How to Create an AdWords Landing Page

Operated by Google, AdWords is the largest online ad placement service that is used by millions of business all over the world. Through AdWords, your advertisements will be placed by Google on participating affiliate sites or on the Google search page - that may attract the customer segments that you are targeting. These Google ads can also be targeted directly towards individuals whose browsing habits suggest that they might respond to your advertisement.

The clickable ads usually redirect a potential client to a landing page that was specifically designed for the ad. These are known as AdWords landing pages. This guide will show the five important factors to consider when designing an AdWords landing page.

Adwords Landing Page Title should match your ad headline

Online adverts on AdWord are limited to very short titles which are supposed to directly appeal to a customer. When designing the AdWords landing page where visitors will be redirected to when they click your ad, you should ensure that the landing page title matches the headline in the advertisement, as shown by the images below for hootsuites advertisement on Google and their landing page.

AdWords advertisement example:

AdWords Landing Page from above ad:

You should assume that the AdWords title is what attracted the visitor to the landing page, and when they do not see the ad message reinforced in the landing page, they might assume that they have either been redirected to the wrong site, or that you are using deceptive advertising.

AdWords Landing Page: Hero Image

The easiest way to appeal to potential customers is emotionally, and nothing evokes emotions instantly than an image. A hero image, in the landing page, is the main image that dominates the screen (usually taking up more than 50% of the webpage space). The type of image to use depends on the product you are selling and the type of customer you are targeting. Sometimes an image of the product you are selling in action will work, other times a picture of a satisfied user will work. The hero image can either make or break a landing page.

AdWords Landing Page: Metric tracking system

To understand the effectiveness of your landing page in terms of converting users into paying customers, you need to have a system in place for tracking all the visitor metrics. Google analytics is usually incorporated with AdWords, although you may need to deploy other third party analytics packages for a more complete view of the metrics.

AdWords Landing Page: Client focused content

Everything on your AdWords landing page should be focused on appealing to the client. There are numerous online marketing professionals who can guide you towards client focused landing page design. Any content that is not client focused is superfluous; your landing page should be lean and informative. Show the client the value that they will get by responding to your call to action.

AdWords Landing Page: Earn their trust

Try, as much as possible, to align your brand with brands that are trusteed by your potential clients. Has your business and/or product been featured in one of the more reputable publications (online or otherwise)? If the answer is yes, then you need to include an ‘as seen on…’ section prominently in order to show the clients that they are dealing with a trustworthy business entity.

Also, if you have other security certifications, quality certifications, industry awards, and positive reviews (or endorsements) from reputable individuals and/or corporate entities, then you also need to point them out in your landing page. A vote of confidence in your favor from trusted individuals/entities might just be the extra push that converts your visitors into paying customers.