Google Ads focuses on landing page usability

It has long been known that the quality of your landing page plays a role in how well your ad performs. Google aims to show the most relevant ads to users while ensuring a great user experience. Naturally, this also includes the quality of the page users land on after clicking an ad.

The new development in this context is how Google’s algorithm assesses the quality of your landing page. Previously, when evaluating a landing page’s quality and relevance, Google primarily focused on content—such as the presence of relevant keywords and H-tags.

However, Google has now introduced a new predictive model that enhances the evaluation of landing page quality by placing greater emphasis on usability and ease of navigation. This update is designed to reduce frustrating ad experiences and help users find the information they need more easily, without unnecessary back-clicking.

What does this mean for Google Advertisers?

With the new predictive model in Google Ads, ads leading to non-user-friendly and difficult-to-navigate landing pages will see poorer performance. This can manifest in several ways:

1. Lower ad exposure (fewer impressions)

Google will reduce the likelihood of displaying ads that lead to poorly optimized landing pages in search results. This means that even if an ad has a high bid, it may still lose impressions if the landing page is deemed subpar.

2. Higher CPC (Cost Per Click)

A poorly designed landing page can result in a lower Quality Score, increasing the cost per click. Google rewards user-friendly pages with lower CPC rates and penalizes those that offer a poor experience.

3. Lower conversion rate

If users struggle to navigate a page, they are more likely to leave without taking action (high bounce rate). This signals to Google that the page is not optimal, further reducing exposure.

4. Poorer ad auction placement

Ad placement is determined by Ad Rank, which is a combination of bid, Quality Score, and other factors. A poor user experience lowers Ad Rank, allowing competitor ads to rank higher.

5. Potential ad rejections

If a landing page is deemed highly problematic (e.g., unexpected redirects, excessive advertising, or misleading information), Google may completely reject or suspend the ad.

In short: If your landing page does not meet Google’s standards for usability and navigation, your ad will receive fewer impressions, cost more, and perform worse than your competitors’.

How to avoid negative impacts from Google’s update

Google’s update encourages advertisers to prioritize user-friendly and easy-to-navigate landing pages. You can do this by:

Ensuring your landing pages load quickly and are mobile-friendly.
Making it easy to find essential information (e.g., contact details, products, CTA buttons).
Avoiding excessive pop-ups or unexpected redirects.
Ensuring users can easily navigate back or click through to related content.

By investing in smooth navigation and strong usability, you can achieve better conversion rates and greater value from your Google Ads campaigns.

Do your landing pages need a UX and CRO review? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us!