Dynamic landing pages let pay-per-click (PPC) advertisers easily match landing page headlines with ad copy and keywords so searchers know they found what they’re looking for. Learn when and how to use these pages, plus see 10 stellar examples.
Why send every prospect to the same landing page after they click through from your PPC ads? Dynamic landing pages automatically personalize content for each potential customer. Since these pages are more relevant, they can potentially deliver more conversions.
So where should you start with landing pages for PPC? In this article, we’ll cover how these PPC landing pages work, walk through how to build them, and share best practices to follow for optimal results.
What is a dynamic landing page?
A dynamic landing page is a destination that displays distinct content or interactive elements for different visitors. The copy, image, or call to action (CTA) on dynamic pages automatically adjusts based on factors like the prospect’s search query or location.
Think of them as personalized landing pages. They create custom experiences for each person who clicks on your PPC ads. In most cases, variants of a dynamic page contain subtle changes rather than a complete redesign or rewrite.
How do dynamic pages work for PPC?
These web pages use smart content to create personalized experiences for each site visitor. Let’s look at how this content works, where it typically shows, and how you can prompt it to appear.
What is dynamic content?
Also known as smart content, it displays based on users’ behaviors or preferences. Here are some of the factors that affect if and how dynamic content appears:
- Prospect’s search query: Did the prospect search for “best software for small business” or “best software for entrepreneurs?” You can insert search terms or keywords into the copy using dynamic landing page templates.
- Visitor’s location: Which city, county, state, or region is the prospect searching from? Many landing page builders can personalize content based on each visitor’s location — which is critical for local marketing campaigns.
- Customer’s status: Is the visitor an existing customer or a new prospect? These pages can often personalize CTAs and other content based on customer status. It’s helpful for prompting users to take the next step on their customer journey.
- User’s company: Does the prospect work for a certain company? B2B advertisers can use smart content to customize landing pages for specific companies and create personalized user experiences for decision makers.
“We used dynamic landing pages for a B2B client offering SaaS solutions, shares Magee Clegg, Founder and CEO of Cleartail Marketing. “The content, including case studies and client testimonials, changed based on the visitor’s industry and the specific services they searched for. This approach contributed to a 200% increase in our client’s conversion rate within the first three months.”
Where does dynamic content display?
Smart content can display almost anywhere on a landing page. Some of the most common dynamic elements include:
- Headlines: Prospects generally read headers right after clicking through to a landing page. If the headline resonates, it could have a better chance of prompting visitors to keep reading — and eventually convert.
- Copy: Dynamic content can appear in body text too. Ecommerce, software, and services advertisers can show different messaging to appeal to specific audience segments.
- CTA: The next step for a potential customer often depends on where they are in their buyer’s journey. You can guide prospects toward a conversion by customizing CTA buttons for different funnel stages.
- Testimonials: Different testimonials appeal to distinct potential customer experiences, goals, and challenges. You can connect with prospects on a deeper level by displaying relevant reviews and testimonials.
- Images: Dynamic landing page content can go beyond text. Some landing page software can show specific visuals or company logos based on user behavior or image extensions.
- Popups: Dynamic content isn’t limited to the page itself. You can also display it on popups that appear on your PPC landing pages.
How can you get dynamic content to appear?
To create a dynamic landing page, you need software that supports smart content. We’ll cover some of the most popular tools below.
Then you can use your software of choice to build templates that automatically display dynamic text and CTAs. After publishing a dynamic landing page, all you have to do is copy and paste the URL into your PPC ad campaign.
10 dynamic landing page examples
Dynamic landing pages allow marketers to easily match a landing page headline with ad copy and search terms, helping the searcher know they found exactly what they were looking for.
1. Zendesk
Here are two dynamic landing page examples from Zendesk:
In the example above, the landing page is geared toward “businesses of all sizes.” In the example below, the subheading speaks to a more specific audience — “small business.”
2. Peter Millar
This Peter Millar ad uses dynamic keyword insertion to include the search query “men’s sport shirts.”
The landing page subheading repeats the keyword so searchers know they’re in the right place.
3. monday.com
The monday.com search ad below includes the keyword that triggered it: “best CRM for startups.”
The landing page seamlessly highlights the target audience.
4. 1-800Accountant
Like the monday.com ad above, this 1-800Accountant search ad also includes the search query (“taxes for freelancer”) in the ad headline.
And the landing page features several variations of the keyword: “tax preparation for freelancers” and “tax filing for freelancers.”
5. FTD
This FTD ad uses dynamic keyword insertion to show the search query (“flower delivery”) and attract the searcher’s attention.
The ad’s landing page highlights the same search query in the heading so potential customers can shop with ease.
6. Agency
Similar to the FTD ad above, the Agency ad below displays the search query, “anti-aging skincare.”
The landing page heading displays the same keyword so potential customers know they’re shopping a collection designed just for them.
7. Pods
The Pods ad below includes the keyword that triggered the ad, “climate controlled storage units.”
And the landing page repeats the search query, “climate controlled storage.”
8. Zoho
This Zoho responsive search ad uses dynamic keyword insertion (“ecommerce email marketing”) to make the ad more relevant to the searcher.
The Zoho Campaigns landing page repeats the same keyword to ensure the searcher they’ve arrived at the right page.
9. Maid Brigade
Like the Zoho ad above, this Maid Brigade ad uses dynamic keyword insertion to stand out in search results.
The landing page repeats the same keyword to make the destination as relevant as possible.
10. Salesforce
Most dynamic landing pages incorporate search keywords. Yet some update depending on the location.
Above, the Salesforce homepage is geared toward the American market. Below, the same homepage displays for the Australian market.
How can advertisers benefit from dynamic landing pages?
Dynamic landing pages can increase conversions, improve relevance, and much more. Here are some of the biggest perks of this advertising tactic.
Align landing pages with ads
As an advertiser, you have to ensure your landing page messaging matches your PPC ad copy and the intent of your prospects. Landing page experience is one of three factors that affect Google Ad Rank, and quality score, which determine ad position.
In other words, it’s in your best interest to create the best user experience possible on each landing page. Using dynamic content ensures landing page copy aligns with ad headlines — especially if you use dynamic keyword insertion to customize search ads.
Improve landing page relevance
Maximizing Ad Rank and Quality Score is only the beginning. When a landing page delivers relevant messaging that truly speaks to prospects, they’re more likely to trust your business and consider your offer.
Let’s build on the personalized landing page examples above. A landing page geared toward small business buyers may not cause an entrepreneur to click away immediately. But it probably won’t speak to the prospect’s needs and challenges the way a page focused on entrepreneurs would.
Create efficient ad groups
Couldn’t you just create separate landing pages for each target audience? You certainly could, and sometimes you should.
Yet landing pages with unique URLs typically require different ads or ad groups. More ad groups require more budget and more keyword management, which can create issues with cost and efficiency.
When you want to create ads and landing pages that resonate with prospects while running efficient PPC campaigns, dynamic landing pages and dynamic keyword insertion are often the answer.
Increase conversion rates
Landing pages that speak to visitors’ search intent, goals, and challenges have a better chance of converting. That can result in more conversions, higher conversion rates, and more cost-effective PPC campaigns.
“Landing pages are critical to the success of any and all PPC campaigns,” explains Rambod Yadegar, President of HawkSEM.
“An advertiser can have the most sophisticated and well-oiled PPC campaign setup. But if the landing page isn’t resonating with the target audience, the campaign won’t be successful. Using dynamic landing pages creates a personal and one-to-one relationship to increase conversion rates.”
What kind of results could you see from using dynamic elements in PPC campaigns? HawkSEM helped Nava Health, a group of holistic health centers in the Mid-Atlantic, improve its lead generation campaigns. Nava Health generated an impressive 588% more form submissions while reducing cost per acquisition (CPA) by 39%.
Extract insights for other digital marketing channels
Dynamic landing pages can do more than improve performance for the PPC campaign at hand. If you extract insights from dynamic page performance, you can apply them to other channels — including social media and search engine optimization (SEO).
HawkSEM developed a tool, ConversionIQ (CIQ), to do just that. We use CIQ to collect data from dynamic landing pages and use it to influence messaging, offers, and targeting across other channels. With CIQ, we can make ongoing improvements to conversion rates and revenue lift, leading to more successful campaigns.
Sound overly complex to manage and optimize? Our PPC agency is here to help. Reach out to learn more about CIQ.
Expert tips to build dynamic landing pages for PPC
Use these expert tips to create better performing dynamic landing pages for PPC campaigns.
Stick to the main message
Dynamic landing pages can produce dozens of variants. Yet no matter how many there are, every version should communicate the same core message. The dynamic content should simply make the messaging more relevant to the audience.
If you find your template has so much dynamic content that it’s generating completely different pages, consider designing unique pages instead. For example, you’ll be better off with separate pages and ad groups for entrepreneur vs. enterprise prospects.
“Optimizing dynamic landing pages is all about relevance and user experience. Make certain your dynamic elements are reflecting the user’s search terms, plus consistent with your overall message and brand story,” advises Clegg.
Keep keywords in check
One of the biggest perks of dynamic landing pages is their ability to display keywords that resonate with the audience. But that doesn’t mean your dynamic pages should overdo keyword placement to the point of stuffing.
Instead, use dynamic text replacement only when necessary and when they sound natural. Before publishing the page, review the landing page with dynamic content in place to ensure it’s readable and natural sounding.
Know your target audience
If you lack a deep understanding of who you’re creating content for, your dynamic pages probably won’t resonate. First, know what motivates your audience and what their buying signals look like.
Only then can you create high-performing landing pages that speak to potential customers without any friction. Our PPC management and campaign optimization uses this strategy for every landing page and ad campaign we build.
Pay attention to user experience
Another major perk of dynamic landing page builders is they have templates that let you create content quickly. But that doesn’t mean replicate the same layout for every keyword group or audience segment.
Instead, make sure the messaging fits the layout and the flow of the page. If the content doesn’t work with the page design, choose one that does to improve user experience and increase conversions.
A/B test landing pages
Dynamic content can’t solve every messaging mismatch, unattractive offer, or design issue. Use A/B testing to compare different variants of your landing pages. Then promote the winning version in your PPC campaigns.
Which elements should you split-test? Experiment with different offers, messaging, or layouts to find what works best.
“Advertisers often skip testing different variations of dynamic content to find the best converter. They sometimes settle prematurely on one version without exploring how different headlines, calls to action, or images could further boost conversions,” explains Joe Amaral, Founder of Elevated Marketing.
Follow landing page best practices
As useful as dynamic landing pages can be, they aren’t magic solutions that bypass standard best practices. So when you build a dynamic page, avoid mistakes like:
- Using dated stock photos: Dated stock photos could cause prospects to lose trust in your brand and click away. When possible, use original photos of your team, products, or services. If you use stock photos, choose newer ones that are less overused.
- Asking for a conversion too quickly: The very first heading prospects see on your landing page shouldn’t be a CTA prompting a conversion. Always take time to position your offer and address all questions before asking potential customers to convert.
- Including overly long or short forms: Lead generation forms that ask for too much information can lead to abandonment. Forms that are too short can make lead qualification impossible. Find the right balance and the ideal form length with split-testing.
7 top tools to create personalized landing pages
Which tool is best for adding dynamic content to PPC campaigns? Take a look at some of the top landing page builders.
1. Instapage
Instapage is a landing page platform popular among ecommerce and software businesses. In addition to static landing pages, Instapage has a dynamic landing page option for search ads.
With this platform’s message-matched landing pages, you can drive traffic to more relevant landing pages, improve Quality Scores, and lower acquisition costs. According to Instapage, users have an average conversion rate of 16%, which is 4x higher than normal.
2. Intellimize
Intellimize is a website optimization platform with dynamic personalization tools for ecommerce and SaaS. With this software, you can personalize landing page content based on browsing behaviors or product affinity.
Intellimize also uses AI-powered tools to allocate traffic for optimal conversions. Its AI and dynamic tools work on traffic from Google Ads, paid social, and other channels, making it helpful for cross-channel campaigns.
3. Landingi
Landingi is a landing page builder that lets you create unlimited destinations to promote products and services. It’s ideal for creating sales funnels, split-testing variants, and embedding forms for lead generation.
Landingi’s dynamic text replacement feature makes it easy to personalize content, and its AI tools can build landing pages efficiently. The platform also has A/B testing and analytics tools to assist with optimization.
4. Personyze
Personyze is a website personalization platform with tools for behavioral targeting, account-based marketing (ABM), and smart recommendations. You can use its behavioral targeting tools to personalize content based on geographic data, demographic information, browsing behavior, and purchase history.
With Personyze, you can customize landing page content based on 70+ attributes and show dynamic content using your choice of 20+ widgets. You can also leverage the platform’s AI-powered algorithms to create top-performing dynamic pages.
5. SeedProd
SeedProd is a WordPress plugin for building landing pages. It has pre-made landing page templates and preset blocks you can drag and drop to create a completely custom layout.
With SeedProd’s dynamic landing page personalization tool, you can use URL parameters to insert custom keywords and other content automatically. You can also add tracking scripts to dynamic landing pages for easier attribution.
6. Unbounce
Unbounce is a no-code landing page builder with dynamic functionality. Its dynamic text replacement tool lets advertisers set both default text that displays in a pinch and alternative text that appears dynamically.
With Unbounce, you also get access to a suite of conversion optimization tools. The platform’s Smart Builder tool creates optimized landing pages with the help of AI, and its Smart Traffic tool directs prospects to top-performing variants.
7. Zoho LandingPage
Zoho LandingPage is a landing page and popup builder with dozens of no-code templates for every goal. Its personalization tool lets you add dynamic content automatically using UTM parameters.
The platform’s AI-powered content assistant can also write conversion-optimized landing page copy fast. In addition, Zoho LandingPage offers A/B testing to improve conversion rates and run more successful campaigns.
The takeaway
Dynamic landing pages are the ticket to creating more relevant PPC campaigns that resonate with prospects and drive more conversions. Curious how this tactic could work for your brand?
Contact us to book a free consultation with our marketing agency. Our seasoned Google Ads experts are here to help.