Since announcing algorithmic adjustments to the calculation of landing page quality score, and the subsequent impact on minimum bids, Google has been the object of some scrutiny from its advertising partners. Following much anticipation, the company has finally released more concrete basis of suggestion for achieving high quality score ratings.
Over a month ago, Google announced changes to its algorithm for calculating landing page quality score. Many analysts, myself included, immediately noted that the company offered little to no guidance in terms of what elements comprise a “quality” landing page. Since quality score would have a direct impact on minimum bid, it seemed only fair that Google give some insight into what criteria the algorithm looks for in its calculation.
After much kicking and screaming from its advertising partners, Google has released a more detailed guide into what comprises a quality landing page. The following is taken from the Inside AdWords blog:
Provide relevant and substantial content.
If users don’t quickly see what they clicked on your ad to find, they’ll leave your site frustrated and may never return to your site or click on ads in the future. Here are some pointers for making sure that doesn’t happen:
• Link to the page on your site that provides the most useful and accurate information about the product or service in your ad.
• Ensure that your landing page is relevant to your keywords and your ad text.
• Distinguish sponsored links from the rest of your site content.
• Try to provide information without requiring users to register. Or, provide a preview of what users will get by registering.
• In general, build pages that provide substantial and useful information to the end-user. If your ad does link to a page consisting of mostly ads or general search results (such as a directory or catalog page), provide additional information beyond what the user may have seen in your ad or on the page prior to clicking on your ad.
• You should have unique content (should not be similar or nearly identical in appearance to another site). For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.
Starting with your ad, each interaction you have with your potential customers and customers should be geared towards building a trusting relationship. To avoid leading users astray:
• Users should be able to easily find what your ad promises.
• Openly share information about your business.
• Clearly define what your business is or does.
• Honor the deals and offers you promote in your ad.
• Deliver products, goods, and services as promised.
So, this section seems pretty straightforward in delivering the message to advertisers; don’t screw your customers. If only this concept would actually sink in, then the Internet could actually evolve into a commercial utopia for all to enjoy. Alas, I’m afraid spam isn’t going away anytime soon.
Treat a user’s personal information responsibly
Most internet users are concerned with understanding and controlling how websites use their personal information. In order to build an honest relationship with them, providing clear answers to these questions on your site is a must:
• Why are you collecting personal information? (This is particularly important to address if you collect information soon after a user enters your site.)
• How will you use, or potentially use, personal information?
• What options do users have to easily limit the use of their personal information?
Now this is really interesting to me. The process of determining intent when it comes to collecting personal information seems awfully subjective for a computational algorithm to handle. Does this suggest that there is also a human element involved in calculating landing page quality score? If not, how is this element calculated? These are questions I believe that Google will have to further address at some point.
Develop an easily navigable site.
The key to turning your visitors into customers (and making your ads earn their worth) is making it easy for users to find what they’re looking for. Since it’s not always enough just to pique their interest, you need to guide users through the transaction. Here’s how:
• Provide an easy path for users to purchase or receive the product or offer in your ad.
• Avoid excessive use of pop-ups, pop-unders, and other obtrusive elements throughout your site.
• Avoid altering users’ browser behavior or settings (such as back button functionality, browser window size) without first getting their permission.
• Turn to Google’s Webmaster Guidelines for detailed recommendations (which will help your site perform better in Google’s search results as well).
• If your site automatically installs software, consider adopting Google’s Software Principles.
It warms my heart to see Google encouraging advertisers to make the buying process as quick and painless as possible. Nothing irritates me more than sites who think it’s okay to wreak havoc with my browser settings, or that require me to install “special software” to download a particular product.
Google has also provided further overall information on Quality and Performance Factors for webmasters to reference, including quality score calculation and additional documentation on quality-based minimum bids.
It’s not exactly my idea of entertaining holiday reading material, but at least Google is sharing something relevant about the whole process, for a change.
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Joe is a staff writer for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest ebusiness news.
