Optimized Landing Pages are not Optional

MoreVisibility - March 20, 2007

There are a number of factors that need to be taken into consideration when optimizing a search engine marketing program. It is never as simple as just building a campaign in Google and turning it on. Yes, a quick-launch campaign will drive traffic to your site — but search engine marketing is about conversions. For those of us who want more than just traffic, we need to be willing to get involved on a deeper level.

This means that we need to be willing to think about where we’re sending that traffic. Getting the right people to click (though a critical task) is only half the battle. The other half involves getting them to fill out your form or purchase your product. Focusing on one half of the process to the exclusion of the other is a common — not to mention costly — mistake.

That’s why the importance of having optimized landing pages for your paid search traffic cannot be overstated. The following are some basic tips that can get you on the path to optimization.

1. Tailor the message on your landing page to reflect the message in your ad copy.
2. Use the keywords that brought searchers to your landing page on your landing page.
3. Keep it brief — less copy equals more conversions.
4. If you’re using a form to generate leads, keep it simple. Too many fields will drive searchers away.

Try to remember that the perfect ad copy attached to the perfect keyword is likely to generate well-qualified clicks — but clicks can’t be deposited into your checking account. Don’t forget the importance of landing pages, and the integral role they play in turning those clicks into cash.