How do you measure and improve your click-through rate?

Keeping an eye on your click-through rate (CTR) is really important if you want to make your ads work better. You can use all the tools that Google Ads has to offer for example to check on your CTR. This helps you see how well your ads are doing in different campaigns and with different keywords. It's a good idea to compare your CTR with what others are getting in your industry (i.e. benchmarks) to see if you're doing well or not. Also, look at your CTR for different devices, in different places and at different times. This can show you where your ads are working great and where/when they might need some changes. Understanding all this helps you come up with good ideas to improve your CTR.

This article section is misleading. CTR is tracked in-platform (i.e. Google Ads, or any other major PPC platform). In terms of industry benchmarks - Published industry CTR rates are highly inaccurate, and irrelevant Writing high-CTR ad copy is easy. Hitting all the pieces to convert is hard.

Checking the CTR regularly is the first step towards optimizing the click-through rate. I recommend looking at the top to bottom funnel. In other words: first look at the overall CTR of the account, if a campaign is below average, it is worth taking a closer look and analyzing it in depth. Then go to the ad groups, from there to the ads, from there to the keywords, etc. Note, however, that the click rates for campaigns cannot always be equally good everywhere. In most cases, brand-driven campaigns have a higher and better click-through rate than non-brand-driven campaigns. I also always like to compare different time periods. You can use the Google Ads function "Compare time period" for this or manually as you like

Suggestions for Enhancement: 1. Actionable Insights: After identifying areas with low CTR, provide specific strategies for improvement, such as optimizing headlines, improving ad copy, or enhancing visuals. 2. A/B Testing: Mention the importance of A/B testing different elements (e.g., headlines, CTAs) to see what resonates best with the audience. 3. User Experience: Consider the role of user experience, such as page load speed and mobile optimization, in influencing CTR.

You should be able to see how each Keyword performs in your Google Ad Dashboards. Generally, something that's below 3-4% CTR is a Red alert, and I look at my ads to see if there is something I can improve for those particular keywords. If I realise the intention of the keyword is something that is too far off from my brand / product, I usually throw that keyword away.

For keywords, there are top-funnel and bottom-funnel search terms. Top-funnel is e.g. shoes online, bottom-funnel is sports shoes white size 38. In the latter case, the user is already close to buying because they already know exactly what they want. These latter users are easier to persuade to make a purchase than the top-funnel users. The top-funnel users are generally more expensive because they usually need several searches or clicks before they know what they actually want to buy. If you have a low budget, it is worth doing intensive research for bottom-funnel keywords. However, these should not be too long-tail, otherwise they will not generate any search volume. I also like to work with phrase and exact keywords

Suggestions for Enhancement: - Keyword Research: Regularly perform keyword research using tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to find new high-performing keywords and trends. - Competitive Analysis: Analyze competitors' keywords to identify gaps and opportunities that you can leverage to improve your CTR. - Performance Monitoring: Continuously monitor the performance of your keywords and adjust bids or pause underperforming keywords to optimize your budget for better-performing ones. - Dynamic Keyword Insertion (DKI): Implement DKI in your ads to automatically update your ad text with the searcher's query, making your ads more relevant and increasing the likelihood of clicks.

According to the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen et al.), behavioral intention (e.g., ad click or subsequent website action) is created by one’s personals attitude towards the behavior, the subjective norm and the perceived behavioral control.  To make your RSAs resonate better with your target audience I would recommend to: explicitly communicate USPs or solutions to a problem. include social proof. strategically incorporate keywords into your RSA headlines and descriptions to enhance ad relevance.

Use all the space you have in your ads. For RSAs, for example, use all 15 titles and 4 descriptions. If possible, use the booked keywords in the ads to create a high relevance. Ideally, the customer enters the search term in Google, you are displayed and the customer finds their search term in your ad! This can be achieved manually, but also with the keyword insertion, simply enter the curly bracket in the text {Keyword: XXX}

- Clear and Concise: Ensure your message is easily understood. - Benefit-Oriented: Highlight the benefits of your product or service. - Strong CTA: Use action-oriented calls-to-action. - Emotional Triggers: Evoke curiosity, excitement, or urgency. - Address Pain Points: Show how you solve common issues. - A/B Testing: Test different headlines, CTAs, and messages. Naturally include relevant keywords. Tailor your copy to your audience’s needs. Use testimonials or ratings to build trust.

Sometimes your ads just call out to the wrong people. Especially for Search Ads, when you're playing with Responsive Ads, you have no idea what kind of combinations Google are going to show people. Because you have no control, what shows might come up as completely weird or contradictory. So, I also look up the "top performing combinations" frequently. In addition, I usually A/B test my ads once a month with a different marketing angle.

It is worth testing 2 ads in the same ad group. These can have completely different addresses for the same target group. Or test the pinning of headlines and descriptions. Ad effectiveness is usually worse, but has no influence on performance. However, it can often be seen that the CTR or CVR increases because you now determine what Google should display in any case.

Guessing what works instead of making informed, data-backed decisions means you are flying blind. To effectively test and refine your ads for better CTR, follow these best practices: A/B testing: Compare different versions of headlines, descriptions, or keywords to see what resonates best. Multivariate testing: Test multiple elements simultaneously to identify the most effective combinations. Responsive Search Ads: Leverage this feature to automatically generate ad variations and find the top performers. Ad extensions: Experiment with sitelinks, callouts, and other extensions to enhance visibility and engagement. Monitor performance: Regularly review metrics and optimise based on data-driven insights.

The ad and its content should always match the landing page. Ideally, you have booked your keyword, it is also in your ad and appears on the landing page. This increases your quality score, which in turn has an influence on the CPC. This relationship cannot always be established for every keyword, but that is okay (e.g. for competitor keywords). Focus on your most important keywords.

Aligning your ads with your landing pages is essential, but to truly stand out, you need to go beyond the basics of matching copy and design. Creating a seamless journey from click to conversion can significantly boost not only your CTR but your overall ad performance. Here are a few lesser-known best practices: 1 - Dynamic content matching: Use personalized landing pages that change based on user behavior, location, or search intent. 2 - Consistency in tone: Ensure the tone and language of your landing page mirrors that of your ad for a cohesive brand experience. 3 - Above-the-fold engagement: Place key elements—like CTA buttons and essential info—above the fold to grab immediate attention.

Ignore click-through rates. Track things like ROAS (return on ad spend). The campaign with the lowest click-through rates can also be your most one (albeit, rare). CTR is a signal, at best. But it's better to use more bottom-line KPIs.