PPC is short for pay-per-click, wherein advertisers have to pay a publisher, like Google, a given fee each time someone clicks on their ad. These ‘Sponsored Ads’ are displayed on the search engine results pages whenever a user does a search for their relevant keyword(s). The idea is to leverage PPC ads to drive targeted search engine traffic to an optimized PPC landing page and prompt an action. These specially designed landing pages have strong call-to-action and inspire the visitor to click on the CTA button to take specific actions such as Buy Now, Subscribe, Email Us, Call Today, etc.
Over 60% of users with the intent of purchasing a product find PPC ads most relevant to their search and are more likely to click on it instead of organic search results. Users reaching your landing page by clicking a paid ad are 50% more likely to click on your CTA button. Paid ads have a better chance of converting. But for PPC users to convert into paying customers you need to have a well-written PPC ad with relevant and specific keywords and also a properly optimized landing page.
You have to direct your PPC visitors to a targeted landing page instead of a cluttered homepage or some other generic page on your website. PPC visitor are looking to make a purchase soon so you should send your paid users to a call-to-action oriented landing page that can offer them exactly what they were looking for and promised in the ad copy. So, what can you do to set up your PPC landing page to ensure that visitors stay on the page and convert?
Checklist For A Successful PPC Landing Page
PPC advertising is one of the most costly ways to get traffic, so it is absolutely vital to optimize the most crucial elements of a good PPC landing page to get the most possible conversion out of your visitors.
Landing pages that are primarily receiving PPC traffic should always contain these 7 elements:
1) A Strong headline
Your PPC landing page should have an engaging and relevant headline that matches closely with whatever you were advertising in your PPC ad. Whether your landing page is promoting a case study to solve LinkedIn advertising problems or offering discount coupon for your shoe store, the headline will only be effective if it gets right to the point and piques curiosity about concerns that the visitor might have. For the headline to make a good first impression there must be a message match with the display ad. For instance if your ad advertised “Free Trial” and your landing page headline has no mention of it then your visitors will bounce. Lastly, the headline should demonstrate benefits and how taking action on the landing page could solve the visitor’s problem. Sub-headings can also be used to give potential customer more of the information they are looking for. For instance, an AirBnB ad has a headline “Find a place to stay” followed by a sub-heading with the differentiator explaining, “Rent from people in over 34,000 cities and 190 countries”
2) Supportive Description
There should be copy featuring a list of benefits and description of what you are offering on your landing page to showcase why you need it. The level of detail required generally depends on the product but it does not have to be long or text heavy. This is just to let the potential client know about the incentive clearly and to reinforce value proposition for the offer.
3) A Lead Capture Form To Get More Information
The inclusion of a contact information form on the landing page helps measure your conversion rate, and the overall effectiveness of your PPC campaign. Without it you have no clue about how many of the people coming to your site from that PPC ad want what you offer and you will not have their contact information either, to help drive the sale.
Your PPC landing pages must have a form to capture all the information you need. The lead capture form shouldn’t be too long or complicated. Just ask for email and name, and maybe one or two other relevant things. It should be a hassle-free, quick and easy way for people to get in touch with your company.
4) A Clear Call to Action Button
To optimize your landing page, you do need exciting call to action buttons to prompt people to submit their contact information. The CTA buttons on PPC landing pages can be a little longer to make it clear to your visitors what they will be getting when the click the button. The primary call to action should be placed close to the headline text. For instance, something like “Sign up to read Quora. Quora is your best source of knowledge” will entice people to click the button. You can also experiment by changing the quantity of CTA’s you have on your page, its position, color and copy.
5) Supporting Images
PPC landing pages have about two seconds to catch the attention of visitors before they bounce. You can use one or two attractive graphics and images to show context of use. They must be consistent with the campaign and elicit empathy from the audience. If you’re offering pool installation, then you should include a beautiful image of a pool you’ve installed lately.
6) Trust Symbols
Throw in some social proof in the form of reviews, testimonials and recommendations front and center on your PPC landing page. Well-known trustmarks and security logos also reinforce the credibility of the brand and site. These trust symbols are an effective way to boost conversion rates and proof that your product or service really is great.
These are just some of the basic elements that form the anatomy of a good PPC landing page. PPC campaigns can get your brand immediate exposure and you can drive qualified traffic to your landing pages to turn visitors into customers by having them take a concrete, measurable action.
If you want to know more about PPC landing pages, or discuss ways to improve your SEO best practices, don’t hesitate to ask us at DirectiveGroup.
