TL;DR: A good landing page experience is the cornerstone of successful SEM and SEA campaigns. Whether you aim to boost conversions, lower ad costs, or improve user engagement, you should focus on content relevancy, loading speed, and ease of navigation to make the most out of the incoming traffic.
High-performance landing pages have two things in common:
- They are focused on one specific user need
- They have one goal (email sign-up/ resource downloads/ free demo booking, etc.)
If you’ve done your research, pinpointing what your users lack and developing an offering of great value to them sounds simple enough.
So, why is it that the average conversion rate across industries is only 3.3%?
In this article, we review the makings of a good landing page experience and list the strategies the top 500 websites employ to win conversions efficiently—both organically and paid.
Understanding landing page experience
Your landing page experience refers to how users interact with and perceive your page after clicking an ad or link. A good experience aligns with user intent, loads quickly, and provides a seamless path to conversion.
According to Google:
“Effective landing pages are key to getting conversions from your traffic. One of the best and easiest ways to get better results from your ads is to improve the speed of your landing pages.”
While many landing pages can benefit from page speed optimization, understanding how users experience your landing pages requires more depth.
What is a good landing page experience?
Based on Google’s Quality Score in paid search, a good landing page experience is represented by several factors:
- How useful and relevant is the content provided on the page
- How easy is it for the users to navigate the landing page
- How many links are there on the page
- What expectations do users have based on the clicked link or ad creative.
Conversely, a bad landing page experience can harm your marketing efforts well beyond just conversion rates:
- Decreased SEO Rankings: Poor user experience, slow loading speeds, and high bounce rates reduce dwell time, signaling to search engines that your page isn’t meeting user expectations. This can lower your rankings, reducing organic visibility and traffic over time.
- More Expensive SEA Campaigns: Google Ads assigns a Landing Page Experience Quality Score, which directly influences your ad costs. A low score due to irrelevant content, slow performance, or poor mobile usability leads to higher cost-per-click (CPC), diminishing the ROI of your paid campaigns.
How to measure landing page performance
To accurately measure the effectiveness of a landing page, you need to monitor a comprehensive set of metrics that reflect user behavior, engagement, and technical performance.
Here are the metrics to monitor on your landing page:
1. Content relevancy and SEO
This is more of a self-tracking metric where you ensure the content on your landing page meets the intent of the keyword (informational, transactional, or navigational).
Best Practice: Match the headline, content, and CTAs with the search intent of the target audience. For example, NitroPack users search for “nitropack black friday” or “nitropack deals,” signaling they’re interested in purchasing a plan.
- Keyword Usage and Density
Used to measure the number of times your target keyword appears on the page relative to the total word count. Aim for a keyword density of 1-2% to avoid keyword stuffing while maintaining relevance.
Best Practice: Place the primary keyword in the H1 tag, meta description, title tag, and the first 100 words of the content. Use natural variations and synonyms to enhance context (LSI keywords).
- Internal and External Links
Gauges the number of links on your landing page and their placement in the content. Being strategic about the link placement helps users navigate your page and engage with it further.
Best Practice:
Internal: Include 2-5 links to relevant pages to support SEO and user navigation.
External: Link to 1-3 high-authority sources to establish credibility.
Tip: Don’t forget to apply a Schema Markup and implement schema types like FAQ, Breadcrumb, or Review schema to enhance visibility in SERPs. Also, ensure there are no issues like noindex tags or blocked resources in Google Search Console for uninterrupted indexability.
2. User engagement
This metric helps you see the percentage of users who leave your page after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate often indicates that the page content isn’t meeting user expectations or lacks engaging elements to encourage further navigation.
Best Practice: Aim for a good bounce rate below 40% (depending on the industry) and up to 55% for an average bounce rate. Anything above 70% indicates irrelevance or poor UX.
The average duration a visitor stays on the landing page. This metric focuses on how much time users actively spend on your page, which can indicate engagement levels.
Good: Over 1.5 minutes for most pages
Poor: Less than 30 seconds (signals a lack of engagement)
Important: Exclude pages that represent the exit point in a funnel, as these are expected to have significantly less engagement.
The percentage of visitors who complete the desired action, such as filling out a form, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase. This is the ultimate indicator of landing page effectiveness.
Good: 2-5% for ecommerce or 10-20% for well-optimized lead generation pages
Poor: Below 1% (signals UX or messaging issues)
Tracks how far users scroll down the landing page. This metric shows whether users engage with content below the fold and can help identify where users lose interest.
Good: 75% or more of the page for long-form content
Poor: Below 50% (suggests users are losing interest early)
The percentage of users who click on links, buttons, or CTAs. A high CTR indicates that your CTAs are compelling and well-placed.
Good: 3-5% for SEM campaigns, 10-20% for organic pages
Poor: Below 2% (signals weak CTAs or irrelevant content)
3. Performance
Google’s key metrics to measure how well your landing page is behaving when users interact with it:
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): The time it takes for the main content above the fold to load.
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP): The time it takes for the page to respond to user interactions (e.g., clicks, taps, or keyboard inputs) and display the next frame
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures layout stability to ensure elements don’t shift unexpectedly.
To avoid a “Failed" Core Web Vitals score, aim for under 2.5 seconds LCP, under 200 milliseconds INP, and less than 0.1 CLS.
Of course, there are a lot of other site performance metrics you can track to get an even fuller picture of your landing page experience.
How to check your landing page experience
Evaluating your landing page experience involves using a combination of tools and manual assessments to ensure your page performs well across user experience, technical performance, and relevance.
Here are step-by-step instructions:
1. Check Indexability with Google Search Console
None of your optimization efforts will work if your landing page is not discoverable by Google. Log in to Google Search Console and go to the URL Inspection Tool in the left-hand menu. Enter your landing page URL and review the results:
Indexed: If the page is indexed, you’re good to go.
Not Indexed: Check for reasons such as “noindex” meta tags, crawl errors, or exclusions in your robots.txt file, and then request a Reindex in the console.
2. Check Site Speed and Performance with Google PageSpeed Insights
Google PSI analyzes your page’s performance and provides page load time and Core Web Vitals scores, along with diagnostics and tips on how to avoid various issues.
Simply visit the tool, enter your landing page URL, and click “Analyze.” If this is your first time using this report, we suggest you go over our Google PageSpeed Insights guide to make the most out of your results.
3. Check Google Ads Quality Score with Google Ads
This assesses the relevance, speed, and overall experience of your landing page for paid campaigns.
Start by opening your Google Ads account and navigate to the Keywords tab. Review the Quality Score column (hover over the score for details) and focus on the Landing Page Experience component.
4. Check User Behavior with Heatmaps and Session Recordings
Tracks user behavior, including where users click, how far they scroll, and where they drop off by using tools like Hotjar and Crazy Egg.
Attributes of a good landing page experience (Checklist)
The requirements for a good landing page experience are compelling content, fast loading speed, great UX and Core Web Vitals, mobile-friendliness, high content relevancy, ease of navigation, and safe browsing.
Similar to a good page experience, Google aims to send users to landing pages that are the best possible destination for their search query.
Use the checklist below to build a good landing page experience:
☐ Fast loading speed (under 2.75 seconds)
☐ Great user experience (passed Core Web Vitals assessment on desktop and mobile)
☐ Safe browsing (SSL certificate and HTTPS encryption)
☐ High content relevancy (> 1.5 minutes average time on page, over 50% scroll depth,
<50% bounce rate)
☐ Clear messaging and CTAs (3-5% CTR)
☐ Ease of navigation (> 1 page visited per session)
☐ No intrusive interstitials (no rage clicks in session recordings; ads, banners, and pop-ups don’t block the main content)
Why Is My Landing Page Experience Below Average in Google Ads?
A low landing page experience score usually stems from issues like:
- Irrelevant Content: The page doesn’t match the user’s intent or ad copy.
- Slow Loading Speed: Pages that take longer than 3 seconds frustrate users.
- Poor Mobile Usability: Buttons are too small, and layouts are too cluttered for mobile users.
- Distracting Elements: Intrusive interstitials or excessive pop-ups.
- Weak Transparency: Lack of trust signals like SSL certificates or clear business information.
7 ways to optimize your landing page for conversions
Whether you’re trying to improve SEO rankings or SEA performance, the techniques below will help you create a landing page that delivers a seamless user experience and effectively converts visitors into leads or customers.
1. Improve Landing Page Speed
After analyzing 245,433 unique site visits across three ecommerce websites, we found that visitors lose patience and disproportionally start to abandon a web page at 2.75s of the page load.
A fast-loading page keeps users engaged, reduces bounce rates, and improves your SEO and Quality Score in Google Ads.
To improve page load times, consider the following:
Pro Tip: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to identify speed issues and actionable fixes.
2. Focus on Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals are standardized metrics created by Google to evaluate how real users interact with your website. Passing these three metrics—Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Interaction to Next Paint (INP), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)—means you're offering a great user experience.
To optimize your Core Web Vitals, follow the techniques below and explore our guides next:
A page that meets Google’s thresholds for Core Web Vitals is more likely to rank higher, cost less in Google Ads, and keep users engaged until they convert.
3. Optimize for the Right Keywords
Aligning your landing page with the right keywords ensures it matches user intent, driving more relevant traffic and improving conversions. The right keywords can also lower your cost-per-click in Google Ads by increasing your Landing Page Experience Quality Score.
Best Practices for Keyword Optimization:
- Place your primary keyword in the title tag, H1 heading, and meta description.
- Use related terms (LSI keywords) naturally throughout the page to enhance context.
- Avoid keyword stuffing, which can harm both SEO and readability.
Example: For the keyword “affordable running shoes,” a landing page headline like “Shop Affordable Running Shoes with Free Shipping” directly addresses user intent.
4. Adapt for Mobile Devices
With more than half of web traffic coming from mobile devices, a mobile-friendly landing page is essential for conversions. A page that isn’t optimized for mobile can alienate users and hurt your SEO rankings due to Google’s mobile-first indexing.
How to Make Your Page Mobile-Friendly:
- Use a responsive design to ensure your page looks great on any screen size.
- Ensure buttons and CTAs are large enough to tap (minimum 48x48 pixels) and spaced adequately.
- Minimize large pop-ups that can block content on mobile screens.
5. Simplify the Design
A cluttered landing page overwhelms visitors and distracts them from taking the desired action. Simplifying the design helps users focus on the content and CTAs that matter.
Tips for Simplification:
- Use whitespace strategically to emphasize important elements like headlines and CTAs.
- Limit the number of images and avoid animations that can slow the page.
- Maintain a clear visual hierarchy with large, bold headings and concise paragraphs.
Pro Tip: Run A/B tests to determine which design elements lead to higher engagement and conversions.
6. Include the Right Links
The links on your landing page should serve to guide users and build credibility without distracting them from the primary goal.
How to Use Links Effectively:
- Include internal links to supporting resources, such as FAQs or pricing pages.
- Add external links to authoritative sources when providing supporting information but ensure these open in a new tab to keep users on your page.
- Avoid excessive linking, which can dilute focus and harm the user journey.
Example: A landing page for an online course might include an internal link to a curriculum overview and an external link to an industry report supporting the course’s value.
7. Improve Your CTAs
Your call-to-action (CTA) is the most important element of your landing page—it’s where conversions happen. A poorly designed or unclear CTA can leave users confused or uninterested.
How to Create Effective CTAs:
- Make It Actionable: Use clear, action-oriented phrases like “Start Free Trial” or “Get Discount.”
- Design for Impact: Use contrasting colors and bold fonts to make the CTA button stand out.
- Position Strategically: Place the main CTA above the fold and repeat it in key sections throughout the page.
Example: Instead of a generic “Submit” button, use “Get Free Guide Now” to clearly state the benefits users will receive.
FAQs
Should I Optimize for Landing Page Views in My PPC Campaigns?
No, optimizing for landing page views alone isn’t sufficient in PPC campaigns. While views can indicate interest, they don’t necessarily translate into meaningful actions like conversions or sales. Instead, focus on metrics that matter, such as click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates, and cost per conversion.
What Is Landing Page Experience Quality Score?
Landing page experience quality score is a component of Google Ads’ Quality Score that evaluates how relevant, useful, and user-friendly your landing page is for people who click on your ads. A good score reduces your cost-per-click (CPC) and improves ad rank.
Factors Affecting the Score:
- Relevance: Does the page align with the ad and targeted keywords?
- Loading Speed: Does the page load quickly?
- User Experience: Is the page easy to navigate and mobile-friendly?
- Transparency: Is the content clear and trustworthy?
Pro Tip: Aim for a quality score of 7 or above to ensure better ad performance.
How to Fix Landing Page Experience Below Average in Google Ads?
To fix a below-average landing page experience in Google Ads, focus on improving page speed by compressing images, minifying resources, and using a CDN. Optimize Core Web Vitals, including LCP, INP, and CLS, to enhance user experience. Ensure the page content aligns with your ad copy and user intent with clear and compelling CTAs. Adapt the page for mobile devices with responsive design and intuitive navigation, simplify the layout to reduce distractions, and incorporate trust signals like testimonials and SSL. These techniques will improve relevance, usability, and performance, leading to a better score.
