Effective pay-per-click (PPC) advertising has a lot to do with data-crunching--picking the right keyword phrases, identifying the best placement options, analyzing click-through and conversion rates, etc.
But one of the most important elements of successful PPC is often overlooked--creating a unique and persuasive landing page for your ad.
Conversions are the critical metric for PPC. An ad with a high click-through rate and zero conversions doesn't do the advertiser much good. So the key question becomes--what kind of experience does the visitor have once he or she clicks on the ad?
If the ad takes visitors to your Web site's home page, they are apt to think, "OK--now what?" Once that happens, the opportunity for a conversion disappears.
If the ad takes visitors to a properly crafted landing page, they will understand your offer, want to take action, and know exactly how to take action. A good landing page is--
1. Simple.
2. Brief.
3. Persuasive.
4. Optimized for the ad's keyword phrases.
5. Clear in pointing the visitor to the next step.
And while landing pages are effective to begin with, advertisers can continually improve them through "split testing". A split test uses two landing pages for a single campaign. The landing pages will differ in terms of message or design. Whichever page produces more conversions becomes the new standard. In this way, disciplined advertisers steadily improve results.
The point--Conducting a PPC campaign without a unique landing page is like sending your prospect on a road trip without a map. Make it easy for prospects, and they will reward you with conversions.
