In a move to improve the user experience and promote transparency, Google Ads has announced an update that targets the false landing pages. As of the recent conditions, landing pages that don’t match the promises they made in ads will be demoted.
This update has rolled out to ensure that users are directed to relevant and trustworthy information and not clickbait.
What you need to know?
Google ads have always reflected the importance of relevance and transparency when it comes to advertising and the latest update is an attempt to take another step by cracking down on misleading landing pages.
According to the news, landing pages that don’t offer what the promise will be considered “misleading” and will face demotion by Google. There are do’s and don’ts for it but first let us understand what constitutes a misleading landing page.
What Constitutes a Misleading Landing Page?
According to Google’s checklist, these are the following scenarios that will be considered misleading:
- Inconsistent messaging: If the ad promises one thing, the landing page delivers something entirely different.
- Lack of transparency: If the landing page doesn’t disclose important information, such as pricing or terms and conditions, then it will be flagged.
- Irrelevant content: If the landing page doesn’t provide relevant content that matches the user’s search query or ad.
All these elements will constitute a misleading landing page and will be denoted by Google.
Not only these elements will take you down, but if you’re part of any of these practices you’ll lose customers anyways. So, it’s a good idea to follow these practices in order to prevent getting demoted.
How Will Google Identify Misleading Landing Pages?
As we have explained the criteria, now it’s time to look at how Google will catch you. Google will use a combination of human evaluation and machine learning algorithms to identify misleading landing pages and demote them. The process will involve the following:
Manual reviews: The first and most important step will be Manual reviews. Human evaluators will review landing pages to assess their relevance and transparency.
Algorithmic signals: Machine learning algorithms will analyze signals such as user behavior, ad relevance, and landing page quality.
These two methods by Google will identify the misleading landing pages and they’ll demote them.
What Does This Mean for Advertisers?
This update is crucial for advertisers who solely rely on misleading landing pages to drive conversions. As Google has come with an interesting update, it’s crucial for you to avoid demotion and advertisers must ensure that their landing pages match the ad promise and provide transparency and also offer a good experience to the user.
As an advertiser, you need to ensure that you are delivering on the promises made in the ad and providing relevant content that matches the user’s search query.
The second and most crucial one is clearly disclosing important information, such as pricing or terms and conditions. Give people everything they need to know.
With the above steps, it’s also crucial to ensure that the landing page is well-designed, easy to navigate, and provides a seamless user experience.
Best Practices for Advertisers
If you want to avoid demotion by Google and provide a good user experience, here are the best practices you should follow:
- Improved transparency: Disclose important information, such as pricing or terms and conditions.
- Offer relevant content: Ensure that the landing page provides relevant content that matches the user’s search query or ad.
- Enhanced user experience: Ensure that the landing page is well-designed, easy to navigate, and provides a seamless user experience.
Conclusion
Google’s update is a step towards promoting transparency and relevance in advertising. With misleading landing pages getting demoted, Google is ensuring that users are directed to trustworthy and relevant content on the platform.
Advertisers must take note of this update and ensure that their landing pages meet the new standards. By doing so, they can avoid demotion and provide a better user experience for their customers.
