Yahoo!: Follow top tips to get higher click-through rates

31st July 2008

Online marketers can do much to positively influence their click-through rates from paid search ads, according to Yahoo! content quality analyst Noah Belson.

The expert said in a recent post on the Yahoo! Search Marketing blog that while it is difficult to precisely define what makes a good click-through rate, marketers can nevertheless concentrate on a number of areas to boost pay-per-click success.

He highlighted the importance of targeting keywords unlikely to be picked up on by competitors and of creating high quality ads and competitive bids to ensure a good search results page position.

It may also be a good idea to filter underperforming keywords into separate ad groups and carry out extensive ad testing procedures to make the most of sponsored search, Mr Belson said.

"There really is no hard and fast rule as to how high a click-through rate should be," he stated.

"But if your ads are compelling and your click-through and conversion rates are well balanced, you're off to a great start."

According to the UK Search Engine Marketing Report 2008 from E-consultancy, nine per cent of businesses spend more than £1 million on paid search activities on an annual basis.