On this page
A landing page pays off most where you pay for each visitor. An ad that points to your homepage makes people choose between a menu, ten services and a footer full of links. On a landing page everything leads to one action, and everything that distracts is gone. Technically any page where someone arrives is a landing page; in marketing it means a page built for one campaign or one search, with a headline that repeats what the visitor just saw or typed.
Google has long counted landing page quality in its Quality Score. Today it is one of three parts, beside expected click-through rate and ad relevance, so a better page brings more enquiries and often a lower price per click as well.
What a dedicated page is worth
We see the pattern in every campaign: the better page and ad match, the more each click returns. It is the first step of conversion rate optimisation.
Thirty-one exits, or one goal
- 1Headline that repeats the ad
- 2Benefit and price from
- 3Proof from real work
- 4Three objections answered
- 5Short form
Sketch. The homepage exits: menu, buttons to services, footer links and social media.
A landing page from top to bottom
- A headline that repeats the adWhoever clicked "Solar panels in Leeds, fitted within four weeks" reads exactly that at the top. Same words, same promise.
- The benefit and one buttonWhat the visitor gets, what it costs, what happens after the click. The button sits on the first screen, on a phone too.
- ProofPhotos of real work, a local address, how you work. No invented reviews.
- Objections answeredPrice, timing, what if it goes wrong: the three questions a buyer still has, answered briefly.
- The action, once moreA short form or button at the bottom for those who read to the end.
Four kinds, by where visitors come from
| Visitor comes from | What they just saw | What the page must do |
|---|---|---|
| A search ad | A query with a question | Answer it in the headline, with a price or timing |
| A social ad | An image, no question | Echo the image and turn curiosity into action |
| An email to customers | An offer or news | Explain the offer and let them respond at once |
| Organic search | A title and description | Answer in full, with the action alongside |
The last row is where a landing page keeps working after the campaign ends: one page per search question, the term in the title, the way SEO works anyway. A page with only a form will not rank; a page that answers the question will. How to bring those visitors in first is covered under lead generation. If you sell in several countries, build one landing page per market and language rather than translating a single one; the objections and the proof differ.
Five mistakes we keep seeing
- The menu is still there. Every link elsewhere is an exit. Keep the logo and phone number, drop the rest.
- The headline is about you. "Welcome to Harper Windows" tells the visitor nothing. "Replacement windows in Leeds, quote within two days" does; writing it is copywriting.
- A twelve-field form. Name, phone or email and the question are enough.
- Slow on a phone. Most ad clicks come from phones. Check yours with the website speed test.
- No tracking. Without conversion tracking you cannot tell which page works. Set it up before the campaign starts.
What advertisers ask about their pages
Is a one-page website the same as a landing page?
Not always. A one-page site is a whole website on one page, covering several topics. A landing page is built around one action. A good one-pager for a small business can work as a landing page.
How many landing pages do I need?
One per service or audience you advertise separately. A plumber running emergency repairs and bathroom renovations needs at least two.
Should a landing page sit apart from my website?
No. As part of your site it inherits your design, tracking and reputation in Google, and stays useful after the campaign.