The conversion rate went from 12.56% to 33.51%. We can confidently say that the updates we made to this landing page contributed greatly to the conversion rate increase!
Google Ads Conversion Rate Optimization Strategy
We have a client in the nonprofit sector who wants to improve their Google ads conversion rate and increase overall sales and revenue. We’re going to outline our strategy here so you can see what the full conversion rate improvement process might look like.
Phase 1 – Optimization
Step 1:
Install the proper tracking. It’s easy to track the clicks on a checkout button, but in order to accurately calculate a landing page’s conversion rate, you need to figure out how many people are completing that checkout. What we’re doing, and what you can also do, is create a thank you page to track that final step in the user journey. The thank you page will load once the sale is complete, giving you a unique URL to track.
Step 2:
Keyword research. Depending on where you’re at (maybe you already have some keywords in use), it’s important to refine your keyword strategy and choose only the most relevant and clear keywords. Our client is a test prep company, so our keywords might be “GRE test prep” or “graduate school preparation,” targeting the people most likely to buy their classes.
Step 3:
Once keyword research is done, it’s time to implement it by separating campaigns into multiple segments. Having a different ad campaign for each keyword will help you further refine your keyword strategy, because you’ll be able to tell how much traffic is coming from each specific keyword. Running multiple campaigns like this is more complex to manage, but well worth the effort for the actionable data you’ll be able to gather.
Step 4:
Create custom landing pages tailored to different search queries related to your new campaigns. We’ll be showing different ads to different audiences, so of course, we’ll be matching our landing pages to those ads.
Step 5:
After putting all these steps in motion, we’ll take a month to monitor how the budget is being spent. The results will tell us how Google is spending the money, and help us craft our budget strategy.
Phase 2 – Testing
Step 1:
Our first test will be to offer a discount to see if that helps increase the conversion rate. Our client, the nonprofit, currently offers a course package valued at $600 for only $300. So, on our test landing page, we’ll list the price at $600 and offer a 50% discount (ending up at the same price in the end). The hope is that the large discount is a draw and encourages people to buy.
Step 2:
Another test we’ll run is an inbound marketing approach. We’ll put out a collection of valuable informational articles to catch people in the research phase of their buyer journey. Our client’s articles may look like this:
- “Do I Need to Take the GRE?
- “Choosing Between the GMAT and the GRE”
- “Graduate School Application Timeline”
- “Thinking About Grad School?”
Each article will have an individualized keyword plan intended to attract those who are interested but not ready to make the purchase just yet. This approach is, essentially, a brand awareness campaign. Someone who searches for “Do I Need to Take the GRE” might be thinking about grad school, find our article, bookmark it, and come back to our client when it’s actually time to prep for the GRE.
That’s the gist of it! If you’re trying something similar and you’d like assistance with your conversion rate strategy, feel free to reach out to us, and we’ll be happy to help.
What Ad Conversion Rate Goals Should You Set?
People who want to increase their ad conversion rate for either Google or Facebook ads often find themselves searching for “what is a good conversion rate for facebook ads,” or “what is a good conversion rate for google ads,” or “good instagram ad conversion rate.” And there are so many sources on the internet that claim to offer answers with “industry standards” or average conversion rates for Google and Facebook ads. Truth is, there is no “average” of it all. There are so many factors that can affect your conversion rate, including but not limited to:
- How warm or cold your target audience is (aka if they’ve heard of you before or not)
- The size of your audience
- How good your actual ad creative is (your image, video, etc)
- The messaging
- How long your ad is running
***Regarding the last point about time frame: the difference between an ad campaign that runs for 2 days vs 2 weeks will be greater than the difference between an ad campaign that runs for 2 weeks vs 2 months.
So, don’t set your goals according to so-called market research. You may end up with something unrealistic and unsuited for your particular ad campaign. A better starting point would be to look at your own data (present and previous) and set your goals according to that.
Wrapping it Up
Well, we’ve certainly covered a lot of ground in this article, so let’s recap.
Increasing your ad conversion rate hinges on improving the landing page associated with the ad. Try doing these things:
- Change what you’re saying on the page (telling people what they get, not what you give)
- Change how you’re communicating that information (being crystal clear and easy to understand)
- Change where you’re putting your information (all the important stuff goes at the very top)
- Experiment with the changes and see how people respond (do this multiple times, adjusting different parts of the page)
Making at least one of those changes will boost your chances at increasing your conversion rate and ultimately strengthen your digital marketing. Best of luck with your landing pages!
Want to learn more about advanced marketing techniques? See what the experts at Make Your Mark have to say here in our blog.
Is it time to consult a professional to help get your ad conversion rate numbers up? Reach out to us to schedule a strategy session.
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