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You can have the Mona Lisa of Google ads, but if no one is clicking it, you’ll be throwing money down the drain.
While conversions are important—if not the most important PPC metric—what comes before that? The click!
Optimizing CTR is critical for Google Ads success because of this. It’s also a common struggle.
Here are three ways you can begin increasing the CTR of your Google Ads today.
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Optimize the copy and call to action
What is an ad made of? Copy! So, it only makes sense to optimize and test the sales copy you use for Google Ads.
If it’s highly targeted (More on that below) and resonates with the audience, you’ll attract more clicks. Otherwise, it will dry up.
One of the first places to begin is the headline of the ad. It needs to be benefit-oriented so customers know what’s in it for them. Drip does this by promoting “automated workflows” in one of their ads:
Then, optimize the call to action. There’s a great book on user experience called Don’t Make Me Think. As you could guess, one of the main concepts is to make customer experiences as thoughtless as possible.
Here’s an example:
This results in fewer obstacles and objections since users instantly know what to do and what they’ll gain by clicking the ad.
Don’t underestimate the final URL
Where an ad takes users is called a final URL. Not only can they see the URL on Google and it explains where you are taking them, but it also needs to align with the ad itself.
Look how Capterra changed the final URL to include “/SEO/Free-List” to match their lead magnet offer:
Imagine landing on a page that had nothing to do with the ad you clicked. You’d probably be clicking the back button instead, right?
Optimize the final URL so users understand where they are being directed and its purpose.
Choose the right type of keyword
Who sees your ad greatly impacts the click-through rate. It needs to be placed in front of the right people your CTR will sink to the bottom of the SERP ocean.
That all starts with keyword research. Keep in mind there are three types of keywords:
- Informational: Users are seeking information.
- Transactional: Users are interested in purchasing a product.
- Navigational: Users are searching for a specific brand.
Align your ads based on the type of keyword you target to maximize the CTR and engagement. It also helps reduce ad spend and gives you a better score.
For example, you shouldn’t drive traffic based on transactional keywords (Think “Best marketing automation software”) to an informational blog post. A sales page would yield much better CTR and conversions in that case.
Conclusion
Google Ads is one of the best channels for generating traffic and revenue. But, your ads need to be polished or they’ll collect dust.
One of the most important metrics to focus on is the click-through rate. After all, users have to click it, to begin with before they convert.
Advertisers can boost Google Ads CTR by optimizing the sales copy, final URL, and keyword targeting.
Nonetheless, these processes can take a fair chunk of time. You’ll be rolling up your sleeves and performing testing to find the sweet spots.
Try Morphio today for free instead. Our marketing security software scans campaigns to find these types of optimizations and failures so you can dedicate energy to larger tasks.
