Click-Through Rate is an essential metric that allows you to gauge whether or not your content or ads are working. It is the percentage of the number of clicks on any specific ad in relation to actual views or impressions. A working knowledge on how to increase the CTR of your website will optimize your marketing efforts in more ways than one.
By making small but smart changes to your PPC, email marketing, or social media advertising efforts, you can improve your website click-through rate successfully.
Here are 7 helpful tips on increasing the CTR of your website today:
#1 Study Your Audience
From ads to social media posts, it’s important for your text or copy to speak the language of your target audience. This is how you’re going to get their attention and compel them to click on your link.
If you want to improve your click-through rates, take time to study your audience and understand what they want. Your ad copy has to use words that target their interests, preferences, and even emotions.
And don’t forget your description tags — the use of ‘power words’ can pull in some much-needed clicks, pronto.
#2 Create Urgency
You can increase the click-through rate of your campaigns by magnifying an offer that is going to expire soon. For instance, you may highlight a ‘limited-time’ offer in your description text, such as a discount or freebie. Just make sure you intend to offer said promotions for a limited time only, or your audience will think twice about trusting you next time.
Also, you can include countdown timers on your social pages or website landing pages. These virtual clocks provide a visual representation of the seconds or minutes passing by and thus encourage a sense of urgency amongst search or social users.
#3 Craft Enticing Headlines
The headline is among the first things a search user will see prior to clicking on your link on the SERPs or search engine results pages. This is why it’s worth writing headlines that grab attention. But how do you do this?
Apart from using compelling words, injecting a dash of creativity and keeping a natural flow, keyword research cannot be overemphasized.
Which words does your target audience use when making an online search? Understanding your audience leads to getting the right keywords and crafting unmissable headlines.
#4 Invest in Descriptive URLs
Descriptive URLs have 25% more CTR juice than others, says Microsoft. This is why if you want to improve website click-through rate, you have to go the descriptive route as far as URL creation is concerned.
The URL could highlight a benefit, describe a product feature, or even present a subtle CTA or call to action.
To say descriptive, however, doesn’t mean going overboard with descriptions. The key is to be clear, concise, and fluff-free — without forgetting the keyword/s. The descriptive URL has to be enticing enough, just like the headline and overall ad copy, for users to want to click on it.
#5 Prioritize Meta Descriptions
The meta description further describes what you have already stated in your headline, but it has to be limited to approximately 155 characters. In the SERPs, these descriptions are visible right below the URL link.
A well-written meta description can improve CTR rates of your website significantly. Ideally, it has to contain your keyword/s and should highlight an offer and include a call to action.
#6 Get Visual
Visual materials can help convey your message more effectively and within a shorter span of time. In fact, 93 percent of all forms of human communication have a visual component to them. This is why the smart use of images, videos, and infographics can help increase your CTRs dramatically.
With the brain processing images 60,000x faster than pure textual communication, it pays to include visual materials in your ad copy and overall marketing campaign.
The use of certain color schemes, especially on social media, also has its own specific effect. You may have to check whether such colors apply to your Facebook page too, but some marketers have found blended colors of blue, grey, and white to be most clickable on the social network.
#7 Write Compelling CTAs
Finally, your call to action should be given equal, if not more, priority.
This part of the text, meta description, or email marketing message presents a window of opportunity for you to lure the audience in.
It is the last bit of the copy that they read before deciding to click. Or, leave.
Generic CTAs, however, just won’t cut it. The more unique, specific, and creative your calls to action are, the better.
The goal is to have your audience click on your link and increase your click-through rates. A necessary step is to engage with them and keep them there with the help of enticing CTAs.
Optimizing CTRs for Website Traffic and Rankings
Click-Through Rates are an effective measure of the effectiveness of your campaigns. The higher the CTR, the higher is the number of people actually clicking on your content or ad.
This means your audience aren’t simply scrolling past your campaigns — they are actually interested enough to click on them.
Knowing the basics, thus, on how to increase the CTR of your website is something you will need to prioritize.
And more than trying out these tips, continually testing and re-evaluating your efforts across different platforms are essential.
It takes work to stay relevant, but when it comes to increasing website CTR the rewards are always worth any effort.