We are a Certified Google Partner, and love seeing what brands are up to with their Google AdWords budget.

This is the 18th installment of a series we call “Critiquing Your Google AdWords Campaigns”.

We Google a search term and evaluate the top 3 Google Ads as well as their landing pages for their ability to “Attract” and “Convert” visitors into leads.

We grade each campaign out of 10:

5 Points ATTRACT: the actual Google Ad
5 Points for CONVERT: the Landing Page experience

Let’s get started!

This week we Googled “Network Support Services”.

Google Campaign #1: Sumasoft

Google AdWords Ad:

The Good…

• My keyword “network support services” is right in the headline
• “Cost Estimate” in the headline is appealing…indicates potential of a free service.
• Good idea to include “150+ Tech Support Team”. Indicates established company from the ad copy itself.
• “Contact Us” CTA is properly given as a sitelink extension.

The Not so Good…

• Instead of “Cost Estimate” in headline, what’s more compelling is “Save costs by 70%” and/or a sitelink extension providing a “Risk Free Trial”.
• On landing page it says plans start at $1200/m – that needs to go in ads to prevent businesses that can’t afford that from clicking on ads
• Presented info is not sufficient: Ad could use call-out or structured snippet extensions listing full list of services offered.
• Phone number is given in the ad copy but not as a call extension.
• It would also be a good idea to give users the opportunity to visit specific types of Network Support Services: Remote Monitoring, Help Desk, Managed NOC, etc. in the form of sitelink extensions.

Ad Score: 3/5

Google AdWords Landing Page:

The Good…

• Headline and subtitle are tailored for the visitor – gets straight to the point
• Explanatory video above the video for visitors interested in finding out more about the company.
• Quick and short contact form with minimum number of forms – Name, Email, Phone Number.
• Clear Call-to-Action: “Get Started”
• Landing page has all the recommended features:- client list, services and benefits, client testimonials, case studies etc. all arranged in a neat and organized manner.

The Not so Good…

• The contact form could add a line stating user info will not be used indiscreetly.
• Overall design and color of the page needs a lot more work.
• Instead of saying “Get Started” on the CTA, indicate what they’d like to get started on.

Google Landing Page Score: 4/5

TOTAL ADWORDS SCORE: 7/10

 

Google Campaign #2: BSCSG

Google AdWords Ad:

The Good…

• “Toronto’s Choice…” indicates geographic targeting has been setup properly.
• Close variation of search term – “Network IT Services” included in the headline.
• Sitelink extensions for different service offerings are included.
• Location extensions are also helpful.

The Not so Good…

• Ad copy says “Call For Free Consult” but no call extension
• “Fast Response IT Support” – everyone says they’re fast, provide proof points, e.g. 92% of tickets responded to within 3 hours
• No CTA included which is a big faux-pas.
• Ad could mention if they offer on-site support, remote, or both and the fact that they are a Microsoft partner which would’ve been a big plus.

AdWords Score: 3/5

Google AdWords Landing Page:

The Good…

• CTA is large and clear.
• Few benefits are given that highlight features of the service.
• Free Consult is given in bold which is good.
• Plenty of testimonials

The Not so Good…

• “President’s Message” right and centre above the fold…a bit unnecessary (video is actually pretty useful but the title is misleading)
• Instead of “Book a Consult” a more personalized CTA like “Get My Free Consult” would be more effective.
• The above-the-fold content and design can be cleaned up a bit:- better font better icons.
• “Microsoft Partner” banner takes up too much space pushing the CTA below the fold.

Google Landing Page Score: 3/5

TOTAL ADWORDS SCORE: 6/10

 

Google Campaign #3: Durham Cloud Computing

Google AdWords Ad:

The Good…

• Not much to go with here…Free diagnosis is mentioned in ad copy.
• Identifying their audience (small business) is a good practice as it will discourage empty clicks.
• Onsite service is also mentioned which is good for users.

The Not so Good…

• Only 1 line of description…Adwords allows upto  3 lines of ad description which should be used.
• No extensions of any kind…sitelinks, call, callout…
• Headline does not fully match the search terms.

Google AdWords Score: 2/5

Google AdWords Landing Page:

The Good…

• Well designed, with good color scheme and organized content.
• Services are displayed well in “What We Do” section

The Not so Good…

• Only the blue part is given above the fold which does not provide much info and contains no CTA
• Making visitors choose between Home and Business is not ideal..direct them to dedicated landing pages via sitelink extensions in the ad copy.
• Scrolling down takes you to several links..services, about us, different types of services which is not ideal.
• Contact Us info is given at the very bottom…most users would have bounced before reading it.

Landing Page Score: 2.5/5

TOTAL ADWORDS SCORE: 4.5/10

 

Who’s Getting My Business for “Network Support Services”?

There was no clear winner as all three campaigns could use a lot of work on the copy and landing page side. Based on our rating system, Sumasoft is the winner with a total score of 7/10.