To the detriment of my bank account, I recently started collecting model cars. One brand in particular: AUTOart. They make a 1:18 scale model so realistic looking it’s like I’m able to simulate the feeling of actually buying a Lamborghini Gallardo without the very real sticker shock and buyer’s remorse I imagine would normally accompany such a purchase. The wheels are real rubber. There are seatbelt straps. The engines even have wiring. The attention to detail is nothing short of miraculous. Can you see now why I love them?

I’ll admit that half the fun of collecting these cars is searching for them. At first, I only looked for them on auction sites, thinking that’s where I could get the best deals. Once I combed through what I believed to be every listing, I turned to Bing to see what else was out there. A couple of paid search ads popped up with very specific ad titles that spoke to me. I clicked.

What happened next is all too common in paid search advertising: the landing page didn’t take me to where the ad suggested it was taking me. Here I am, clicking on ads that have titles telling me their stores carry AUTOart models, but the ads actually drop me off right on the store’s big, busy, homepage. Now, my brain has to process the overwhelming amount of information presented before me. There are so many different types of categories to choose from, but I only want to find one thing: AUTOart models.

Sure, I eventually do find the right pages to see the listings for all the AUTOart models, but the big problem here is that the onus of work is placed on me, the customer. If you think about it, would you ever shop at a store where the aisles weren’t labeled? Ok, assuming you did find what you want, maybe once – but would you ever come back? Would you really shop somewhere that put the burden of discovery on the shopper? Think Costco without any helpful signs.

Luckily, there is a very simple way to solve for this issue: the destination URL. The destination URL differs from the display URL in that it’s the URL that specifies where the searcher will be taken once a paid search ad has been clicked. The display URL is the URL the ad will display to searchers, but doesn’t necessarily have any correlation to where searchers are taken once they’ve clicked on the ad. Had the model stores whose ads I clicked on used a destination URL in their ads, I wouldn’t have had to look for the link to the AUTOart section; I would’ve been taken immediately there!

It does take a little extra time to set up destination URL’s, but it’s absolutely worth it in the long run. By taking the time to set up unique destination URL’s in the beginning, you are saving every single customer that comes to your website the hassle of having to search for what they’re looking for. And remember, every time you make a customer take an extra step or do the thinking, the probability of them just giving up and leaving increases.

In my own career, I have seen firsthand the benefits of employing unique destination URL’s. When I was working on a client's account who specialized in the travel industry, I built a campaign where I ensured every single city and town in the world had its own, unique URL that brought customers directly to the landing page they were looking for. Coupling the unique destination URL’s with city-specific ad titles increased clicks and conversions for my client dramatically. Why? Because we were guiding customers to exactly what they were looking for. The customer’s only remaining task was deciding whether or not to buy.

I highly encourage all small business owners involved in paid search advertising to take that little bit of extra time to set up unique destination URL’s in each of their ad groups. Take my word: it pays off!

For reference, here’s what the ad setup might look like in adCenter for a model car store selling the AUTOart models I’m always looking for:

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