subject: Google AdWords - Landing Pages Demystified [print this page] Google AdWords - Landing Pages Demystified
So what exactly is a landing page? For advertisers using Google's AdWords pay-per-click program, the landing page is simply the page on your site that Google users are sent to when they click your ad.
Regardless of whether you're looking for direct sales, newsletter sign-ups or some other objective, what users find when they first get to your site can make a big difference to your conversion rate.
The golden rule is... the closer the match between the subject of the user's search and the content of the landing page, the better your conversion rate will be.
So don't just send them to your home page. Your keywords, ad copy and landing pages all need to reflect the same consistent message and that message must be in sync not only with the subject of the query but also with the user's current position in the buying cycle.
An ad for a BBQ needs to lead to a page about BBQ's, not out-door furniture.
Likewise, a user in the research stage of the cycle should land on an information page, while someone who specifies a product model as the keyword should be delivered to a page where they can actually buy that product.
It's not rocket science but to get the best results, you might want to think about using custom designed landing pages. In many cases, a custom designed page for each AdGroup will do the job.
Case studies show that a targeted landing page designed to serve a small number of keywords can increase the conversion rate significantly, but it can even make sense to develop custom pages for individual high performance keywords.
So... what's the perfect design for a landing page?
The only way to really tell is test but studies by the show that users look for certain characteristics:
Include the Search Term - The headline and body copy should include the keyword.
Product Picture - If it's a product, include a picture. If it's a category of products, include thumbnails of the available selection.
Product Price - Make sure to include the price. Don't make them have to ask for it!
Product Features - Make it easy to size-up the product quickly with a bullet point summary of features.
Repeat Special Offers - Repeat any specific offers that appeared in your ad and include specific reference to your location when you're running a locally targeted campaign.
Deliver on Your Promise - A good rule of thumb is... your landing page must deliver on whatever you promised in the ad or users are likely to bail because they think you're about to waste their time.
Strip out all non-essential navigation links and off-topic content to focus your prospect's attention on the action you want them to take. Then make it easy for them to buy or ask for more information. And don't use pop-ups - Google will disapprove your ad if you do.
Testing different layouts, copy and offers can be time consuming but it can also be very worthwhile. A recent survey by leading American research firm Marketing Sherpa rated landing page tests as the single most effective testing tactic employed by their readers.
MarketingSherpa actually publishes a great handbook on this subject. It includes step-by-step design guidelines and over 50 real landing pages used by leading companies, many of them with campaign results attached.
But if you do nothing else with your landing pages, make sure you get the search term used by your prospect into the headline. If you can't get it into the headline, make sure it appears prominently in the body of the page... it's that important!
Landing pages are now part of the AdWords quality score assessment for both search and content campaigns. This has proven to be highly controversial amongst advertisers but if you follow the tips in this article, you'll go a long way toward making your landing page a quality score plus, not a minus.
About the Author
Gary Elley is a Click Here For Fast Video Testimonials
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