6 tips to improve Google Ads conversion rates
Setting up ads on Google Ads is a great way to get customers for your business. But for some, results can be quite lackluster. How exactly do you improve conversion rates for your Google Ads campaigns?
Before you decide to throw in the towel on Google Ads, read on to find out 6 tips on how you can improve conversion rates for your Google Ads campaigns.
1. Ensure conversion tracking is set up
Conversion tracking is vital to understanding the effectiveness of your ads. With conversion tracking, you will be able to determine whether your ad spend makes a profit for your business. This is also more commonly known as Return On Investment (ROI).
Here are some steps to set up conversion tracking for your website.
Step 1: Website & Google Ads tag
You will need a website and the ability to edit to input the Google Ads tag. Here are links to some common website builders and a more detailed breakdown of how to set it up – Wix / WordPress / Shopify / Squarespace
Step 2: Create a conversion action
Click on ‘Conversions’ under ‘Tools & Settings’ and on the Summary page, select ‘New conversion action’.
Select ‘Website’ and enter your website domain. Selecting scan will search your website for any existing tag and also let you view a list of URLs that can be tracked as conversions.
If you want to track one page as a conversion, simply fill in the fields under ‘Add a page load as a conversion action.’
If you wish to track button clicks, transactions, or any other custom action, choose ‘Add conversion actions manually using code’. See more details here.
Step 2: Install global site tag
If you have access to the backend of your website, simply copy and paste the global site tag to every webpage. Otherwise, you can choose to email instructions to your website developer.
Looking for a hands-on guide? Join the Digital Advertising course with Emarsity for more about Google and Facebook ads.
2 Improve landing page experience
The design and functionality of your landing page can make a whole lot of difference when it comes to getting conversions. A confusing and messy landing page will deter users from taking action and cause them to leave the page quickly, while a succinct landing page with only critical information will likely funnel users to take action.
Ensure that your landing page is coherent with your ads. E.g. If your ad is about dining chairs, sending users to kitchenwares will reduce conversions.
Click for more information on how to design an effective landing page.
3 Compelling call-to-action
Best brands have strong compelling Call-To-Actions (CTA). Some popular CTAs include words such as ‘Buy’, ‘Call’, ‘Develop’, ‘Sign up’, ‘Register’, ‘Shop now’. Focus on helping the user solve their problem rather than describing features of your product.
Remember to test your CTAs frequently to find the ones that work best for your business.
4 Adding negative keywords
There are many ways that users can find your ads and some search queries may not be relevant. Users searching for ‘Free delivery’ may get served your ad which provides delivery as a service. In this case, implementing words such as ‘Free’, ‘Cheap’, ‘Worst’ can prevent your ad from showing up in searches.
Adding negative keywords will likely increase your click-through-rate and reduce cost-per-click.
5 Leverage on Search Terms for high performing keywords
Looking at ‘Search terms’ under the ‘Keywords’ section can give you a good indication of what users are typing in their search. To improve conversion rates, take note of any new relevant search terms that are generating conversions for you and add them to your keyword list.
6 A/B testing
Want to know if a promotional headline works better than a branded headline? Or if the word ‘Free’ works better than ‘Complimentary’? Or test between automatic and manual bidding? The answer is to do an A/B test!
A/B testing is simply testing two versions of the same thing with just one difference. Marketers will typically test ad copies, landing pages, keywords, keyword bid strategy and/or ad schedules.
In Google Ads, you can set up A/B testing in ‘All experiments’ under ‘Experiments’.
There are 3 types of experiments to choose from.
Optimise text ads – Test responsive search ads
Video experiment – Test different video content
Custom experiment – Test bidding, keyword match types, audiences and landing pages for search and display campaigns
Experiments will allow you to part a percentage of your daily budget between the original campaign and the experiment to compare the impact of the new ad. If the experiment turns out to be a success, you can simply apply the changes to the original campaign and improve conversion rates!
That’s it! To learn more tips on how to improve your Google advertising campaigns, join our Digital advertising course!
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Assistant Instructor: Yanling
About the author
Yanling is a Digital Marketer who is passionate in helping drive business strategy through digital platforms.