When it comes to being successful in Google AdWords, it is essential to test and change elements in the account on a regular basis. There are many different areas in AdWords that advertisers can alter in order to optimize an account, including adjusting bids, changing ad copy and adding negative keywords.
One of the most important elements advertisers must consistently test is the user’s landing page experience. This can be done with the help of A/B testing tools.
While A/B testing for landing pages isn’t a new concept, Google created a free way to do so by launching Google Optimize earlier this year.
In this blog post, we will discuss Google Optimize and why it is an essential tool for advertisers running AdWords accounts.
Easy & Free A/B Testing
One of the biggest draws to Google Optimize is that it is completely free to use and very little effort is necessary for set-up. To get started, there are a few easy steps an advertiser needs to take:
- Place tracking code on all pages of the site
While other A/B solutions, such as Optimizely, have more features, they come at a price. Google Optimize is the perfect alternative for companies new to A/B testing and want to see if it’s right for their AdWords landing pages.
Find What Elements Work Best
With Optimize, users are able to alter different elements on a landing page, test them, and find the combination that leads to the best results in AdWords. As an advertiser begins using Optimize for their landing pages, it will be essential to:
- Keep testing the copy– Elements such as call-to-action buttons, headlines, and product/service descriptions can all be A/B tested to see how each affects performance.
- Change the images– While copy is important for relaying the message that is being offered, images, and where they are placed on the page, can make or break a landing page.
- Find the perfect form– Finally, finding out what combination of form fields yield the most success is essential for any landing page. Elements such as the number of fields, along with what those fields are, should be tested.
It is also important to note that these elements should be tested one at a time. Testing out too many elements at the same time makes it difficult to pin point what each change did to the results. Choose an element and stick with it for a few days to find it’s overall effect.
Linking Optimize with Analytics
Another big benefit of using Google Optimize is its ability to easily connect with Google Analytics.
By going into the Optimize tab in Analytics, users are able to get the exact results of their experiment, with the ability to compare important success metrics, such as bounce rate, pages per session and time on site for your AdWords account. Advertisers can even monitor goals, such as form submissions, for each page variation in order to determine which is performing the best.
While other A/B testing software may be more powerful, Optimize is the only one that integrates with Analytics. Since around 53 percent the top 10 million website utilize Google Analytics, Google Optimize has the advantage of being able to keep A/B experiment data right next to all other website results in Analytics.
Utilize AdWords Specific Features
In recent months, Google has started to roll out a beta for Optimize that adds features exclusively for AdWords. The biggest addition is the ability to test a specific version of a landing page for a keyword, ad group, or campaign.
This can ultimately be a powerful tool for advertisers. For example, let’s say an advertiser is seeing poor results for the keyword “How to protect my website”. Currently, the headline on the page says “10 Steps to Better Site Security”. In order to better appeal to the user’s question, the advertiser decides to A/B test the headline to say “Essential Guide to Protecting Your Website” 50 percent of the time when someone clicks on that keyword.
After enough traffic has been recorded, using the data found in Analytics, an advertiser can determine what headline is most effective based on their goals.
Final Thoughts
With testing being one of the biggest components to any successful AdWords campaign, Google’s new A/B landing page tool comes as a pleasant addition to the company’s offerings. Just as Google offers a free analytics tool, Google Optimize has become the affordable, user-friendly, and effective way to A/B test landing pages.
By testing what landing page elements have the most effect on the results, Google Optimize is the perfect way for advertisers to bring their AdWords account to the next level.
This content was originally published here.