converting ppc traffic

Converting PPC Traffic: How strategic keyword placement increased conversion by 144%

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON TWITTER

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TODAY’S TEAM

Dr. Flint McGlaughlin – Director, MECLABS Group Flint McGlaughlin is the Director of MECLABS Group. The organization has partnered with key market leaders including The New York Times, Microsoft Corporation, and Reuters Group. Dr. McGlaughlin also serves as the Director of Enterprise Research at the Transforming Business Institute, University of Cambridge (UK) and as a Trustee for Westminster Theological Centre. Dr. McGlaughlin originally studied Philosophy and Theology at the University of London’s Specialist Jesuit College. Today, his primary research is focused on enterprise as transformative agent. His work has won multiple awards and has been quoted in more than 13,000 online and offline sources.

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EXPERIMENT: BACKGROUND

Experiment ID: (Protected) Location: MarketingExperiments Research Library Test Protocol Number: TP1306(a)

Background: Provides end-to-end market solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses. Goal: Increase the email capture rate of an online form. Primary Research Question: Which page will obtain the most form submissions? Approach: A/B multi-factor split test

Research Notes:

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[Bankruptcy] Mailing Lists Quality business mailing lists that Get you results to increase sales! [company-name].com

EXPERIMENT: CONTROL Control

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EXPERIMENT: CONTROL

C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a

Using the conversion heuristic above, we were able to identify the following potential issues: • The headline is making qualitative,

hype-filled claims

• The two column structure of the page impedes the eye-path.

• The tone of the call-to-action generates unnecessary concern

• The credibility indicators are hidden in headers and footers.

Control

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EXPERIMENT: CONTROL Treatment Control

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EXPERIMENT: CONTROL

Design Conversion Rate

Control 1.71%

Treatment 4.93%

Relative Difference 188%

188% Increase in Total Leads The new form page increased lead rate by 188%

What you need to understand: By applying a methodological approach for optimizing landing pages, the treatment was able to generate a 188% increase in total leads captured.

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Control – Keyword Present

BUT, how did removing the keyword from the headline of the landing page impact

conversion?

Treatment – Keyword Not Present

EXPERIMENT: RESULTS

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Radical Redesigns: The objective is to challenge the control enough to generate a significant difference

Focused variable clusters: The objective is to test the highest performing variables and increase channel specificity

Single variable testing: The objective is to determine relative impact by isolating variables

ITERATIVE TESTING CYCLE

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Experiment ID: (Protected) Location: MarketingExperiments Research Library Test Protocol Number: TP1306(b)

Background: Provides end-to-end market solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses. Goal: Increase the email capture rate of an online form. Primary Research Question: Which page will obtain the most form submissions? Approach: A/B multi-factor split test

Research Notes:

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EXPERIMENT: CONTROL Control

• The control utilizes a general headline that doesn’t reference the keyword used in the PPC ad.

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EXPERIMENT: TREATMENT


• The treatment simply integrated the keyword utilized in the PPC ad.

Treatment

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EXPERIMENT: SIDE-BY-SIDE Control – Keyword NOT Present Treatment – Keyword IS Present

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EXPERIMENT: RESULTS

Design Conversion Rate

Control 4.93%

Treatment 12.05%

Relative Difference 144%

144% Increase in Total Leads The new form page increased lead rate by 144%

What you need to understand: By strategically placing the keyword from the PPC ad into the headline of the landing page, the treatment produced 144% more leads.

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EXPERIMENT: RESULTS

A compounding gain of 603% increase in lead rate

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CONVERTING PPC CLICKS

1. We do not optimize PPC campaigns; we optimize thought sequences. A small change (keyword placement) can often have a big impact on the prospect’s sequence of thought.

2. In order to understand the thought sequence of a prospect arriving from a PPC ad, marketers must be able to see both the PATH TAKEN (route) and PATTERN FOLLOWED (behavior) by the prospect.

Key Principles

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THE CUSTOMER PATH AND PATTERN Search Engine

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THE CUSTOMER PATH AND PATTERN Landing Page #1

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THE CUSTOMER PATH AND PATTERN Search Engine

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THE CUSTOMER PATH AND PATTERN Landing Page #2

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For this clinic, we are going to walk through the THREE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS that impact a

prospect’s probability of conversion on a landing page

TODAY’S FOCUS

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Factor #1: Channel Momentum

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BUILDING CHANNEL MOMENTUM

Key Principles

1. The probability of conversion on landing page is directly related to the degree of momentum (customer expectation) generated from the PPC ad.

2. The goal of the PPC ad is not to sell the product, but rather to initiate momentum by converting attention into interest into action (click).

3. We do this by answering the derivative value proposition question, “If I am your ideal prospect, why should I click on this PPC ad rather than any other PPC ad?”

FACTOR #1

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Background: A leading software provider Goal: To increase total leads captured Primary research question: Which process will generate the most leads? Approach: A/B multifactorial split test. The experiment ran for 18 weeks, testing 16 different ads (control PPC ad above) and observing more than 950,000 unique impressions.

Experiment ID: (Protected) Location: MarketingExperiments Research Library Test Protocol Number: TP1214

Research Notes:

EXPERIMENT: BACKGROUND FACTOR #1

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{KeyWord} Business Solutions Run Your Entire Business with One System. Accounting + CRM. Free Trial. www.[Company].com/Business-Solutions

EXPERIMENT: EXAMPLE TREATMENTS

#1 Business Software 6459+ Clients. On-Demand Access. One System for the Entire Company. www.[Company].com/BusinessSoftware

Small Business Software Worlds #1 On-Demand Suite. 6459+ Clients. Free Trial Today. www.[Company}.com/BusinessSoftware

Business Software Suite #1 On-Demand. 6459+ World Clients Award-Winning Solution. Free Trial www.[Company].com/BusinessSoftware

Small Business Software 6459+ Clients Worldwide Free Trial Software You Won't Outgrow. www.[Company].com/BusinessSoftware

{KeyWord} Business Solutions Support the Entire Company with One Low Cost Solution. [Company]. www.[Company].com/Business-Solutions

FACTOR #1

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Business Software Suite #1 On-Demand. 6459+ World Clients Award-Winning Solution. Free Trial www.[Company].com/BusinessSoftware

{Keyword} Business Software Award-Winning Business Software. Fully Integrated. Free Trial www.[Company].com/Business

EXPERIMENT: RESULTS

Original Ad Best Performing Ad

21% Increase in Clickthrough The new ad generated 20.9% more clicks than the original

FACTOR #1

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But this Not this

Relief From Back Pain Reclaim your life with a 30-minute Groundbreaking back pain procedure [Company].com/Back_Pain

Avoid open back surgery Try AccuraScope back pain treatment One micro incision for pain relief [Company].com/Back_Pain

47% Increase in Clicks

Event Management Software Over 9 Million People Registered! Online Event Management Software www.[Company].com

Event Management Software 32 easy to use, customizable tools 120,000+ planners use it, Try Free [Company].com/Back_Pain

118% Increase in Clicks

But this Not this

BUILDING CHANNEL MOMENTUM FACTOR #1

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Factor #2: Transition Orientation

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MOMENT OF ORIENTATION

Moment of Orientation Conversation Value

Exchange

Where am I?

What can I do here?

Why should I do it?

First Seconds Subsequent minutes (or days) depending on sales cycle

Visitor Experience Timeline

• You have approximately 7 seconds to orientate the visitor. If you fail to do this, you will mitigate the momentum built within the channel.

FACTOR #2

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NOT THIS… Generic Homepage

FACTOR #2

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Specific Landing Page

BUT THIS… FACTOR #2

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AUDIENCE EXAMPLE FACTOR #2

Are you able to discern the following questions?

• Where am I?

• What can I do here?

• Why should I do it?

Bitdefender Safepay - Protect your online transactions Award winning antivirus software on sale now http://bitdefender-internet-security.com/

http://bitdefender-internet-security.com/





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Factor #3: Value Transfer

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144% INCREASE IN CONVERSION

• With the simple, yet strategically placement of a keyword, we were able to better transfer the value of the PPC ad to the Landing page.

TRANSFERRING VALUE FACTOR #3

Previous Example

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Key Principles

1. In order to effectively transfer value from the PPC ad to the landing page, one must ensure the holistic expression of the value proposition. This involves two key elements :

• Congruence – Ensuring that every element of a page either expresses or supports the value proposition

• Continuity – Ensuring that every step of the conversion process either expresses or supports the value proposition

TRANSFERRING VALUE FACTOR #3

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Background: A leading software provider Goal: To increase total leads captured Primary research question: Which process will generate the most leads? Approach: Radical redesign of the complete lead-generation process focusing on strengthening the communication of the value proposition

Experiment ID: (Protected) Location: MarketingExperiments Research Library Test Protocol Number: TP1214

Research Notes:

EXPERIMENT: BACKGROUND FACTOR #3

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Business Software Suite #1 On-Demand. 6459+ World Clients Award-Winning Solution. Free Trial www.XXXXXXXXXX.com/Business

{Keyword} Business Software Award-Winning Business Software. Fully Integrated. Free Trial www.XXXXXXXXXX.com/Business

Original

Optimized

EXPERIMENT: PPC AD TEST RESULTS

21% INCREASE IN CLICKS

FACTOR #3

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EXPERIMENT: ORIGINAL LANDING PAGE


Control Landing Page

• Value from the PPC is not being transferred to the landing page

FACTOR #3

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Treatment Landing Page

• Value from the PPC is being specifically mentioned on the landing page

FACTOR #3

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54% increase in overall conversion The optimized landing page conversion rate increased by 54.26%

Landing Page Conversion Rate Relative Diff. vs. Control

Statistical Significance

Original 7.17% - -

Optimized 11.06% 54.26% 95%

FACTOR #3

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• In summary, we ensured that the value was being transferred from the PPC ad all the way through the entire conversion process.


EXPERIMENT: ORIGINAL FORM

21% CLICK-THROUGH

54% CLICK-THROUGH

97% FORM SUBMISSIONS

FACTOR #3

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Metric Control Treatment Relative Difference

PPC Advertisement 0.89% 1.08 20.9%

Landing Page Clickthrough 7.17% 11.06% 54.26%

Form Completion 15.84% 31.25% 97.27%

Impression-to-lead Conversion .009% .033% 272.2%

272% Increase in Overall Conversion The optimized path’s conversion rate increased by 272.2%

EXPERIMENT: ORIGINAL FORM

What you need to understand: In this experiment, a 272% increase in conversion led to 268% more projected revenue and, when combined with the corresponding 66% reduction in cost-per-acquisition, the optimized path produced more than 4 times the monthly profit (302% increase).

FACTOR #3

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Background: A technology and media company specializing in online registration and event management software. Goal: To increase the amount of completed leads. Primary research question: Which capture process will generate the highest completed lead rate? Approach: A/B multifactor split test

Experiment ID: REGOnline Landing page test Location: MarketingExperiments Research Library Test Protocol Number: TP1519

Research Notes:


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Control

• Headline conveys

little to no meaning

• Image does not support the value of the product

• Copy buries most important points of value

• Call-to-action fails to build the value of the click

Congruence:

EXPERIMENT: CONTROL

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Treatment

• Headline directly

states value of product

• Copy pulls out most important points of value

• Call-to-action builds value of click

• Image shows location of a real customer

Congruence:


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Does each step of the buy process either state or support the value proposition?

Control - Step 1

You are almost done!

Control - Step 2

EXPERIMENT: CONTROL

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• No value is being expressed in step two of the process.

• Callout-image and CTA reminds prospect of the offer’s value.

Continuity:

You are almost done!

Control - Step 2

Treatment - Step 2


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Treatment - Step 1 Treatment - Step 2

• The treatment has been designed to ensure the value proposition is being expressed with both congruence and continuity.


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Design Conversion Rate (%)

Relative Difference

Statistical Level of Confidence

Original Page 0.7% - -

Treatment 4.8% 548%

548% Increase in Total Leads The new page’s conversion rate increased by 548.46%

99%

What you need to understand: By applying key optimization methodologies to the landing page, the treatment was able to improve step-level clickthrough rates by 1,312%, and total conversion rate by 548%.

EXPERIMENT: RESULTS

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SUMMARY: PPC CHECK LIST

Are the claims in your PPC ad specific? Do they use qualitative or hype-filled language? How can you quantify your claims? Is your PPC ad focused on generating a click? Have you provided a compelling reason to click your ad over the other options? Are you utilizing the headline of your page to immediately inform the prospect where they have arrived? Is your landing page objective clear? Is your eye-path a simple, single-column flow? Do you have an easy-to-see call to action? Is every element of you page (headline, images, copy, CTAs) expressing the value proposition?

PPC Campaign Checklist

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