What should you test first in a PPC campaign?

Short answer

Test the things closest to the lead first. Start with tracking accuracy, then the landing page and offer, then ad messages. Bids and audiences come later. A better page or offer can lift every campaign at once, while bid tweaks only change who sees your ads. Test one change at a time.

In this answer

01A testing order that pays
02First tests worth running
03Why bids come last

A testing order that pays

Test from the base up

Bids and audiencesStrategy, targets and audience signals
Ad messageHeadlines, proof and calls to action
Landing pageForm length, layout and phone placement
OfferFree estimate, same-day service or financing
TrackingEvery call, form and booking counted

Tracking sits at the base because you cannot judge any test without it. Offers and pages come next because they change how many visitors become leads.

First tests worth running

A short form against a longer one
A click-to-call button at the top of the page
"Free estimate" against "same-day service"
Reviews near the top against reviews lower down

Why bids come last

Changing bids changes how many people see your ads and what you pay. It does not change how many of them call. If the page converts poorly, better bids just buy more visits that leave.

Good example. A roofer tests "free inspection within 48 hours" against "free estimate." The faster promise wins, and every campaign benefits.

Bad example. A roofer spends two months testing bid strategies while the page hides the phone number below the fold.

Read what A/B testing in PPC is. Our PPC management starts tests with the page and offer.

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