PPC landing page elements
As discussed in previous posts I have mentioned how landing pages should be as relevant as possible to the user’s search query and the advert copy. This is to make sure that the user journey is as optimal as possible and increase the chance of conversion.
A landing page (you select this by entering your selected page as destination URLS) can be set at ad group or even keyword level. This helps make sure that the user lands on the page of your website that contains the most relevant content. The actual content on the page will vary dependent on your business type, your business model and the type of site you have e.g. product specific pages on a ecommerce site or content pages on a brochure site.
But what should a landing page consist of in Google terms? Google obviously think that landing pages are increasingly important because they have recently amended the quality score calculation in AdWords in order to increase the weighting given to landing pages. It is also believed that Google are using SEO factors to measure the quality of PPC landing pages. Therefore you make sure your landing pages address the below elements as they can have an impact on the performance of your PPC campaigns and getting them right means your site should convert more easily leading to better ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) –
1. Include content
Landing pages should include content as this allows Google and Users to understand what the page is about. As with SEO this content should be original to your site and not repeated on every page on your site, be relevant to the customers search and advert copy and provide sufficient details.
2. Be transparent
The service you provide should reflect the offers and promotions stated in your ad copy and on the landing pages. You should be as transparent as possible so users can understand how your business operates in terms of your billing processes, the level of service you provide, shipping details etc. You should also display link to your privacy policy if you are collecting personal data on the site.
3. Provide navigation around the rest of your site
A user should be able to find what they are looking for and move around your site. Providing suitable links through menus and/or breadcrumb links will help users navigate around your site.
4. Page load speed
Google also looks at the time it takes for your page to load. This is important for PPC campaigns because once a user has clicked on your ad if they have to wait for the page to load they are likely to hit the back button and try another site.
