Landing Pages That Convert: A Checklist
A landing page is the page people arrive on from an ad, an email or a campaign link, built to get them to take one action: call, book, request a quote or buy. When paid traffic lands on a page that does not match the ad, loads slowly or hides the form, you pay for visits that go nowhere. This checklist covers what makes a landing page work, based on Google Ads Help, web.dev, the W3C's accessibility tutorials and the US Federal Trade Commission's rules on reviews.
One page, one goal
A normal web page serves many visitors with many purposes. A landing page serves one group arriving with one intention, so decide the single action you want before writing anything: "request a quote for an office fit-out", not "learn about us". Everything on the page should support that action. Google's guidance to advertisers on optimising ads and landing pages puts it plainly: make it quick and easy for customers to do what you want them to do, whether that is ordering, calling or sending an enquiry, and "don't make people hunt around for information".
In practice that means one main call to action, repeated down the page if it is long, and fewer competing links. Full site navigation is not forbidden, but every extra exit is a choice you are offering instead of the one you want.
Match the ad that brought them
The same Google Ads page advises choosing a landing page "that closely matches your ad and keywords", which helps both ad relevance and landing page experience. In Google Ads, landing page experience is one of the three parts of Quality Score, described as how relevant and useful your landing page is to people who click your ad.
Message match means the page repeats the promise of the ad: the same service, the same location, the same offer, in similar words. If the ad says "same-day boiler repair in Leeds", the page headline should say that, not "Welcome to our heating company". Send each ad group to the page that answers it, not to the home page.
A clear headline and offer
Google recommends putting important information towards the top of the page, so it is visible as soon as people arrive, and giving useful, original information that is clear about your product or service and what it does. Above the fold, a visitor should be able to answer three questions in a few seconds:
- What is this? (the service, in plain words)
- Is it for me? (who, where, what situation)
- What do I do next? (one visible button or form)
Below that, answer the questions that stop people acting: what is included, how it works, how long it takes, what happens after they get in touch. Google also advises avoiding clutter from too many ads or pop-ups.
Forms people can finish
Ask only for what you need to reply. Every extra field is one more reason to stop, and the information can usually be collected in the follow-up. For the fields you keep, the W3C's forms tutorial sets out practices that make forms easier for everyone, not only for people with disabilities:
- A real label on every field. The tutorial on form instructions says placeholder text "is not a replacement for labels": screen readers do not treat it as a label, it disappears as people type, and browsers usually show it in a colour that fails WCAG contrast.
- Clear instructions where a format is required, such as a date or phone number.
- Helpful error messages that say what went wrong and how to fix it, and a clear confirmation when the form has been sent.
- Spam protection that does not block people, such as a honeypot field and server-side checks rather than a puzzle; see stopping contact form spam.
- Steps for long forms: split them into logical stages and show people their progress.
Offer the alternatives people prefer: a tap-to-call phone number on mobile and an email address. Our accessibility basics guide covers forms and the rest of the site.
Speed and mobile
Google's advice notes that many customers will visit on a mobile device, where it is harder to find things on a small screen. Design the page for a phone first: large tap targets, a short form, the button reachable without hunting.
For speed, web.dev's Web Vitals sets targets measured at the 75th percentile of page loads, separately for mobile and desktop: Largest Contentful Paint within 2.5 seconds, Interaction to Next Paint of 200 milliseconds or less, and Cumulative Layout Shift of 0.1 or less. Landing pages often fail these because of large hero images, video backgrounds and stacks of tracking and chat scripts. Our Core Web Vitals guide explains each measure and the usual fixes.
Trust signals that are real
People act when they trust you: a real business name, address and phone number, photos of your own work, named clients you have permission to mention, accreditations you actually hold, and reviews from real customers. Say what you do with the details people send you, and link to your privacy policy near the form.
Do not invent any of it. In the US, the FTC's final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials, announced on 14 August 2024 and in force since 21 October 2024 according to the FTC's questions and answers, prohibits among other things:
- fake reviews and testimonials, including AI-generated ones or ones from people who never used the business;
- paying or rewarding people for reviews on condition that they are positive (or negative);
- reviews from company insiders, such as officers and managers, that do not disclose the relationship;
- suppressing negative reviews through threats or intimidation, and buying fake social media followers or views.
The FTC can seek civil penalties against those who knowingly break the rule. Other countries have their own consumer protection rules on reviews.
Track the result, not the click
A landing page is judged by how many real enquiries or sales it produces per visitor. Count a conversion when the form is actually accepted or the purchase completes, not when someone clicks the button. Our Google Analytics 4 guide shows how to send a generate_lead event on real success and mark it as a key event. Then compare the numbers with your inbox or CRM, and change one thing at a time so you know what made the difference.
The checklist
- One goal and one main call to action.
- Headline and offer that match the ad or email that sent people here.
- What it is, who it is for and the next step, visible without scrolling.
- Answers to the questions that stop people acting.
- A short form with visible labels, clear errors and a confirmation message.
- Tap-to-call and email as alternatives.
- Built for mobile first; Core Web Vitals in the "good" range.
- Real trust signals only: no invented reviews, clients or badges.
- Privacy policy linked near the form.
- Conversion tracked on success and checked against real enquiries.
Frequently asked questions
Should I send ad traffic to my home page?
Usually not. Google Ads advises choosing a landing page that closely matches your ad and keywords. A page built for that ad's service and offer answers the visitor's question straight away.
How many fields should a landing page form have?
Only the ones you need to reply. Each field should have a visible label, since the W3C notes that placeholder text is not a replacement for labels.
Should a landing page have the full site menu?
It can, but every extra link is an exit from the one action you want. Many landing pages keep a slim header with the logo and phone number and one repeated call to action.
Can I use testimonials from staff or friends?
In the US, the FTC rule prohibits fake testimonials and certain insider reviews that do not clearly disclose the relationship. Use reviews from real customers, with their permission.
How do I know if my landing page works?
Track the action on real success, such as a submitted enquiry, and compare it with the visits the page receives and the enquiries you actually get. Change one thing at a time.
Running ads to a page that is not converting? We design and build landing pages and set up the tracking that shows what they produce, as part of our website development work. See all our services, or email info@creahive.com.