Table of Contents:

HomeBlogGoogle Website Optimizer: How to Use the Website Optimizer Tool in AdWords

Google Website Optimizer: How to Use the Website Optimizer Tool in AdWords

Author: Tom Demers
Last Updated: February 7, 2022 | Paid Search Marketing, Websites & Online Presence

This is the fourth post in a series that focuses on using the various tools located within the Google AdWords tools and analysis tab. Previous posts have focused on:

And in this post we’ll be walking through how to leverage Google Website Optimizer within your AdWords account.

How You Can Use Website Optimizer within Your AdWords Account

Website Optimizer

Website Optimizer allows you to set up split tests and multivariate tests to measure the impact of different landing page designs within your AdWords campaigns. Implementing Website Optimizer requires adding some code to the pages you’re including in your test.

The first (and most important) step in making use of the tool is, of course, creating multiple versions of your landing page to test. Most of this post will focus on the mechanics of using the tool to test the creative you’ve put together, but obviously there’s no real value in a tool to test landing page variations if the variations themselves aren’t well thought out and valuable. If you’re looking for ideas for tests and/or conversion optimization best practices, the Unbounce blog has some amazing resources. (Check out their recent post with 35 examples of great landing pages, plus critiques on how they could be even better.)

Once you have your variations in place, setting up a Website Optimizer test is actually fairly straightforward. Open up the Website Optimizer and click “Create a new experiment”:

Website Optimizer Experiments

Then you’ll be asked to choose between a split test and multivariate test:

A/B experiment

The type of test you want to set up depends on multiple factors, but for most small to mid-sized AdWords accounts a key consideration will be the amount of traffic you’re sending to the page: if you’re not doing a large amount of PPC volume it’ll likely be very difficult to get to statistical significance with a multivariate test. We’ll walk through setting up an A/B split test.

First you simply input the following pieces of data:

  • Name your experiment – Choose something clear that will be easy to remember and to identify for people new to the test.
  • Identify the original page (the page you’re currently pointing ads at) and the variation (the test you’d like to set up).
  • Identify the conversion page – This will typically be the thank you page that is displayed after the user completes the action you want them to complete (filling out a form, making a purchase, etc.).
Experiment Setup

You’ll then be given the code to install on your site. You can select the “Your webmaster will install and validate JavaScript tags” and get a URL with instructions for your tech resource to install the code on the appropriate pages, but if you have access to the CMS or HTML pages you’re looking to use in the test, it’s not that difficult to get the code yourself and install it on your site:

Google Website Optimizer Code

If you choose to do it yourself, you’ll be presented with very specific instructions on where to install the code within the source code on your website. You can also validate that the code is installed properly on your pages before moving past this stage:

Website Optimizer Code

Finally, you’ll be able to track the progress of your tests within the Website Optimizer dashboard and even drill down to the daily breakdown of the test performance over time. Once you’ve enabled your test, Website Optimizer will not only track progress, but let you know when one of your tests has reached statistical significance and point out the “winner.”

There are a lot of different landing page software options that offer varying feature-sets and plusses and minuses in terms of ease of integration, and if you’re looking for things like more user-friendly GUIs, pre-designed templates for landing pages, and more advanced testing options some of the paid options below might be a better fit:

But for many advertisers Website Optimizer is a highly useful free tool for launching landing page tests.

Meet The Author

Tom Demers

Tom Demers is Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Measured SEM and Cornerstone Content.

linkedIn
tweet
facebook
email

Comments


Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.


Join 683,369 other marketers that receive our weekly newsletter!

Loading...

Recommended for you

    The Ultimate Guide to Google Local Services Ads

    s

    Learn everything you need to know about Google Local Services Ads so you can quickly connect with customers right from the SERP.

    Google Ads Demand Gen Campaigns: What to Know About the Discovery Ads Upgrade

    s

    Google recently announced that Discovery Ads will be replaced by Demand Gen campaigns. Get an understanding of what this means for your account along with tips to prepare for this change.

    Best Free & Low-Cost Online Google Ads Training Courses (Google Skillshop + 5 Others!)

    s

    Understand what Google Skillshop is and how it can benefit your business or agency. Plus, check out five other Google Ads training courses to complement skillshop.

    Meta Ads vs. Google Ads: 6 Key Differences (+Which Is Better?)

    s

    Meta Ads and Google Ads can both help you reach new audiences and connect with new customers on widely used platforms. But what are the major differences? We walk through what you need to know to decide which is best for your business.

LOCALiQ free website grader