Landing page optimization usually tackles content-related questions: Have I included the target keyword enough times? Is my call-to-action working? Which design layout performs better? Too often, however, advertisers jump to this phase before taking into account whether the structure of their website is ready for PPC platforms like Google Ads.
This article covers four critical questions you simply cannot overlook when optimizing your landing page. Start here before you address the content you want to test for your landing pages.
1. Is your site secure?
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a website encryption protocol. An SSL certificate provides secure communication between your website and an internet browser, making it more difficult for a hacker to tamper with traffic or spy on your site’s visitors. It’s especially important to have a valid SSL certificate if you ask customers to fill out forms or share personal information. But in truth, every website should have one.
You can tell whether your website uses secure encryption if your URL starts with http:// (not secure) or https:// (secure).
Why it’s important
In July 2018, Google Chrome began to mark all HTTP sites as not secure. This prominent “Not Secure” message likely causes higher bounce rates. Starting in October 2018, Chrome will go a step further by explicitly warning users about insecure sites with a prominent red icon.
How to fix it
If your website does not currently have an SSL certificate, you can obtain one from your website host. For instance, HostGator packages now include a free SSL certificate, as do hosting packages from Yahoo for Small Business.
Alternatively, you can obtain a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt, a non-profit organization supported by corporate sponsors, grants, and individual donors.
2. Is your site mobile-friendly?
Since 2015, Google has used mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. In 2016, it strengthened this signal, explaining that “Getting good, relevant answers when you search shouldn’t depend on what device you’re using.” This year, the search giant took it a step further with its mobile-first index.
Why it’s important
Without getting into the weeds about what all these changes mean, suffice it to say that if Google cares whether your site is mobile-friendly, then you should, too.
Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to see whether your site makes the cut.
How to fix it
If your site is already built, you may need to work with your website designer to transition it to a mobile-friendly format. Make sure to choose a responsive design, which means your website automatically adapts to whatever device your visitors are using. If you don’t currently have a website designer, you can find a freelancer on sites like Fiverr or Upwork.
Does your site use content management software like WordPress, Magento, or Wix? If so, Google has created specific guides to help make your site mobile-friendly.
What if you’re starting from scratch? Most online website builders offer responsive website templates. For instance, using code WEBSITE 25, you can get 25% off a responsive Yahoo for Small Business website.
AMP, or Accelerated Mobile Pages, is another way to create lightning-fast mobile websites. AMP pages load more quickly than traditional HTML.
For WordPress users, you can easily create AMPs by installing AMP for WordPress. This free plugin is a collaboration between WordPress, Google, and others. You already have the AMP feature enabled if your site is a WordPress.com site, or you’ll see it already installed as a plugin if you use a WordPress.com account to sign into a WordPress.org self-hosted site. (What’s the difference?)
If you have AMPs, use them in Google Ads. Enter the AMP URL into the Mobile URL field of your ads or in the Mobile URL field of your keywords. (In WordPress, the AMP URL is your normal URL with /amp/ tacked on the end) This way, when a mobile user clicks your ad, Google will send them to your AMP landing page.
3. Does your site include a privacy policy?
As I explained in my post about Quality Score, Google values sites that are “transparent.” Google wants to make sure that its advertisers handle user data responsibly.
Why it’s important
In addition to an SSL certificate, one of the ways Google judges whether your site handles data responsibly is if your landing page links to your site’s privacy policy. This privacy policy should include any cookies you use (such as Google’s remarketing cookie) and describe how you handle any data you gather from your site’s visitors. It should also include how users may opt out of your use of cookies.
How to fix it
If your site doesn’t already have a privacy policy, use a free privacy policy generator, such as Shopify’s. If you advertise in Europe, make sure your privacy policy is GDPR-compliant. Then, make sure that any URL you use as a Google Ads landing page links to the privacy policy you’ve created.
4. Does your site load quickly?
Internet users are impatient. If your page takes longer than two seconds to load, most visitors will abandon it and find somewhere else to go.
Why it’s important
Pages with longer load time have higher bounce rates, lower average time on page, and lower conversions, all of which will negatively impact your Quality Score.
How to fix it
Measure your page load time with a tool like Google’s PageSpeed Insights, Pingdom, or Webpagetest. I especially like Google’s PageSpeed tool because it separates its analysis of your mobile and desktop sites.
Whatever tool you use, you will see suggestions that have to do with your website’s code. Therefore, you will likely need a professional developer to help with implementation. If you don’t have a developer on staff, you can find freelancers on sites like Upwork or Fiverr.
Moz offers this practical guide to improving site speed. Working with your developer, implement each of these suggestions.
If your site is built on WordPress (like mine), some of the suggestions can be handled simply by adding WordPress plugins. Here are two that I use:
- WP Fastest Cache for browser caching
- Smush for image compression
In addition, Cloudflare is a free CDN (content distribution network) that makes your site load faster by storing copies of your website across geographically diverse servers.
Bonus idea
One of my clients pointed out that on his website,
- using http:// instead of https:// adds 150 milliseconds of load time
- adding www. to the URL adds 900 milliseconds of load time, and
- leaving off the trailing slash ( / ) at the end of the URL adds 600 milliseconds of load time.
These fractions of seconds add up quickly! (or should I say slowly?)
As you input your landing page URLs into Google Ads, make sure to use your website’s best URL formatting. (Keep in mind, proper formatting for your website may be different than the example given. Your developer should be able to tell you your website’s proper URL structure).
Okay, done. Now what?
Once your website has an SSL certificate, is mobile-friendly, includes a privacy policy, and loads quickly, you are ready to test the content and design of your landing page.