Landing pages can be powerful, if used effectively. The first page visitors see when they land on your website is the landing page, so by d...
Landing pages can be powerful, if used effectively. The first page visitors see when they land on your website is the landing page, so by definition, a simple static homepage or content page can be a landing page too. Customized landing pages sure help users in some cases, what do search engines think about? Today, we'll talk about landing pages that are frowned upon, and things that will make your landing pages great.
How search engines look at landing pages
For the most part, search engines encourage webmasters to have landing pages as they are good for channeling sales. But what they don’t endorse is low-quality pages that only have a call to action and a conversion link - no content of value. Here’s what Google looks at when ranking landing pages;
- Originality – It goes without saying that the content on the page shouldn't be present anywhere else on the web.
- Relevance – This is what the Google Panda is all about. A page should deliver what was promised in the title and meta description on the results page. It makes for a poor user experience if users have to work for the desired information (further clicks, content hidden or subdued by within other irrelevant content etc.)
- Availability – The information should be readily available. I have seen websites ask for email subscription in a popup, which only disappears after you comply. Hiding information behind an opt-in form or an unnecessary call-to-action won’t score you any points with search engines.
How to improve your landing pages?
Often the best sources of best practices are search engines themselves. Both Google and Bing have support pages to help webmasters design a better landing page experience for their users. Here are some useful best practices;
Pack a punch of value and relevance - This means centering the text around the text you used in your ads, and around y our keyword. It means providing useful information directly relating to your product and the keyword. Essentially, it all boils down to one thing; providing the information necessary to convince a user why they need your product.
Make content easily accessible - Make sure users can find your contact information, either on the landing page or through an easily-accessible about page. Make sure that, any time you ask for personal information, you’re explaining why you need it. Make sure that any sponsored links or affiliate ads are clearly marked. Make sure that you aren’t hiding anything from your potential customers.
Improve navigation - A segregated landing page reduces choice, but it hurts your ranking. Work to make it as easy as possible for users to find answers to any questions they may have. If they can’t find it on the landing page itself, make sure you clearly link to a page where the information can be found. Avoid using pop-ups as anything other than exit converters.
Speed - Make sure your landing page loads quickly. More so than a normal organic search, a PPC landing page needs to load extremely quickly. If your page takes longer than a second to load, users are going to bounce and you’re going to be wasting money on clicks.
You also need to make sure you’re following Google’s advertising policies, or you risk being removed from their PPC systems entirely.
We'll soon share examples of great landing pages that we think are inspiring. If you have any in mind, feel free to ping us and we'll include them. 'til then, stay tuned :)
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