We are back again on Test. Learn. Grow. for a follow-up to our first Media Minute Episode. Our goal: give you valuable tips to improve your marketing results in just a few minutes.
In our last Media Minute episode, Tim Fitzgerald taught us how to calculate our cost per click. Tim leads our Media Center of Excellence (COE), as well as Level’s eCommerce-dedicated team. This week, Tim takes it a step further by showing us how to improve our cost per click through increased Quality Scores in Google.
To Improve CPC, Start With the Quality Score
Your Quality Score is available at the keyword-level reporting from Google. It gives you a measurement on a scale from 1-10. This score measures the relevance and usefulness of your ads, landing pages, descriptions, etc. for users searching for things related to your product or service offerings.
How is Google’s Quality Score Measured?
There are three main components that make up the Quality Score:
- Ad relevance – how relevant is your ad to what people are searching for?
- Landing page experience – does it deliver on the promise of the ad? Can the user easily take action and get what they’re after?
- Expected click-through rate – this is the hardest to improve. This measures the probability that someone is going to click on your ad if Google decides to show it.
Each area assigns a rating of below average, average, or above average.
Improving your Quality Score
- Keywords – On all of your media assets, feature the most valuable keywords prominently in ads, headlines, and descriptions.
- Landing Pages – Improve the handshake between ads and landing pages. If the ad says you can do something, can you do it on the landing page? For example, if the ad says you can request information, can you request information on the landing page? This ensures a seamless user experience.
- The Offer or Why – This is tricky to improve. but don’t neglect it. When you search for the most valuable keywords in your search account, check your competitors. What are they offering in paid and organic listings? What can the user get by clicking on your ad that they can’t get anywhere else? It could be a discount, a free trial, or a unique piece of content. This will be different for each business.
Stay tuned for our next Media Minute. In a few weeks, Tim shares his perspectives on Tradename (or branded) Search. You don’t want to miss it!
