The importance of conversion rate optimization (CRO) cannot be overrated in the current PPC landscape. In fact, there may be no faster method to have a positive impact in a campaign, especially if you already have sound, proven targeting and A/B ad split testing in place.
Explain this to a client: If cost-per-lead equals cost-per-click divided by conversion rate, then to ignore CRO is to ignore substantial improvement potential.
Microsites and/or custom PPC Web pages offer a unique flexibility. While the exact setup for these pages may differ across agencies and by client, there are some distinct advantages that apply universally:
- Highly customizable content at the campaign or ad group level.
- No need to worry about screwing up your SEO game plan.
- Pages built specifically to generate leads often use a simple format that can be used as a template across multiple campaigns and ad groups, or even across multiple clients (obviously style and content will be unique).
- Don’t worry about cramming forms into every page of your site. Redesigning is a hassle.
- Eliminate distractions. Keep users on your landing page with limited or no navigation back to the main site, emphasizing conversion as the primary action.
In my experience (which is mostly business-to-business lead generation campaigns), custom microsites outperform the most applicable website pages 75 percent of the time, although starting with a test is always smart.