Google AdWords is an interesting platform for digital marketers. There is a lot of emphasis placed upon targeting keywords and ‘playing the game’. We’re all looking for ways to rank that little bit higher in the auction and get the CPC (cost-per-click) down, whilst raising the CTR (click-through-rate).

The thing is, whilst it is important to try and win that coveted top spot in the auction, we get so wrapped up in the battle that we forget this important truth: Search engines don’t click, people do.

You may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned conversions yet – This is because the actual ads themselves aren’t what drives conversions. I’ve seen many Google AdWords campaigns with a ridiculously high CTR, but no conversions. That’s because there are 2 parts to the campaign:

• The ad stage (this includes targeted keywords, ad copy, extensions and more), which wins the click and leads you onto…
• The landing page stage, which is where people end up if your advert has sparked enough curiosity. If your landing page isn’t up to scratch, people won’t convert.

The important part to notice here is that in order to get the conversion, you obviously need to get people to click on your ad and get to that second stage. It all starts with a click.

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