SEM Intermediate Series: Improving Your Conversion Rate in Microsoft adCenter

This is the 6^th post in the SEM Intermediate Series, a collection of posts intended for search engine marketing professionals looking for guidance in monitoring and adjusting the key performance indicators (KPIs) that determine the success of a PPC campaign.  This series is a continuation of the SEM Beginner Series.

For most marketers, everything they do is focused on driving consumers to take some sort of action, whether it’s buying their product, using their service, or visiting their website. Search marketing offers many benefits over other marketing mediums, including its high relevance and qualified audience; taking advantage of these two core benefits will help increase your conversion rate. The following are a few recommendations to ensure your keywords, ads, and landing pages are as specific and relevant as possible. 

1. Qualify Searchers with Ad Copy

Ad copy is a great place to share promotions, reinforce your brand, and encourage user action. Many times, a marketer’s biggest question is, “How do we get more clicks?” However, instead of just thinking about getting more, think about the question, “How do we get more high-quality clicks?” Ad copy is a great place to qualify consumers and ensure you’re not wasting precious budget on users that have no intention of buying your product.

For example, if you’re a clothing retailer offering free shipping only on purchases over $200, including just “free shipping” (with no caveat) in your ad copy will increase your CTR, but it also might lower your conversion rate once customers realize they don’t qualify. If you sell only phone accessories, make sure it’s very obvious to consumers that you don’t sell the actual phone (an easy way is including the word “Accessories” in the ad title). Using ad copy to ensure you’re receiving qualified clicks will reduce wasted spend and increase your conversion rate.

2. Improve Landing Page Relevancy

Once consumers have clicked your ad, they’ve told you they are interested and (after following step one) qualified to make a purchase. Now, it’s up to your site to take them the rest of the way, starting with the landing page. A simple way to test your landing page relevancy is to step into the shoes of the consumer. You’re familiar with your site because you’re on it every single day, but try to think of a first-time visitor. Search for some of your top keywords, click your ad, and ask yourself a few basic questions:

a. Can you easily find the keyword you searched for on the landing page? Consumers will only give your site a few seconds, and if they can’t find what they searched for, they’ll abandon and try another site. Remember, users might not scroll down, so ensure the product you advertised appears above the fold.

b. Did the ad you clicked on match the landing page? If you advertised a specific promotion or message in your ad copy, users should see this same promotion or message in the landing page. Test a variety of landing pages to find which converts the best.

c. How many steps does it take to get through the purchasing process? For every extra step it takes to purchase, you lose customers. Make it easier for consumers by reducing the number of clicks needed to convert, by sending them to a landing page with a very obvious path to conversion (such as an “Order Here” button), and by limiting the amount of data that they need to input (do you really need their mother’s maiden name?). The easier you make it for consumers to buy your product, the better.

3. Build Out Specific Keywords

In general, there are two ways to use keyword expansions to increase conversion rate. The first is to ensure you’ve added all of your high-performing product lines in your search account, including brand terms. The second, and arguably more difficult, is to expand your existing keywords to be more specific (if you haven't already, be sure to give Microsoft Advertising Intelligence a try for keyword expansions). 

For example, search for “flights to Hawaii” on Bing and click the paid search ads. You’ll find that some advertisers are bidding on this exact keyword, so they can tailor the ad copy and landing page to this unique audience. There are also advertisers who are matching to the keyword “flights,” meaning their ads and landing pages are very generic. As a searcher, which experience do you prefer? Use specific keywords to increase your conversion rate by creating a more relevant and simple experience for searchers.

As you're making improvements to your search account, be sure to monitor results with adCenter conversion tracking.  For more information and resources on conversion tracking, please visit Mary Berk's post, adCenter Conversion Tracking: Helping Advertisers Improve Their Campaigns.  If you have additional tips or insights on steps adCenter advertisers can take to help increase conversion rates, feel free to leave a comment below.

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