Is it old news that mobile traffic overtook desktop traffic back in way back in 2016 and hasn’t stopped growing since? It might be, but many advertisers still haven’t gotten the memo. They’re stuck in the past, prioritizing desktop optimization for their campaigns, ad groups, and landing pages, and treating mobile as an afterthought.
This approach just doesn’t cut it anymore. Mobile users behave very differently from desktop users, so a one-size-fits-all strategy is ineffective.
Just yesterday, nexus-security published fresh data on average mobile ad conversion rates. The findings highlight significant variations in conversion rates depending on the ad type. This means you can’t even generalize across all mobile ads – the format of your ad plays a crucial role.
Modern PPC marketers need to tailor their strategies for mobile users and streamline the conversion process on smaller screens. Here are five strategies to boost conversions on your mobile-targeted search ads, starting immediately.
1. Expand and Adapt Your Ad Extensions
Sitelink extensions are a staple in PPC advertising. They allow you to go beyond the usual character limits for ad copy and offer a variety of links instead of directing all traffic to a single landing page.
However, sitelinks are primarily designed for desktop users who can easily open multiple tabs without disrupting their browsing experience.
For mobile, there are more suitable extensions specifically designed for smaller screens and how people use their phones. Call extensions, for instance, provide a seamless way for users to contact your business directly from the ad. Another excellent option for mobile ads is message extensions:
Message extensions enable users to send a text message to your business for more information, eliminating the need to navigate your entire website.
But do they actually work? They significantly outperform traditional text ads and achieve a mobile search CTR almost on par with call extensions:
When setting up message extensions, you have several options for customization:
The “Text phone number” field requires your business number, which will be used to receive and respond to text messages from potential customers. The extension text is what users see in the ad itself and encourages them to click, like “message us.”
The message text is where things get interesting. This feature lets you personalize the user experience and tailor it to specific situations. It’s a pre-written message that automatically appears in the user’s messaging app when they click your ad.
For example, you can pre-populate the message with common inquiries, saving users the effort of typing. Message extensions give you ample flexibility to tailor your CTAs to match user intent based on keywords. Are you targeting a keyword that suggests purchase intent? Utilize message extensions to promote special offers.
Dealing with a less immediate research-focused query? Pre-fill the message app with key questions users typically have.
2. Rethink Your Forms and Landing Pages
Mobile browsing can be cumbersome. Limited screen space makes it difficult to navigate, fill out forms, and absorb lengthy content.
Clicking on a mobile ad often leads to the same landing pages optimized primarily for desktop users.
HubSpot was no stranger to this issue until recently when they made a significant change: they adopted a minimalistic approach approach, streamlining both their forms and content for mobile users on the move.
This resulted in a considerable boost in conversions and a significant drop in bounce rates.
When designing mobile ads and landing pages, always consider: What’s the most user-friendly way for mobile users to contact us or convert?
Provide multiple contact options: phone calls, text messages, live chat, and straightforward forms. Ready to take it a step further? Implement mobile-specific scheduling. For instance, activate your call extensions solely during business hours and mirror that practice on your mobile landing pages.
Take this example via Duda as an example: the mobile landing page on the left is visible only during business hours, guaranteeing that calls are answered promptly:
The one on the right takes over after hours. Genius, isn’t it?
3. Optimize for “Micro-Moments”
Recent years have witnessed remarkable shifts in consumer behavior.
Smartphones have become ubiquitous, with 47% of millennials checking their phones in bed immediately upon waking up. Similarly, 91% of people turn to their phones for information in the middle of other tasks, and a staggering 82% will research products and information while physically present in stores.
These instances are all prime examples of “micro-moments.”
But what exactly are micro-moments? Google defines them as:
“Micro-moments occur when people reflexively turn to a device—increasingly a smartphone—to act on a need to learn something, do something, discover something, watch something, or buy something.”
It’s crucial to understand that micro-moments are not limited to purchasing decisions. While someone searching for a product and buying it within a few clicks is a micro-moment, they also encompass research-driven actions and information gathering.
People are doing much more than just buying. In fact, the average customer journey to conversion takes 7-13 touches.
That translates to potentially 13 different search queries as customers seek information, educate themselves, and prepare for a purchase decision.
It’s tempting to disregard those initial 12 queries and focus solely on the final purchase-related search term in your PPC campaigns. However, with mobile consumers conducting extensive research, overlooking these micro-moments means missing out on building brand awareness before the buying decision.
If you were a customer, who would you be more likely to purchase from: a company that provided helpful information at every micro-moment, or one that suddenly appeared at the end promoting their product without any prior engagement?
In reality, users exposed to more of your ads are twice as likely to convert:
This highlights the significance of brand awareness campaigns. Micro-moments exist in every industry, from everyday items like toothbrushes to significant investments like houses.
(Image Source) Just in the past few years, mobile searches for product reviews have seen a sharp increase by 35%.
For your next campaign, prioritize keyword research that covers the entire customer journey, including all stages of intent. This approach ensures visibility during crucial micro-moments, not just for product-specific searches. For example, organize your ad groups based on different intent levels within a single campaign:
(Image Source) Determining what users are looking for should be straightforward, depending on your product or service. Are they looking for reviews? Offer mobile-friendly content in a simple table format comparing features, pricing, and user ratings. Are they searching for a product demo? Create a mobile-optimized video and make it easy for them to sign up for a live demo directly from their device.
Recently, while researching CRM software, I encountered some intriguing ad results. Before we delve into those, what comes to mind when you see the query “best crm”? What kind of results do you anticipate? Here are the search results I got:
As you can see, the top three ads are all from CRM software companies claiming to be the best. While that’s great and all, it’s not what I was looking for. These companies focused solely on the sale, completely bypassing a significant micro-moment in my customer journey. The fourth ad, however, hit the nail on the head. It led to a website dedicated to educating users about different CRM software options. Instead of a hard sell, they focused on providing valuable information for my research. I’m much more likely to revisit their site for further insights and potentially convert through an affiliate link. To put it simply: don’t limit yourself to purchase-oriented keywords. Identify the micro-moments your target audience experiences before making a decision and provide valuable content for every step of their mobile research journey.
4. Prioritize Speed, Speed, and More Speed
Mobile users crave instant gratification. Nothing is more frustrating than waiting an eternity (read: 20 seconds) for a webpage to load on mobile – and most people simply won’t. Google’s research shows that 53% of your traffic will abandon a website if it takes longer than three seconds to load.
That’s all you get: a mere three seconds. If your site loads slowly and users bounce, it translates to wasted ad spend and lost potential sales.
Moreover, 85% of users are “unlikely to forgive unsatisfactory mobile experiences.” On the flip side, 89% are more likely to recommend good experiences. Website speed is often overlooked, but it should be a top priority when optimizing mobile ad campaigns. And Google suggests that nearly every industry struggles with excessively slow mobile speeds websites:
Surprisingly, the technology sector fares the worst! Minimize page size by compressing images or removing those that don’t contribute value. Eliminate unnecessary elements like sliders and carousels that drag down loading times.
Simplify your content and design with user experience in mind. Website speed can make or break your mobile campaign.
5. Fine-Tune Your Call-Only Campaigns
What’s your go-to strategy for maximizing mobile campaign conversions? Do you increase your bids tenfold? Do you double your daily budget? If that’s your approach, you might be missing out on a more cost-effective way to capture conversions.
Call-only campaigns can be dramatically improved with a smarter bidding strategy.
One effective method to kickstart your campaigns is aggressive bidding. This approach helps you secure top ad positions quickly, generating leads and sales while allowing time to optimize your quality score. A great starting point for gathering bidding insights is the AdWords keyword tool. With recent updates, two metrics deserve special attention:
- Top of page bid (low range): the minimum amount required to appear at the top of the first page.
- Top of page bid (high range): the maximum amount needed to secure a spot within the top two positions on the first page.
These metrics will fluctuate based on factors like campaign location targeting. For your call-only campaigns, start with bids higher than usual to prominently display your phone number to potential customers.
Since it’s a call-only campaign, you don’t need to put in as much effort to optimize a landing page for quality score. Begin with bids at least equivalent to the top of page bid (high range). After a few days, analyze your costs and conversions and adjust accordingly.
Starting with higher bids enables you to capture top positions. Once you’ve established a strong CTR and conversion rate, you can gradually lower your bids while maintaining those positions, thanks to improved quality scores. However, bidding is just the first step towards optimizing your call-only campaigns.
Whether your goal is to drive traffic back to your website with a call button CTA or generate phone calls directly from your ads, effective call tracking is crucial. If you’ve ever worked with AdWords call reporting before, you’re probably familiar with its limitations:
Yes, Google, we all appreciate incredibly vague insights! While call duration can offer some indication of call quality and success, these metrics don’t tell the whole story. They don’t reveal who ultimately converted or provide details about the interaction. Area codes are practically useless because they lack the context to connect with actual customers in your pipeline, especially if your business relies on local sales. The truly valuable information lies in details like:
- The specific keywords that triggered the call
- The caller’s browsing history
- The caller’s precise location
- Whether the call resulted in a conversion
Unfortunately, relying solely on AdWords’ default reporting means missing out on these valuable insights.
Third-party call tracking software is readily available and essential for acquiring detailed data on the effectiveness of your phone calls. A reliable call tracking tool allows you to monitor specific data points for each caller, including location, referral sources, website session history, and much more.
Session tracking also opens up opportunities for targeted remarketing campaigns, enabling you to guide users beyond micro-moments towards making a purchase decision.
Armed with knowledge about their interests, you can tailor new campaigns based on their URL visits, deciphering their intent based on the pages they explored. If there’s one overarching theme connecting all these tips, it’s intent. The more effectively you optimize for the specific needs and behaviors of mobile users, the higher the conversions you’ll achieve from this crucial and ever-expanding segment of your website traffic.