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High CTR but Low Conversions? These Issues May Be Why

Updated on March 17, 2024
Posted on August 9, 2021 by Michael White

High CTR but Low Conversions? These Issues May Be Why - check out these common culprits to improve conversionsYou finally launched your pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaign and are getting tons of clicks. Fantastic, right?

Not so fast. You suddenly realize that not many of those clicks actually resulted in sales. You spent all that money on clicks, but the return on your investment was less than ideal.

According to research, the average ROI for PPC campaigns is a whopping 200%. You may be wondering, if the returns are supposed to be so great, why aren't my PPC ads working? Here are five common reasons PPC ad campaigns can have high click-through rates but low conversions.

 


 

Poor Bid Strategy

Bidding is the foundation of every PPC campaign. If you don’t bid on the right keywords, your ad won’t get any reach. To combat that fear, many marketers bid on super-generic keywords with massive reach.

For example, if you run a lawn care company, you might want your ad to appear for a keyword like “mowing.” It makes perfect sense, but you have to think about what other results appear for that search.

People who search for “mowing” might be looking for general information, not necessarily a lawn care professional. Because of that, many of the other results for that search are information-based, like dictionary definitions and informational blogs.

What happens is your ad will get tons of clicks, since “mowing” is a broad term that likely receives a lot of online traffic, but once the reader realizes it doesn’t contain information on mowing, just about hiring your lawn care company, they’ll likely leave the page. You’ll pay for that click, but you won’t get a conversion.

The best way to improve your keyword bid strategy is to bid on keywords specific to your products or services—especially long-tail keywords. They might not get the same traffic as the generic keywords, but since you’re targeting a more relevant audience, your conversions will improve significantly.

 

Incorrect Targeting

Improve conversions by correcting your ad targeting - Dart board with missed darts

To create an effective marketing strategy, you want to get the right ad to the right person at the right time. If you don’t take the time to think about who the right person is or how to create the right ad, your PPC campaign won’t generate the conversions you’re hoping for.

While it might save you time and effort with run-of-network ads (in which the search engine chooses a standard way to run your ads), a more targeted approach will quickly improve conversions.

Target ads toward your ideal consumer based on unique identifiers:

  • Demographics
  • Online actions
  • Search histories
  • Remarketing
  • Topic interests
  • Content keywords

With ad targeting, you can get your ads in front of the right people, not just the most people. Companies that used a targeted approach to PPC marketing saw conversion rates increase by up to 323% per 1,000 impressions!

 

Ad Copy and Landing Page Don’t Match

Imagine you saw a sign in front of a store that said, “50% off everything.” Naturally, you go in, only to find that it’s 50% off everything after you spend $300. Would you stay? Probably not.

The same thing happens with PPC ads. The ad copy will make a promise that the landing page doesn’t live up to. It could be a misleading sale like in the above example, or it could be something as simple as advertising tree trimming services with a landing page that talks about grass seeding.

If you want to boost your PPC conversions, make sure your ad copy and landing page are a perfect match. If you promise something in the ad—whether it be content, a sale, or general information—you better follow through on the landing page. Even a slight discrepancy between the two could cause users to leave your landing page without converting to a sale.

 

Technical Difficulties

While technology is a wonderful thing, it doesn’t always work as intended. If you’re seeing tons of clicks with no conversions, check to make sure your ad isn’t experiencing any technical difficulties. You definitely won’t get conversions if users can’t see your content!

These are some of the most common technical issues that affect PPC ads:

  • Broken links
  • Failure to display elements
  • Long load times
  • User can't close a pop-up ad on mobile to browse the offer

It’s also important to check for technical issues from a mobile device. Almost 55% of global internet users browse using a mobile device. Mobile devices don’t always load pages the same as desktops, so make sure potential customers can see your ads from any device.

 

Nobody Likes Your Landing Page

Improve conversions by improving your landing page content and design - Woman not liking what she sees on computer screen

Even if your PPC ad and landing page match perfectly, there’s still a chance that consumers simply don’t like your landing page.

A cluttered, disorganized, or sloppy landing page is enough to send many potential customers back to the search results and into the arms of a competitor.

These are some of the most common landing page design mistakes to avoid if you want to boost conversions:

  • Complicated layouts – Internet users like things to be simple. If they visit your landing page and see all sorts of content boxes, pictures, and links cluttering up the page, they might feel like the entire process is too complicated and head elsewhere for their needs.

  • Gimmicky marketing tactics – Avoid annoying online marketing gimmicks like aggressive pop-ups, push notifications, automatic videos, and (definitely) auto-play music!

  • Tricky navigation menus – Make it easy for visitors to find the information they want. If you make your landing page too complicated to navigate, potential customers are going to give up before they reach the bottom of the sales funnel.

  • Not providing enough information – Users click your ad for more information. Make sure your landing page addresses their needs. Don’t make them search to find the content they want.

  • Too much information – While you want to give users the information they’re looking for, you can offer too much of a good thing. Giant walls of text and long-winded explanations are just as bad for conversion rates as a blank page with no information at all. Provide enough information but keep it simple.

  • Wrong color scheme – Colors can have a major impact on consumers who view your page. Choose colors that match your tone. If you’re a law firm that focuses on auto accidents, don’t pick bright, happy colors like yellows and reds. It’s not appropriate to the content and will cause visitors to leave without conversions.

If you build a landing page that consumers actually like, there’s a better chance they’ll stick around long enough to convert.

 


 

Improve Your Conversions and PPC ROI Using These Tips

If you constantly experience high click-through rates but don’t see any conversions, don’t just write PPC off as an ineffective form of marketing; there could be other issues in play.

And if you're looking for professional help with your PPC campaigns, our experts would love to help you out. Contact us for a free consultation today.

 

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