When users click on Google Ads, they are taken to the landing page where people take the desired action of buying, enquiring, or learning about the product or service you offer.
The landing page quality significantly influences Google Ads keywords quality score and conversion rate.
In this post, we will examine some core elements of a high-quality landing page and how they impact Google Ads conversion rate.
Let’s dive in.
- What is a landing page?
- How does the landing page work?
- How does landing page experience impact Google Ads performance?
- Quality landing page design checklist for Google Ads
What is a landing page?
A landing page is a webpage that someone “lands” on after clicking a link, an advertisement, or a search result. It’s designed for a specific purpose, like selling a product, gathering leads, or providing information.
Example:
Imagine you’re looking for a new phone. You see an ad for the latest model from a company.
When you click on the ad, it takes you to a webpage dedicated to that phone. That webpage is the landing page. It’s where you can find all the details about the phone, see its features, and maybe even buy it if you’re interested.
In simpler terms, a landing page is like a shop window—it’s where you go to learn more about something you’re interested in.
How does the landing page work?
So, here’s how a landing page works.
Let’s stick with our phone example.
When you click on an ad for the latest phone, you open a door to a shop. That click takes you to the landing page, like stepping into the shop.
On the landing page, you’ll see all sorts of information about the phone. There might be pictures showing how cool it looks, details about its features like the camera or the battery life, and maybe even some reviews from people who already bought it.
Now, the goal of the landing page is to get you interested in buying the phone. So, it might have a big button that says “Buy Now” or “Learn More.” If you click that button, it takes you to another page where you can actually make the purchase.
But here’s the thing – the landing page isn’t just there to show you stuff about the phone. It’s also designed to convince you that this phone is worth buying. That’s why it might have persuasive language, like “Limited Time Offer” or “Get Yours Today!”
So, in a nutshell, a landing page works by showing you all the cool stuff about something you’re interested in and then nudging you towards taking action, like buying it or signing up for more info.
How does landing page experience impact Google Ads performance?
Imagine you’re Google. You want to make sure that when someone clicks on an ad, they have a good experience, right? That’s where landing pages come in.
When someone clicks on a Google ad, they expect to find what they want on the landing page. If the landing page is relevant and helpful, they’re more likely to stick around and maybe even buy something or sign up for a service.
But if the landing page is confusing, slow to load, or doesn’t have what the person expected, they’ll probably just leave. And that’s bad news for everyone – Google, the advertiser, and the person who clicked on the ad.
Google wants to show ads that lead to good experiences because it keeps people coming back to Google. So, if your landing page is awesome, Google is more likely to show your ads to more people.
The better your landing page experience, the better your Google Ads performance.
Let’s talk briefly about different factors as to why a quality landing page experience impacts Google Ads performance:
Seamless user experience
What you communicate in your ads should connect the same in the landing page; otherwise, the user experience will be poor, leading to a higher bounce rate and poor conversion.
Example:
Imagine you’re browsing the internet for a weekend getaway. You come across an ad for a cozy cabin in the mountains. The ad promises stunning views, modern amenities, and easy access to hiking trails. Intrigued, you click on the ad to learn more.
Now, if the landing page you land on matches what the ad promised, showing you pictures of the cabin, detailed descriptions of its amenities, and information about nearby attractions and hiking trails, you’d likely be excited to book your stay.
The seamless transition from the ad to the landing page reassures you that you’re in the right place and that this cabin is exactly what you’re looking for.
But what if the landing page doesn’t match the ad? You might feel disappointed and frustrated. You might even leave the page without exploring further, leading to a higher bounce rate.
This is what we call a poor user experience, and it leads to a higher bounce rate—which means people leave your site quickly without taking any action. Fewer people buy your phone or sign up for more information, leading to poor conversion rates.
A seamless user experience ensures that what you promise in your ad is exactly what users get when they click through to your landing page. This keeps them happy, engaged, and more likely to convert, improving the overall performance of your Google Ads.
Google Ads Keywords quality score impact
The landing experience directly impacts the keyword’s quality score.
Example:
Suppose you’re running Google Ads to promote a new line of sneakers. You’ve selected keywords like “running shoes for women” or “comfortable sneakers.” These keywords are what people might type into Google when searching for sneakers.
Google gives each keyword a quality score, which is like a report card grade that ranges from 1 to 10. A higher quality score means your ads are more relevant and useful to the people who see them.
If someone clicks on your ad for the “running shoes for women” and lands on a webpage showcasing your latest sneaker collection with vibrant images, detailed descriptions, and easy-to-find options to purchase. In that case, Google sees this as a positive match.
This positive experience helps boost your quality score. A high-quality score can lead to lower costs per click and better ad positions, meaning your ad is shown more often and in better spots.
On the other hand, a much lower quality score means you might have to pay more for each click on your ad, and your ads might not show up as often or in prime positions.
Conversion intent
A good landing page is designed with conversion intent in mind. Whether you are trying to sell products or you need users to inquire or sign up, you must consider the conversion intent to achieve better results using Google Ads.
Example:
Suppose you’re running Google Ads for an online home decor store. Your goal is to get people to purchase items like furniture, decorations, and accessories for their homes. So, when someone clicks on your ad after searching for “modern living room decor,” they’re showing conversion intent – they’re interested in finding and potentially buying home decor items.
Now, if your landing page is tailored to meet this conversion intent, it will showcase a variety of modern living room decor options. It might feature trendy decor pieces and helpful tips on creating a modern look.
The page will make it easy for visitors to browse products, add items to their cart, and complete their purchases.
On the other hand, if the landing page is generic and doesn’t specifically address modern living room decor, users might feel disappointed or confused. They may leave the page without making a purchase, leading to lost opportunities for conversion.
Understanding your audience’s different conversion intents and designing your landing page to cater to those intents, can increase the chances of turning clicks into meaningful actions.
This not only improves the performance of your Google Ads but also enhances the overall user experience, making it more likely for people to engage with your brand in the future.
Trust Factors
Through a quality landing page, one can demonstrate trust that can influence your users to convert better.
Example:
Let’s say there is a mobile service provider that has won awards for quality of service and customer satisfaction. If they mention these awards in the ad and then showcase all the awards on the landing page, it will greatly boost users’ confidence.
When you click on the ad, and the page is clean and professional, with awards prominently displayed. It has award logos, possibly customer testimonials, and a section on what makes their service great. Showing client satisfaction and recognition builds trust. It promises that switching to this service is a wise decision.
If the landing page didn’t include these trust-building elements, you might be more hesitant. Without proof of their excellent service, you might wonder if they’re really better than your current provider or if the ad was just hype.
Trust is essential in convincing users that they are making the right decision, which ultimately leads to better conversion rates. This encourages users to take the next step, whether it’s signing up for a plan, contacting customer service, or requesting more information.
Social proofs & validation
This is extremely powerful.
For example
When people write good reviews about your product or service, users do read them. Genuine reviews and social validation demonstrated on the landing page can help users commit to the process and convert. There is no better feedback than actual user feedback.
Let’s consider an example with a new brand of skincare products. Imagine you’re searching for a moisturiser that helps with dry skin. You see an ad for a new moisturiser that claims to be the best for dry skin. Intrigued, you click on the ad.
When you land on the page, you see several glowing reviews from real customers who have used and loved the product. There are also before-and-after photos showing the moisturiser’s positive effects, along with video testimonials from happy customers.
These real-life examples and experiences build social proof and validation. They show that other people have tried the product and found it compelling.
If the landing page didn’t include these reviews and testimonials, you might be more skeptical and hesitate to buy it without proof that others have had a positive experience with the moisturiser.
By showcasing genuine reviews and feedback, you make it easier for users to trust your product and feel confident in their decision to convert, whether that means purchasing, signing up for a newsletter, or any other desired action.
Mobile and faster page loading experience
Imagine you’re running an ad for a new line of eco-friendly kitchenware. Someone clicks on your ad, excited to learn more about your products, but if the landing page takes too long to load or isn’t optimised for mobile devices, they might leave before even seeing your offerings.
A fast-loading page ensures that users can quickly access the information they’re looking for without frustration. If your page loads slowly, especially on mobile devices where people expect quick results, users are likely to abandon it and look elsewhere. This can significantly hurt your conversion rates.
A mobile-friendly design is essential because many users browse and shop from their smartphones. If your landing page isn’t easy to navigate on a mobile device—if buttons are too small, text is hard to read, or images don’t load properly—users will have a poor experience and might not stay long enough to make a purchase or sign up.
Ensuring your landing page is both fast and mobile-friendly improves the user experience, keeps visitors engaged, and increases the likelihood that they will complete the desired action, whether that’s buying your eco-friendly kitchenware, subscribing to a newsletter, or another goal. This leads to better overall performance for your Google Ads campaign.
Quality landing page design checklist for Google Ads
A quality landing page design is essential for maximising the effectiveness of your Google Ads. A well-designed landing page not only improves user experience but also boosts your ad’s performance by increasing engagement and conversion rates. Here’s a checklist to ensure your landing page meets the standards for a successful Google Ads experience:
- UI/UX: Quality design is critical to offer positive user experience lending to higher conversion.
- Strong Call-to-Action (CTA): Include a prominent, easy-to-find CTA button that tells users exactly what you want them to do next, such as “Buy Now” or “Sign Up.”
- Social Proofs Inclusions: Real customer experience reviews and testimonials play an important role in helping customers commit to take the desired action on the landing page.
- Ads to Landing Page: Your ad’s headline messaging should match with the landing page to provide a seamless experience as discussed above. This reassures users that they are in the right place.
- Concise and Engaging Content: Provide clear, concise information that directly addresses the user’s needs or questions. Avoid overwhelming visitors with too much text.
- Fast Loading Speed: Ensure your page loads quickly to prevent users from leaving due to long wait times. This is especially important for mobile users.
- Mobile Optimisation: Make sure your landing page is fully responsive and functions well on all devices, particularly mobile.
- High-Quality Images and Media: Use clear, high-resolution images and videos that load quickly and enhance the user’s understanding of your product or service.
- Trust Signals Display trust badges, customer testimonials, reviews, and awards to build credibility and trust with your audience.
- Easy Navigation: Keep your page layout simple and intuitive. Users should be able to find what they need without having to search around.
- Minimal Distractions: Avoid clutter and unnecessary elements that can distract from the main goal of the page. Keep the focus on the CTA.
Following this checklist will help create a landing page that not only attracts visitors but also encourages them to take action, thereby improving the overall success of your Google Ads campaign.
A well-crafted landing page ensures that users have a seamless experience from the moment they click on your ad to the point of conversion. By incorporating key elements on your landing page, you can significantly enhance your ad’s performance. This not only improves your keyword quality score but also boosts user trust and conversion rates.
