case studies
These elements help pre-qualify your audience based on interest and relevance, not price alone.
When It Does Make Sense to Show Price
While this blog encourages you to stop putting the price in your ads, there are a few exceptions:
- E-commerce ads with competitive pricing
- Flash sales or discount-based campaigns
- When price is your unique selling point
But even in those cases, test different versions of the ad with and without pricing and let data decide.
How to Test & Track PPC Ad Performance
Want to know if removing the price helps? Here’s how to find out:
Create Two Ad Variations
- One with price, one without
- Run them with equal budget
Compare Metrics
- Look at CTR, CPC, bounce rate, and conversion rate
Optimise Based on Results
- Keep refining based on what works best
Also, use tools like Google Ads Experiments or Meta Ads A/B Testing for easy testing.
Conclusion
To build a high-performing PPC campaign, stop putting the price in your ads unless you’ve tested and proven that it helps. Instead, focus on sparking curiosity, highlighting value, and encouraging users to visit your site where you control the full brand experience.
Your cost-per-click will likely go down, and your conversion rate will go up.
Want help fine-tuning your PPC strategy? Reach out to Digital Guide and let’s craft campaigns that convert.