Truth be told that there are a lot more optimization techniques an advertiser can perform to an image advert as compared to a search advert mainly because of the degree of freedom there is to image adverts. Not only can the sizes change, what you do to that space and in what colour combination is controlled totally by you. Putting this aside, the way an advertiser can optimize search adverts is extremely important to millions of PPC campaigns out there: mainly because the majority of advertisers still stick to search adverts for their main PPC campaigns.
With this in mind, there are two different approaches an advertiser can take to their search advert. They can either choose to go for a minimalist approach to their advert or fill it completely with content and ad extensions. Here are the main benefits and drawbacks to minimalist PPC search adverts.
 

Minimalist Adverts Bring High CTRs

The main reason why advertisers go for minimalist adverts are because they entice the web user into clicking onto the advert to fill in all of the missing information that is created from the advert deliberately being vague. For example, take Apple’s advert (which is a prime example of a minimalist advert):
The title is what it is is to spread brand awareness and to address what the web user typed. The description, on the other hand, is completely and utterly vague to make the web user want to click onto the advert to find out more. Honestly, the web user has no clue what Apple means by ‘A big step for small’ unless they visit the landing page.
 
 

Keeps the Advert Clean Looking

Having an advert filled with content can sometimes work against you since first impressions are everything online. Having an advert that looks something similar to the above advert will work wonders in getting web users to look at it first before other adverts. This is because it looks clean and there is not much information to process. For example, if there are two search adverts: one has ten words in the description and the other has 50, the web user is more likely to read the 10 word advert since it will take up less time and effort to do so.
 
 

But, Don’t be too Vague

The main problem with minimalist adverts is that many advertisers misjudge how much information they should put in their advert and how vague that information be. Of course Apple can be as vague as they want as they are Apple – people know the brand. However, if people do not know the brand and you try to be as vague as Apple, you will most likely find that it will not work in your favor. The idea behind minimalist adverts is to entice the web user enough into wanting to know more. If you do not give them the incentive or plant the idea in the advert to want to know more, you should not be surprised when you find that the CTR of your advert suffers.