How do I improve my ad campaign performance?

Find out why you should improve click-through rate (CTR), ad position, average cost per click (CPC), and conversion rate and how to do it.

You've gained valuable insights from tracking click-through rate (CTR), average ad position, cost per click (CPC), conversions, and conversion rate from the Campaigns page tabs or performance reports. Here are some ways to use that information to improve the freshness, relevance, and performance of your campaign.

Note

It can take up to a couple of weeks for results from your changes to start showing up. So it's a good idea to regularly run performance reports every two to four weeks.

Improve your click-through rate (CTR).

Why: A higher CTR means your ads are being clicked more.

How:

  • Improve your ad copy by addressing your customers directly (use "you" and "your") and being specific (use "50% off" instead of "big discounts"). Here are some other suggestions for writing effective ad content.
  • Organize highly related keywords and ads into their own ad groups.
  • Use the keyword planner to build effective keyword lists.
  • Boost your average ad position.
Improve the average position of your ads on webpages.

Why: Ads in positions 1 through 8 of page 1 are most likely to be seen by potential customers.

How:

Make sure your average cost per click (CPC) is in the range you expect based on your conversion rate, ad position, and your desired ROI.

Why: Average CPC can help you determine if you're getting a good return on investment based on the number of clicks you're getting and paying for.

How:

  • Examine average ad position and adjust bids to achieve the correct balance between CPC and ad position.
  • Bid across all match types within the same ad group, rather than just one or two match types. This can help lower CPC, and can also increase the click-through rate and conversions.
  • Use targeting appropriately, especially targeting by location, to help reduce clicks from people who aren't likely customers.
Boost your conversions and conversion rate.

Why: Conversions are the actions you want customers to complete after viewing your ad; the more you get, the more successful your campaign. Conversion rates consistently below the 2% to 3% range can mean fewer conversions and a lower ROI.

How:

  • Turn on conversion tracking.
  • Make your website's landing page more relevant, interesting, well-organized, easy to use, and fast-loading. Once customers are on your website, make sure it's easy to navigate and that the content is easy to read. Tell your story and let your customers tell theirs with testimonials.

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