While making a pay-per-click ad, it is quite easy to ignore the important role the display URL plays. In case of PPC ads, there are a restricted number of text lines to work with. Hence search engine marketers must try to make the most out of them. In the recent past, an eye tracking study as well as other insightful tests of display URLs have been done to bring out various aspects related to their performance.
The study has effectively demonstrated the fact that these URLs capture a major portion of the ‘gaze time’, which is allocated to the PPC ads. The tests also have established a significant impact of display URLs upon click-thru rates. The eye tracking study measured the length of time that users spent looking at these URLs on Google search results page.
The user, who took part in the research, were asked to perform specific searches on Google.com. The idea was to get a far better understanding of their interaction with these URLs. The important results of the study are as follows:
1. The display URLs are an important element of PPC ads.
2. They capture a major chuck of the time users spent checking each ad.
3. The study also establishes the importance of PPC ad location on the page. It does have a significant influence on the gaze activity the display URL receives.
4. The length of time spent looking at a URL also varies by the specific position of the ad.
5. The top three ads’ display URLs on the left attracted greater user attention than the top three ads’ URLs on the right.
6. Those on the left drew almost three times more attention as URLs served on the right side.
7. The URL within the first ad was checked the longest whereas the URL presented within the third ad was viewed the least.
Descriptive Keywords in Display URLs
Understanding the fact that display URLs get a larger chunk of gaze time is not just a branding issue. The URL can be altered to improve results. Most commonly, this is done is by inserting descriptive keywords to the domain name’s end.
Experience shows that adding them in front of the domain name mostly fails, more so for domains, which have significant name recognition plus brand equity. But inserting keywords at the end tends to increase click-thru rates.
A drawback of putting descriptive keywords to display URLs is that this mode of ‘keyword stuffing’ might well reduce a PPC ad’s branding value because of cluttering of the domain name’s display.
Domain name in a display URL
Domain name in a display URL does have an impact on click-thru rate. Any identifiable domain name within it has definite value as highlighted by tests conducted regarding this. The tests conducted to work out the influence of employing the stronger brand identity in a PPC ad’s display URL well establish the fact. A recognizable domain name has a positive impact on click-thru rates.
All in all, it can be safely stated that display URLs are an integral aspect of PPC ads.
