There’s nothing worse than spending hours optimising an ad, only to check it a few days later and… crickets. It’s underperforming, you’re spending too much money, and you have no idea how to accelerate your click-through rate.
I see situations like this all the time as a Google Ads specialist, and it’s not a lost cause. There are a few actionable things you can check and implement to pursue a stronger click-through rate (CTR).
What is click-through rate?
Getting eyes on your ads isn’t enough – only clicks to your website will help you convert leads to customers, and that’s where click-through rate comes in. Click-through rate demonstrates how likely users who see your ad are to click on it. A low CTR suggests something about your ad is off, like your targeting, placement, or copy.
Why is click-through rate important?
CTR is a valuable metric for any business running Google Ads, as it can help you glean insights about your performance and use them to see more results with less spend.
Ad relevance: A high CTR indicates users find your ad relevant and compelling.
Quality Score: Google uses CTR to determine your Quality Score, a measure that assesses whether your ads adhere to best practice. In turn, Quality Score influences your ad’s position in search and your cost-per-click (CPC).
Cost efficiency: Higher CTR can lead to better ad positions at lower costs, whereas a low CTR may mean you’re spending money but not seeing results. To improve your return on investment (ROI), a good CTR is critical.
Common reasons for low CTR
If your ads are suffering from low CTR, here are a few potential culprits.
- Poor ad copy: Without compelling ad copy, it’s hard to get users to click. Lack of flow, rambling, or confusing language can drive people away.
- Weak call-to-actions (CTAs): Your CTAs should hand your target audience your desired action on a silver platter. Long, waffly CTAs without clear next steps can drag down CTR.
- Irrelevant keywords: If you aren’t bidding on keywords in your niche, your ads won’t appear for your ideal audience.
- Low bids: You’ll notice less visibility and fewer clicks if your bids are extremely low.
- Poor quality score: If your ads aren’t optimised to Google’s standards, they may receive a low Quality Score – and your CTR will take a hit.
- High competition: In popular industries, standing out is tough. If your ads aren’t converting, you might be bidding on oversaturated keywords.
How to analyse your ad performance
Not sure what’s driving your poor CTR? Figure it out through testing.
Conversion tracking
Without conversion tracking, everything you know about your ads is conjecture. Conversion tracking lets you see which ads are driving results to your website. By measuring your return on ad spend (ROAS) using conversion tracking, you can see where your spend is most effective, and adjust your underperforming ads.
Learn more with my how-to guide to Google Ads conversion tracking.
A/B testing
A/B testing allows you to compare two versions of an ad and see which one is more relevant. Google Ads has a built-in A/B testing ‘experiment’ feature so you can quickly take action when you’ve received the results of your test.
Defining a good CTR
People often ask me ‘what is a good CTR?’, and my answer is, it all depends on your industry. You should always compare your CTR to the standard for your niche to determine if your ads are performing as expected.
Placement benchmarks
In addition to industry, we can also drill down by ad placement.
- Search ads: Typically, a good CTR for search ads is between 2-5%. Industries like travel and hospitality might see higher benchmarks due to strong user intent.
- Display ads: Display ads generally have lower CTRs than search – around 0.5-1% – as these ads are more about building brand awareness than direct clicks.
Other factors influencing CTR
Even when your ad is fully optimised, your CTR could still be impacted by a few other factors.
- Ad placement: Ads in top positions in SERPs usually have higher CTRs as a result. Position on page isn’t just influenced by your bid, but also, your auction strategies, landing page experience, the specific search terms used, and competing websites (all of which form something Google calls Ad Rank).
- Ad formats: Rich media ads, or ads with extensions like sitelinks, ratings, and locations, tend to perform better overall.
- Target audience: The more specific and relevant your audience targeting is, the higher your CTA could be. So, it pays to know your audience and narrow it down.
How to increase your click-through rate
There are several strategies that you can employ right now to give your CTR a boost.
Improve your ad copy
- Write clear and compelling headlines: Capture user attention with a verbal hook. Your headlines should also be clear and adhere to Google best practice.
- Use action-oriented language: Ditch the lazy writing and focus on verbs that inspire users to take action, like ‘boost’, ‘accelerate’, and ‘grow’.
- Switch to strong CTAs: Short, sharp CTAs that point users in the right direction will encourage better click-through.
Keyword optimisation
- Conduct keyword research: Use Google’s built-in Keyword Planner tool to target a variety of keyword difficulties for increased success.
- Add negative keywords: Adding negative keywords will ensure your ad doesn’t appear in irrelevant searches, driving up CTR and lowering your CPC.
Ad Relevance
- Set an appropriate budget: Underbidding can harm ad visibility. Research what the average cost-per-click (CPC) is in your industry and adjust budgets accordingly.
- Bid on high-intent keywords: Users who are further along in the customer journey are more likely to convert. Bid on high-intent keywords (e.g., ‘buy running vest’, not ‘best running vests’).
- Improve Quality Score: Quality Score analyses your ad’s adherence to best practice. Use this tool to improve your CTR across the board.
- Use ad extensions: Ad extensions, also called assets, are extra pieces of information that make your ad more comprehensive. Popular asset types include sitelinks, phone numbers, locations, and snippets.
Google Ads FAQs, answered
Why is my ad not showing at all?
There are several reasons your ads might not show at all, including low bids, a poor Quality Score, or incorrect targeting settings. Review your campaign settings to pinpoint the issue, or if you need hands-on support, consider working with a Google Ads specialist.
How often should I update my ads?
People get sick of seeing the same ads in search, so after a few months, you’ll likely see fatigue. Aim to refresh your ads every 1-2 months in line with performance data.
What is a good CTR for Google Ads?
A CTR of 2-5% is generally considered good, but this varies by industry.
What role does ad relevance play in CTR?
When your ad aligns with search trends (strong ad relevance), it stands out as more pertinent and useful, making users more likely to click on it.
Boosting your Google Ads CTR might seem complicated, but it’s possible with a combination of compelling ad copy, effective keyword use, and strategic bidding. If you’re feeling deflated about the performance of your ads, stay positive – with continual testing and optimisation, success will eventually come.
Want to accelerate your performance with the support of a Google Ads specialist? I’d love to work together and help your business get seen. Get in touch with me and let’s build a strong strategy together.
