Landing pages are the most important element of a digital marketing strategy. Effective landing pages help to convert more prospects leading to more profits.
However, most businesses often make the mistake of running PPC campaigns before perfecting their landing pages.
Creating user-friendly and high-converting landing pages are necessary to decrease cost per conversion and increase the overall campaign conversion rate.
This landing page checklist is an excellent resource to create powerful landing pages for both SEO and PPC campaigns.
What is a Landing Page?
A landing page is a web page to attract prospects towards a business’s products or services. Creating SEO-friendly landing pages are essential to rank them higher in the search results. The primary goal of a landing page is to attract and convert online traffic to increase profits.
5 Major Landing Page Elements
The five major elements of a landing page are:
- Compelling Headline: A clear and attention-grabbing headline that conveys the page’s purpose and benefits.
- Engaging Content: Informative and persuasive content that provides value to the visitor, addresses their pain points, and explains the benefits of taking the desired action.
- Eye-Catching Visuals: Relevant images or videos that support the content and engage the visitor. Visuals can help break up text and make the page more visually appealing.
- Call-to-Action (CTA): A prominent and action-oriented CTA button helps visitors to take an action after they land on the page.
- Trust Signals: Trust signals help reduce visitor anxiety and increase conversion rates. Customer testimonials, trust badges, privacy assurances, and clear contact information build trust.
Importance of an SEO-Friendly Landing Page
Here are several key reasons highlighting the importance of having an SEO-friendly landing page:
- Improved Search Engine Visibility: SEO-friendly landing pages are optimized for specific keywords or phrases relevant to your business or campaign. When these pages rank well in search results, they become more visible to potential customers actively searching for related information or products.
- Increased Organic Traffic: Ranking higher in search results means more organic traffic to your website. An SEO-friendly landing page can bring in a steady stream of visitors without the ongoing costs associated with paid advertising.
- Credibility and Trust: Pages that appear in the top positions of search results are often perceived as more credible and trustworthy by users. Having an SEO-friendly landing page can enhance your brand’s reputation and authority in your industry.
- Targeted Traffic: SEO allows you to target specific keywords or search queries. By creating landing pages optimized for these keywords, you can attract highly targeted traffic that is more likely to convert into leads or customers.
- Better User Experience: Part of SEO optimization involves improving the user experience on your landing page. This includes optimizing page load times, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and organizing content in a user-friendly manner. A better user experience can lead to higher conversion rates.
- Long-Term Results: While PPC campaigns can deliver immediate results, they rely on ongoing ad spend. SEO-friendly landing pages, once optimized, can provide long-term benefits and continue to rank well over time, reducing the need for constant investment.
- Competitive Advantage: In competitive industries, having well-optimized landing pages can give you an edge over competitors who may not be investing in SEO. Ranking higher in search results can help you capture market share and attract potential customers away from competitors.
Also See: 7 Tips To Improve Your Site’s Conversion Rate
Why High-Converting Landing Pages Are Crucial For PPC Marketers?
High-converting landing pages are crucial for PPC (Pay-Per-Click) marketers for several compelling reasons:
- Optimized ROI: PPC campaigns involve paying for each click, so it’s essential to maximize the return on investment (ROI). High-converting landing pages ensure that you get the most value out of every click by increasing the likelihood of converting those clicks into leads or sales.
- Lower Cost-Per-Click (CPC): Search engines and advertising platforms like Google Ads use quality scores to determine ad rankings and CPC. A well-optimized landing page that aligns with the ad’s message and provides a positive user experience can lead to a higher quality score. This, in turn, can result in lower CPC, reducing your advertising costs.
- Improved Ad Relevance: High-converting landing pages are closely aligned with the ad copy and keywords used in your PPC campaign. When visitors click on your ad and land on a page that directly addresses their needs and expectations, it enhances ad relevance. This not only improves the user experience but can also lead to higher ad positions and better click-through rates (CTR).
- Higher Conversion Rates: The primary goal of any PPC campaign is to drive conversions, whether it’s making a purchase, filling out a form, or another desired action. High-converting landing pages are designed with a focus on conversion optimization, including clear and compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) and persuasive content. This results in higher conversion rates and a better overall campaign performance.
- Enhanced Ad Testing: PPC marketers often run A/B tests and split tests to optimize ad performance. Having high-converting landing pages in place allows you to test different ad variations more effectively. You can experiment with different ad copy, headlines, and images while keeping the landing page consistent, making it easier to isolate and analyze the impact of ad changes on conversion rates.
Also See: Top User-Generated Content Examples For Your Inspiration
Complete 20 Point Landing Page Checklist
The below elements enhance the effectiveness of your landing page and prepare it for more conversions:
1- Clear and Compelling Headline
- Why is it important? The headline immediately grabs user attention and search engines also prioritize it in its ranking algorithm.
- How to do it? Craft a concise, attention-grabbing headline that summarizes the key benefit or solution you’re offering.
- Example: The below headline from OpenShot video editor, effectively summarizes the advantage of using the tool. Users can create stunning videos by using the editor, this is all the prospects visiting the landing page want, isn’t it?
2- Subheadline
- Why is it important? The subheadline supports the headline by providing additional context and details about the offer.
- How to do it?: Use the subheadline to elaborate on the headline and provide more information about the value proposition.
- Example: Newton School does the right thing by helping students provide more information on what they can become after completing a course in data science. A subheading like this provides more weight to the main headline and pulls the prospect towards the conversion.
3- Clear and Relevant CTA (Call-to-Action)
- Why is it important? The CTA button should be located in a place where it can easily be seen so that more prospects are able to click on it.
- How to do it? Design a large CTA button and make it responsive. Use text that matches the intent of the user.
- Example: Bamboo HR displays the CTA prominently on its home page to convince the visitors to schedule a free demo.
4- Minimal Distractions
- Why is it important? With minimal distractions, audiences can focus on the main content and the CTA leading to more conversions.
- How to do it? Keep your landing page clean and use white spaces abundantly. Remove unnecessary links, menus, and elements that might lead visitors away from the CTA.
5- Engaging Visuals
- Why is it important? Users are able to retain 65% of visual information, even after three days, compared to text information.
- How to do it? Use high-quality images, videos, or graphics that are relevant to your offer. Include product images, infographics, or a video demonstrating your service. Also, use a hero image next to the CTA to convince users to take an action.
- Example: Udemy uses an excellent hero image to draw more visitors towards the CTA.
6- Persuasive Content
- Why is it important? The content should convince visitors of the value and benefits of your offer.
- How to do it? Create high-quality, original, and intent-friendly content that discusses the pain points of your target audience and the solutions.
- Example: Private Circle uses persuasive content to convince visitors towards the action-oriented CTA.
7- Concise Copy
- Why is it important? Long paragraphs can overwhelm visitors. Concise copy is easier to digest.
- How to do it? Use easy to read paragraphs, add bullets, and divide your text using headings and subheadings to improve readability.
- Example: Leads Gorilla uses easy to read bullets to discuss the advantages of their software.
8- Trust Signals
- Why is it important? Trust signals build credibility and trust with visitors, increasing the likelihood of conversion.
- How to do it? Include elements like customer testimonials, trust badges, industry awards, or recognizable client logos. Display customer reviews with names and photos to showcase real user experiences.
- Example: Freshsales prominently displays trust badges to increase the confidence of the prospects in their software.
9. Social Proof
- Why is it important? Social proof demonstrates that others have benefited from your product or service.
- How to do it? Share statistics, user counts, success stories, or case studies that highlight positive outcomes.
- Example: Painting software Krita prominently displays its software reviews on its landing page to showcase their value.
Also See: Best Growth Hacking Tools (Both Free & Paid)
10- Benefit-Oriented Language
- Why is it important? Focusing on benefits rather than just features helps visitors understand how your offer can improve their lives.
- How to do it?: Highlight how your product or service solves problems, saves time, or enhances experiences.
- Example: WebWork employee productivity software discusses the benefit of using their tool to help visitors understand how they can leverage their software to measure the productivity of employees.
11- Relevant Keywords
- Why is it important? Incorporating relevant keywords into your content helps improve SEO and ensures that your page ranks well for related search queries.
- How to do it?: Identify target keywords and use them naturally throughout your content.
- Example: U Health uses both primary and secondary keywords in its landing page to increase the relevance score for its seed keyword ‘bariatric surgery’.
12- Mobile Responsiveness
- Why is it important? 89% of the world population uses mobile phones and around 60% of the website traffic comes from mobile devices.
- How to do it?: Test your landing page on various devices to ensure it’s mobile-friendly. Use responsive design techniques to adapt page layout and content for smaller screens.
13- Fast Load Times
- Why is it important? Slow-loading pages can lead to high bounce rates. Fast load times are crucial for retaining visitors.
- How to do it? Optimize images, code, and server resources to ensure quick page loading. Compress large images and use content delivery networks (CDNs) to distribute content efficiently.
14- A/B Testing
- Why is it important? A/B testing is the best way to determine which elements on your page lead to more conversions.
- How to do it? Create variations of your landing page and test different headlines, CTAs, images, or layouts to optimize for conversions. Run an A/B test to compare two different CTA button colors to see which one generates more clicks.
15- Form Optimization
- Why is it important? If your landing page includes a form, optimizing it ensures a smooth user experience and encourages form submissions.
- How to do it? Simplify the form, ask for essential information only, and use clear labels and placeholders. Replace a lengthy form with just a name and email address field for newsletter sign-ups.
Also See: Top 10 Best SEO Management Tools Of 2023
16- Privacy Assurance
- Why is it important? Privacy concerns are common. Assure visitors that their data is secure and won’t be misused.
- How to do it? Include a brief privacy statement or link to your full privacy policy.
- Example: “We respect your privacy. Your information is safe with us. Read our Privacy Policy.”
17- Scarcity and Urgency
- Why is it important? Leveraging FOMO or fear of missing out creates a sense of urgency to persuade people to take immediate action.
- How to do it? Use phrases like “limited-time offer,” “only X left in stock,” or countdown timers for promotions.
- Example: “Hurry! Sale ends in 24 hours. Don’t miss out on this exclusive deal!”
18- Offer Clarity
- Why is it important? Visitors should quickly understand what you’re offering, whether it’s a product, service, or content.
- How to do it? Clearly describe your offer, including its features, benefits, and any special pricing.
- Example: “Our e-book provides expert marketing tips to boost your business. Instant download for only $19.99.”
19- Relevant Exit Pop-Ups
- Why is it important? Exit pop-ups can give visitors one last chance to engage before leaving.
- How to do it? Craft exit pop-ups that offer value, such as a discount or access to additional content.
- Example: Here is an exit pop-up from Zutano that persuades the users to submit their email address for a flat 15% discount.
20- Page Speed Optimization
- Why is it important? Page speed is a critical factor in user experience and SEO rankings. A faster-loading page improves user satisfaction, reduces bounce rates, and can lead to higher conversion rates. Search engines also prioritize faster sites in search results.
- How to do it? You can optimize the page speed by compressing images, reducing code, improving the Core Web Vitals scores, and upgrading your hosting to ensure quick page loading times.
Conclusion
A well-optimized landing page is the linchpin of successful digital marketing campaigns, whether you’re striving to attract organic traffic through SEO or maximize conversions in a PPC campaign.
The comprehensive 21-point landing page checklist I have explored here serves as a roadmap to excellence, guiding you through the intricacies of crafting a landing page that not only captures attention but also compels action.
