Creating a successful pay-per-click campaign (PPC) depends on the right combination of elements. The first element is targeted keywords. Your actual ad copy and ad are the next important element. A third, and often overlooked, element of an effective PPC campaign is the intelligent use of landing pages. Using landing pages for your campaigns increases conversion rates and can be the determining factor that renders your paid search ad campaign successful or simply mediocre. Below are five steps to building landing pages that convert.
- Your Homepage Should not be Your Landing Page – Most business owners make the mistake of thinking that this is the best page to direct potential customers to. While it may be the best introduction to your company, a PPC campaign requires a targeted page that elaborates on your unique offer or promotion and nothing else. Your homepage has too much information that may distract, confuse and overwhelm potential customers, sending them away before that very important conversion.
- Use a Simple Design – Your landing page should only contain pertinent information to your offer or promotion. Avoid having a navigation bar that will lead visitors to new pages or away from what attracted them to click on your ad in the first place. Essentially, a landing page should not have sub-pages. Instead, it should be all contained in one page or use tabs or pop up windows.
- Keep Call to Action Above Fold – Just like a newspaper, you want the most important part of your landing page to be visible above the fold. This means that your message will be seen without requiring visitors to scroll down your page. By prioritizing content on your landing page, you take control of what your visitors behavior and increase your potential for a better conversion rate.
- Use Keywords Throughout Your Landing Page – As mentioned, keywords are very important to your PPC campaign. Your landing page too should contain those same keywords throughout. This adds relevancy to your message and makes your search ads and landing pages a cohesive message. This higher relevancy also lads to be rankings from search engines.
- Use White space and Eye-Catching Buttons – Don’t jam pack your landing page with details, graphics or gadgets. White space is important as it makes the page less cluttered and provides focus for the reader. Likewise, using eye-catching call-to-action buttons with descriptive texts draws visitors in.
Ensuring that your PPC campaign is a success depends on the right balance of various elements. A well-designed landing page reinforces your search ads and creates a path to converting visitors into customers.
For help with landing page creation or to request more information about our search engine marketing services, contact us at 1-888-ONE-IMS-1 today.
