5 Simple Ways to Increase Click Through Rates
No matter what type of ad campaign you are running, click through rates are an important step in measuring the success of a campaign. Having a high click through rate on ad platforms such as Facebook and Google Adwords will not only lower your costs per click, but can also increase your ad volume. Increasing your click through rates for links on your web site or blog is also important, as it usually will lead to more revenue.
I wrote up a few tips for increasing the click performance of ad campaigns. These are not focused on any one specific marketing method, but written to make your think twice about your campaigns and how you can improve them.
Tempting Your Readers
Instead of telling your viewer what a product, or service is… instead grab their attention and get them wanting to know more. When you see an awesome movie trailer, aren’t you just dieing to see the full movie? You can do the same thing with your advertising.
TEMPTING: “I Found This Amazing New Weight Loss Formula”
NOT TEMPING: “Product X Will Help You Lose Weight”
What’s the Benefit of Clicking
No matter what you are doing online, there is always an end goal or purpose. Usually people are looking for information, or simply to be entertained. Either way, if you are lucky enough to have someone take a few seconds to look at your ad, you want to make it clear to them what they are getting, in response to clicking your ad.
BENEFIT: “Click Here for Money Savings Tips”
NO BENEFIT: “Click Here to Visit My Site”
Advertising Works Best, When It’s Not Advertising
Nobody wants to see an advertisement, it’s a distraction from a users experience. Making your advertising more relevant and obtrusive to your site visitor is a major part of your sites success. This has been one of the most well known and successful methods for web sites to make money with Google Adsense. Instead of placing advertisements on your site that try and stand right out to the user, try blending in your ad copy with your articles and web content.
EFFECTIVE: “Text Placement with Content, or Side Menus”
NOT EFFECTIVE: “Big Red & Yellow 468×60 Flashing Banner Ad”
Setting Limitations on Your Offers
We’ve all seen late night infomercials, and I’ve always found it humorous when they say, “call in the next five minutes to save…“. It may seem funny, but they still wouldn’t be doing it if it didn’t work. People want to make the call within the next five minutes, because they think they are getting an extra value if they act now. Add something to your ad copy to make the user want to take action now.
LIMITED: “Today Only: Save 25% on All Orders before Midnight!”
NOT LIMITED: “Save 25% on Your Next Purchase”
Matching Up Ads with Relevant Content
Showing your advertisements along side related content is almost a no brainer. Unfortunately, so many web sites still completely ignore this issue. How many times have you visited a web site, reading an article, then you see completely non-relevant advertisements on the site. Sure, it will take more time and effort to place relevant advertisements, but in the long run, your readers interaction with the ads will increase heavily.
RELEVANT: “Insurance Ads on a Health/Finance Site”
NOT RELEVANT: “Insurance Ads on a Teen Gaming Site”
These are just a few methods you should be using to increase your click through rates. I will cover more tips in a future post.
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Another nice little right up that makes perfect sense. This is a good list for people starting out and not sure why the CTR might be lower than they think it should be.
I like the first & third tips, good work!
I hope people adhere to the whole relevant content thing. I'm getting sick of seeing "How I cured my yellow teeth" on on every website with adsense. Damn, that mother of 27 kids surely has cured every known ailment known to man.
Yeap Zac. I think it looks stupid to put "click here" or things like that.. It may be a call to action but most people won't click as I believe..
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Setting Limitations on Your Offers
“Today Only: Save 25% on All Orders before Midnight!”
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The only problem with this approach as defined in this article is the fact that you're now engaged in deceptive advertising and liable for fines from the FTC.
If you're going to do a "today only" sale, you better make sure that the sale is for today only.
When they use the call in the next 5 minutes gimmick in the infomercials they're covered because it's true. They don't say "Only for the next five minutes, call and save x%" as the example in this article does.
So, to be better off legally you could switch the statement to something like “Save 25% on All Orders before Midnight!”
This is a great post. Relevant ads are so important both for making conversions and for not annoying your readers. I hate going to sites and seeing ads for weight loss products when the sites are for games. Like what?
The other big thing here it seems is both making your ads more personal AND more specific. Explain the benefits and place your own personal interest into your ad and your readers will respond.
Some useful tips here, however you and I both know this is a fluff filler post.
<a class="replyTo" href="#comment-104042" rel="nofollow">@Toronto SEO:
There are several hundreds of readers to this blog that are brand new affiliates marketers. I try to accommodate to them all occasionally. It's tough to keep everyone happy.
Awesome tips! Not that it would help click through rates, more with conversions, but I would add that people make sure their landing pages are a continuation of the messaging in the PPC ads. This will reduce click-backs and improve overall ROI on the campaign.
All the tips are decent. I think another one is being concise, but still make an impact. Obviously the less work (reading) a viewer has to do to understand what the advertisement is, the better. It's a tough mix, but it can be effective.
Yeah I often find my toes curling at some of the "advertorial"-style speech and gimmicks I find creeping into my AdWords ads and website copy, but the truth is: that shit converts.
I just keep repeating "you are not your market"' over and over to myself, as I rock back and forward in a fetal position, on the floor.
Captain Internet swooshes in and says…..
Very nice post Zac. I have to admit that the examples above are a few of the things I am learning and have had problems with. Thanks for the information.
Captain Internet
Thanks for great thoughts. I find "Advertising Works Best, When It’s Not Advertising" is the main key to increase CTR and in most social media, u sell like u sell nothing.
These are things I should be doing on my blog. Gracias amigo
I agree with Phaoloo, I'm much more likely to click something if it's not obviously an ad, or if it's not a mischievous ad (Like the ones that are blended TOO well.
It is amazing how changing words around can help increase click through rates significantly. Would like to see more similar posts like this one.
Let's face it….a creative Call To Action is of extreme importance if you wish to get the maximum clicks. Very relevant post, Zac, this one could quite easily be turned into an e-book.
Have you ever thought that you are actually scamming people when you put up these campaigns? You know for a fact some of these offers are too good to be true…
-Mike
I found this post to be pretty helpful. I'm still fairly new to the marketing game, and I see some mistakes I have been making now. I hope this will help increase my CTR some.
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These are great tips. I love your examples. The examples make your tips easy to apply.
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Great Post.
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Love the 'advertising works best when it's not advertising'. Oh so true!
Make advertising not advertising… true words of wisdom. It’s possibly one of the greatest challenges — making something seem new and intriguing when it’s in a slot where “advertising” normally goes. An art form.
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I like the point on Advertising working best when it’s not Advertising. I personally never click on anything that is blinking or flashing. And usually don’t like to click anything that is not contained within AdSense box b/c it’s trusted, tested and relevant.
adsense, adbrite etc can earn by the use of clicks.
Thanks for sharing this awesome post.
Nailed it!
It’s all about blending in your ads with content. You have to make each ad relevant to the topic but also give them an active call to action.
As my only income source is only adsense. I hope these tips will increase my CTR and will be more benefited from it.
Amazing useful article. When i used to run my adword campaign my click through rates was very low. I might give it another try using your useful tips.
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My site contains reviews , specs & prices on tech product like laptops, notebooks, netbook, desktops, etc. And I can't seem to find a way to increase CTR. They say a technology site naturally do not receive many clicks. Anyways, your advice here are wonderful and hope I can apply them to my site. Many thanks!
These 5 ways improving are great and I find it really worth and meaningful.
These types of tips are good ideas for increasing the click performance of ad campaigns. Thanks for the tips and for your post. Keep on posting.
Great Tips. It's important to understand that the CTR only represents performance on one part of the puzzle– only the search terms to the ad. *Many* other data points are involved.
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If all this is reached through blogging then it is worthy of thousands of dollars you could be spending through advertising on facebook or twitter.