Do not overlook the importance of the Display URLs in PPC ads
When creating a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ad, it is easy to overlook the importance of the display URL. Search engine marketers have only a limited number of lines of text to work with and should take maximum advantage of each of them. The study demonstrated that the display URL in PPC ads captures a significant portion of the gaze time allocated to the ads. The results of the other two tests showed that display URLs can have a meaningful impact upon click-thru rates.To gain a better understanding of viewer interaction with display URLs, User Centric Inc. conducted a study measuring the length of time; users spend looking at display URLs on Google search engine results pages. Thirty individuals participated in the research, each performing 12 searches using Google Search.
The results of the study confirmed that the display URL is an important component of a PPC ad, the display URL captured a significant portion of the time people spent looking at each PPC ads. For PPC ads served above the organic listings on the left side of search engine results pages (SERPs), the display URL gained over three times more gaze time (0.53 sec) than the text description (0.15 sec). The display URL in PPC ads on the page above the organic results received the same amount of gaze time as the headline, 0.65 sec.
The general location of a PPC ad on the page had a significant impact on the gaze activity the URL received. The display URLs of the top three ads on the left attracted more attention than the URLs of the top three ads on the right. Display URLs presented on the left received almost three times as much attention (0.53 sec per URL) as URLs on the right side of the page (0.19 sec per URL). The length of time spent looking at a URL also varied by the specific position of the ads. The URL located within the first ad was looked at the longest while the URL within the third ad was looked at the shortest. This was true for ads on both the left and right sides of the page.
Within ads on the left, display URLs received more attention (0.53 sec) than the ad text descriptions (0.15 sec). But, less than the ad headlines (0.70 sec). This is not surprising, because in those PPC ads the display URL is located to the left of the text, directly below the headline, which makes it more prominent than the description text but less prominent than the headline. URLs within ads on the right received less attention (0.19 sec) than both the headlines (0.27 sec) and ad text descriptions (0.30 sec). The display URLs for ads on the right are the least salient ad elements, as they are presented at the bottom of the PPC ad, below the text description.
Adding Descriptive Keywords to Display URLs may reduce Click-Thru’s:
The display URL can be altered in attempts to improve results. The most common manner in which this is done is by adding descriptive keywords to the end of the domain name. Adding keywords in front of the domain name fails in the majority of cases, particularly for domains that have significant name recognition and brand equity. Adding keywords at the end of the domain name increases click-thru rates often enough that it is worthwhile to test.
The ad featuring only the domain name produced the best results. Adding the keyword at the end of the domain resulted in about a 5% decrease in click-thru rate. Adding keywords in front of the domain name decreased clicks by over 25%. The drawback of adding descriptive keywords to a display URL is that this form of keyword stuffing may reduce the branding value of a PPC ad by cluttering up the display of the domain name.
Domain Name in Display URL has a major impact on Click-Thru Rate:
The value of an identifiable domain name in a display URL was highlighted by a test conducted for iNest Realty. Their parent company, RealEstate.com, is a much more recognizable domain name. The test was conducted to determine the impact of using the stronger brand name in the display URL of PPC ads. Utilizing RealEstate.com in the display URL resulted in a 20% greater click-thru rate for the PPC ad. The ad’s conversion rate was abysmal. In order to comply with Google guidelines on display URLs, a landing page had to be created for this ad on the Real Estate.com server. The page was co-branded for both iNest and RealEstate.com. Visitors did not like the experience of clicking on an ad with one display URL and then seeing information about a different brand. Thus, iNest was paying for a 20% increase in clicks, while generating fewer conversions.
Good info…KEEP POSTING
That was a valuable piece of information. Thanks for sharing
A very informative article. This data will help me while managing my ppc ads. Thanks and greetings!
Great post, fantastic one, keep the good work