Testing is done in order to prevent any potential issues that can cause your account to become stagnant. A/B Testing is a well-known approach taken by many marketers and is used in order to get the best potential results when running PPC Ads.

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In this article, we’ll discuss the top A/B tests you can do to improve your pay-per-click ad performance and break down a few pointers to take note of when conducting them.

What Are A/B Tests for Pay-Per-Click Ads?

With Pay-Per-Click (PPC) A/B tests, you take two different variables and compare them to one another. For instance, if you aren’t convinced between two options, A/B tests enable you to test the two within an ad group and the variant that gets the most conversions is considered the winner. This extra step is necessary to ensure that your marketing efforts are not lost.

Top A/B Tests to Try Out

There are multiple PPC A/B test options that you’ll want to try out. But for this article, we’ve listed down the top PPC A/B tests advertisers and marketers should keep a close eye on.

Dynamic Keyword Insertion

One of the most popular PPC A/B tests is dynamic keyword insertion. This test ensures that the ad feature has matching headlines and content. Users and Google alike will know exactly what your content will be like based on the content that you provide.

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Use multiple variants here, and see which keyword performs better in comparison to the other. This is a good option particularly if you have too many keywords to edit or add. All you need to do is test a series of keywords through the dynamic keyword insertion test and see which one brings the most conversions.

Ad Headline

The ad headline is what will likely bring users to your website firsthand. There isn’t any point to do other in-depth tests unless you are sure you actually get the appropriate visits to your page. People who do not generate clicks are most likely to benefit from ad headline testing.

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Headlines have a strong impact on your ad campaigns, which is why you’ll want to test as many variables as possible. Test in comparison as many headlines as you can. A good suggestion here would be to mix it with dynamic keyword insertion, to make it clear to the user that you have the answer to their problems. You may also try testing headlines in the form of questions, as these will intrigue users and entice them to click your ads.

Call to Action Optimization

You can significantly increase conversions and generate leads by improving your call-to-action strategy.

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To run a call to action optimization test, you need to split the traffic between two different calls to action – for example, a control button and an experiment button. This will give you an idea of how to improve PPC ads conversion for better results. Run the call to action A/B test for a few weeks and see whether there are any changes in your conversion with the new experiment button or not. 

Landing Page Optimization

Another efficient A/B test you’ll want to try is optimizing the landing page linked to your ads. For this test, you’ll need to create a landing page that is relevant to the keywords you are using. Landing page optimization is a great test to do for those who are getting clicks from their ads, but visitors don’t stay long enough on the website to see what you have to offer.

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To do this test, you should consider your landing page options, test them side by side, and see which page has a better conversion rate. For example, let’s say you have an ad for a marketing agency and multiple service pages on your website. Test those landing pages side by side and see which one brings you the most conversions.

Seasonal Ad Copy

Seasonal ad copies, as their name suggests, are ads that are run on a seasonal basis. They are a good method to try if you are wondering how to improve PPC ads conversion.

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Seasonal ads are great if you wish to create campaigns that are more personal. Done correctly, this can create a certain connection with the visitor, increasing the conversion for your website.

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Test between two different specific seasonal ads. Replace the non-seasonal generic headline with a season-specific one and run it for a couple of weeks. Once the test period is done, check and see if there are any changes in your conversion. If you have multiple seasonal ad copy variants, make sure to test them out side by side.

Schedule Ad Delivery

With this last A/B test, you’ll need to create an ad schedule to see which times of the week are likely to bring the most conversions from your ad campaigns.

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Test an open campaign with an open schedule alongside a campaign that has a more refined schedule. By seeing how they perform in comparison, you’ll be able to identify whether or not your target audience is taking action regardless of a specific time or during the ad delivery you have set. 

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Things to Avoid when Running PPC A/B Tests

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When running a PPC A/B test, it is best to set a goal from the very beginning. Determine whether you want to go for awareness, or if your goal is to increase conversions. Not setting a goal might drive you in a direction that will not bring you the results that you want. It is tempting to test multiple variables at the same time, but focusing on variables separately will help you get accurate test results. 

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At the same time, you shouldn’t wait until everything seems perfect. Do the tests, and see how they perform. Depending on their performance, you may then apply the appropriate changes. Be aware of how you do segmentation as well, as going overboard may compromise your results.

Final Thoughts

There are multiple PPC A/B tests that you can try out, all of which will put variables into comparison. Running A/B tests will help you learn and identify which areas of your ad campaigns you may need to optimize in order to get the best ad performance. 

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Whichever test you try from the above, taking the first step will help to gradually increase your conversions. 

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To ensure your ad clicks and conversions are coming from real potential paying customers (⚠️ not bots or invalid users), you can try out our ad fraud prevention tool, Spider AF. Sign up to our 14-day free trial and experience the difference when your ads are clean of ad fraud. 

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