5 easy ways to increase your AdWords CTR (Click Through Rate)

Use the ad group’s main keyword within the ad. Doing so will increase the chances of someone clicking on it, seeing as it is relevant to what they were searching for. If you don’t include the keywords you are bidding on in your ad copy, you may end up paying more than you should. There is a skill in using the target keywords while not being repetitious. The ad copy must be compelling and relevant. Get all this right, and you will increase CTR, improve keyword quality scores and reduce advertising costs.

Sitelink extensions allow for a maximum of four landing pages in your ad. You can create more, but Google will choose which ones to display. By using sitelink extensions you’ll enlarge the size of your ad, drawing attention away from the other ads in the paid search results while encouraging the searcher to focus on your ad. Sitelink extensions also allow you to promote other services, while having more links to your website. Google says that using a sitelink ad extension can boost CTR by up to 20%.

Note there are other ad extensions to choose from, including call extensions (use if you take telephone calls), location extensions (ideal if you have a physical store, shop or office), and review extensions. Using these ad extensions will make your ads appear more relevant, thereby increasing CTR.

Your CTR will be negatively affected if you bid too low on your keywords. You must monitor your bid prices and readjust accordingly to ensure your bids place you high enough on page one of Google. A strong position on the page will naturally improve CTR and conversion rates.

Create ad copy variations with different messages for the headlines and description. Then test to see which ad receives more clicks. Run an ad for a while, and make changes in line with the ad’s performance. All the ads can compete against each other, and from there you can build on your insights and ideas to create high-performing ads. Always be as proactive as possible with testing your ads.

These are the keywords that are irrelevant to your campaign. By compiling a list of negative keywords, you are telling Google which phrases your ads should not be shown for. In effect, you are influencing who will see your ads. For example, if you only sell new furniture, you won’t want your ad to appear in front of someone searching for ‘antique furniture’, so ‘antique’ might be a negative keyword in your campaign.

Negative keywords help increase your CTR as they make your campaign more targeted. Your ad campaign will be focused on relevant keywords which are more likely to convert. If you do this you should achieve higher quality stores, increase your CTR, and reduce campaign costs.