MARKETING BESTIES WITH

Hey Marketing Bestie,

You search.

You click.

You land on a promo page that has nothing to do with what you need.

You needed something specific, but now you’re somewhere very general, with no sign of the information you need.

You know in 2 seconds that this page isn’t going to help you.

So you sigh and start over. We’ve all been there.

Well, good news: That’s changing. Google is cracking down on that exact experience.

And the changes they’re making are going to change how we run paid search.

It’s time for a new playbook for landing pages.

Wait, What’s Happening?

Basically, Google is defending the search experience. Here’s the TLDR:

Google is turning their UX “best practices” into REQUIREMENTS.
Their new ad quality prediction model looks at the post-click experience, and can block your ad if the landing page isn’t useful or relevant.
Then, Google’s new AI tools show up to optimize targeting in real time.
If it doesn’t like your page, Google will send your click to a MORE RELEVANT PAGE THAN THE ONE YOU SET IN THE AD.

OH, and pretty soon, Google won’t even serve search ads that drive to homepages or generic landing pages.

Think about that. Over 50% of B2B PPC ads still send traffic to homepages. Their days are all numbered. Those ads will not get served.

Now, think about your own brand.

Are you ready for this big change, as Google becomes a lot more discerning about UX and relevance?

If yes, you should probably double-check. (Keep reading.)

If not, don’t worry: I’ve got you. (Also keep reading.)

And if you didn’t answer, because this is a rhetorical question in a newsletter: we’ve got Unbounce to help pivot your landing page strategy at scale.

Why This, Why Now?

Change is hard. But we’re in Marketing, we’re already used to it, LOL.

Google’s always evolving in the name of a better user experience. And Google’s search business (aka their ads business) is getting slammed with competition from ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc. So in 2025, Google is going to defend its moat.

In February, Google announced it had developed a new prediction model to more precisely determine the quality of a search ad experience.

The ultimate goal: For search ads and landing page experiences to match up.

The prediction model scores search ad landing pages for relevance by flagging when users go to a landing page and then return to search, because they didn’t find what they wanted.

Your customers, ping-ponging around the internet

It uses AI to PREDICT the effectiveness of your page by anticipating the user experience.

If the landing page you’re driving to doesn’t score high enough on usefulness or relevance, Google won’t serve your search ad. No matter how high your ad spend. RIP CAC. RIP CTR.

But that’s not all.

In May, Google Ads announced AI Max for Search, AI-powered targeting and creative features that will optimize search ads in real time.

One of the core features is Final URL Expansion, which lets Google redirect users to your most relevant landing pages, not just the URL that you set.

YEP. It will pick a different page on your site, and send users there. This AI has crunched so much data, it can also tell whether a different page will be more useful and effective for your ad. It’s kinda magical.

(Wait, don’t panic! This feature can be toggled on and off. And you can still set rules and exclusions to have control over where users land.)

It’s going to be okay.

The takeaway here is that Google’s driving changes in search FAST. So we all need to hop on board, read up, and figure out what’s next.

Like I said, I got you.

Google’s Top 3 Must-Haves For Landing Pages

The way you’ve been approaching landing pages isn’t relevant anymore.

It’s not you, it’s Google.

The new prediction model is looking for 3 things in a landing page. These 3 things will decide whether or not your search ad gets served.

1️⃣. Aligned with the ad.

If the ad is for the $600 pair of sandals your wife wants (hypothetically), the landing page better take you to the sandals. Not Shop All. Not the homepage.

2️⃣. Easy to navigate.

Give helpful, intuitive onward paths so your customer doesn’t bounce right back to search. Anchor links. Clear navigation. A small, relevant footer. You do NOT want users to go back to search and get your ad flagged.

3️⃣. Actually informative.

Pretty design is fine. Clever copy is cute. But USEFUL is what wins. You need real, actionable information that directly addresses what your customer is searching for.

Now that you know what Google’s expecting, let’s talk about how you deliver.

The New Landing Page Golden Rules:

Google’s new model is watching what happens after the click. Check your top LP against these guidelines today:

1️⃣. Hyper-specific, hyper-relevant.

Driving to your homepage or using a generic landing page for all your paid search campaigns isn’t going to work anymore. Every campaign needs its own landing page. Seriously.

Keep your LP variations specific and targeted. Keywords, creative, and content should be aligned with your ad parameters and goals.

2️⃣. Plan for the next click.

Plan out your entire customer journey. Put in jump links to the top 3 follow-ups buyers want. A short, relevant footer only. Simple navigation that keeps them flowing through your customer experience.

3️⃣. Rethink performance.

Optimize for consumption, clarity, and conversion. Not just a single CTA. Use scroll depth, heatmapping, and time on key sections to learn what you should feature in your next ad + LP combo.

Think deeper about how your search terms align with your landing pages.

TLDR: does your landing page actually deliver on what your ad promises?

Next Steps to Make This Doable

Let’s recap: you need dozens of relevant, easy-to-navigate, informative pages that line up with every paid search intent. You need to test them. And you need to do it FAST.

Sounds like a lot of work. But Unbounce makes it scalable:

Templates to get the skeleton right for each variation.
Dynamic Text Replacement to mirror keyword language without a dev.
No-code A/B testing to prove the best promise and layout.
AI traffic optimization to send visitors to the variant most likely to convert.

The toolkit will also 1) recap everything that changed, 2) give you a full buyer-focused checklist to follow. And, 3), I have to repeat this: conversion-optimized, Google-friendly templates you can copy right now.

Choose Your Next Click Step

The second you figure out best practices in digital Marketing, they change things on you.

I get it. It’s why my first stop is always the tools made by experts. Experts who are not me.

For better landing pages, that’s Unbounce.

Especially if I’m looking for a no-code solution that I know the whole Marketing team can actually use to update and change our landing page strategy.

Because if you’re not changing, you’re not growing.

And if you’re not changing your landing page strategy, Google’s not going to serve your search ads.

Visit Unbounce to get your free Paid Search Toolkit with more takeaways, plus a peek at templates you can use to build search landing pages that are more relevant, more specific, more successful, and make your customers happier. And less bouncy.

Your friend,

Daniel

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