Google Ads Landing Review

Google Ads Landing Review

Why this skill exists

"The landing page isn't converting" is the most common complaint in Google Ads. But it hides two completely different root causes:

1. Tracking problem — conversions ARE happening but aren't being counted.
2. Path problem — the visitor arrives but the page fails them.

Most operators (and most clients) assume path failure when the numbers look bad. Half the time, it's a tracking failure. Conflating the two wastes months.

This skill separates them.

Read first:

• google-ads/references/operator-thesis.md
• google-ads/references/tracking-playbook.md
• google-ads/references/structure-playbook.md

Read workspace if available:

• workspace/ads/account.md
• workspace/ads/goals.md
• workspace/ads/findings.md
• workspace/ads/drafts/_index.md — check for existing tracking drafts

Diagnostic Model: Two Forks

"Landing page isn't converting"
         │
    ┌────┴────┐
    │         │
  FORK A    FORK B
  Tracking  Path/UX
    │         │
  Is the     Is the page
  signal     actually
  correct?   failing?

Always run Fork A first. If tracking is broken, Fork B conclusions are unreliable.

Fork A: Tracking Diagnosis (Is the signal trustworthy?)

What to check

1. Does a conversion action exist for the goal on this page?

• Is there a conversion action configured for the form/call/purchase that this landing page is supposed to produce?
• Is it set as primary (include_in_conversions_metric = TRUE)?
• Is the counting type correct?

2. Does the tag actually fire?

• Is the Google Ads conversion tag (or GA4 event imported to Google Ads) present on the confirmation/thank-you page?
• Does the tag fire when the user completes the action? (Google Tag Assistant, network tab, or manual test)
• Is the tag firing on the WRONG page? (e.g., firing on page load of the form page instead of the thank-you page)

3. Is the conversion path end-to-end intact?

• Click on ad → landing page → form/CTA → thank-you page → tag fires → conversion recorded
• Where does the chain break?

4. Cross-domain / redirect issues?

• Does the landing page redirect to a different domain for the form/checkout?
• If so, is cross-domain tracking configured?
• Are UTM parameters / GCLID surviving the redirect?

5. Auto-tagging?

• Is auto-tagging enabled?
• Are there URL parameters being stripped by the landing page CMS or CDN?

6. Attribution window?

• Conversion window too short (e.g., 1 day for a B2B lead that takes a week to decide)?
• Multiple touchpoints lost?

Fork A Data Acquisition (Connected Mode)

Conversion actions for this campaign:

SELECT
  conversion_action.name,
  conversion_action.type,
  conversion_action.category,
  conversion_action.counting_type,
  conversion_action.include_in_conversions_metric,
  conversion_action.status,
  metrics.conversions,
  metrics.all_conversions
FROM conversion_action
WHERE segments.date DURING LAST_30_DAYS
  AND conversion_action.status = 'ENABLED'
ORDER BY metrics.conversions DESC

Campaign-level conversion data:

SELECT
  campaign.name,
  campaign.final_url_suffix,
  metrics.clicks,
  metrics.conversions,
  metrics.all_conversions,
  metrics.cost_micros,
  metrics.cost_per_conversion
FROM campaign
WHERE campaign.status = 'ENABLED'
  AND segments.date DURING LAST_30_DAYS
ORDER BY metrics.clicks DESC

Ad-level landing page URLs and performance:

SELECT
  campaign.name,
  ad_group.name,
  ad_group_ad.ad.final_urls,
  ad_group_ad.ad.type,
  metrics.clicks,
  metrics.impressions,
  metrics.conversions,
  metrics.cost_micros
FROM ad_group_ad
WHERE campaign.status = 'ENABLED'
  AND ad_group_ad.status = 'ENABLED'
  AND segments.date DURING LAST_30_DAYS
ORDER BY metrics.clicks DESC
LIMIT 50

Landing page experience (quality score indicators):

SELECT
  campaign.name,
  ad_group.name,
  ad_group_criterion.keyword.text,
  ad_group_criterion.quality_info.quality_score,
  ad_group_criterion.quality_info.post_click_quality_score,
  ad_group_criterion.quality_info.creative_quality_score,
  ad_group_criterion.quality_info.search_predicted_ctr
FROM keyword_view
WHERE campaign.status = 'ENABLED'
  AND ad_group.status = 'ENABLED'
  AND ad_group_criterion.status = 'ENABLED'
ORDER BY ad_group_criterion.quality_info.post_click_quality_score ASC
LIMIT 50

Fork A Verdict

Fork B: Path/UX Diagnosis (Is the page actually failing?)

Only meaningful if Fork A shows tracking is Clean or Suspicious.

The Message Match Test

1. Search intent → Ad promise → Landing page delivery

The #1 conversion killer in Google Ads is message mismatch:

• User searches "roll-off dumpster rental near me" (specific, purchase-intent)
• Ad says "Container Solutions for Your Business" (vague)
• Landing page is a generic homepage with 12 menu items

Each handoff is a potential drop:

2. Specific checks (via browser or URL fetch):

• Above-the-fold message: Does the H1/hero text match the ad's promise? Does it match the search intent?
• CTA visibility: Can the user see what to do within 3 seconds? Is the CTA above the fold?
• Form friction: How many fields? Required fields? Captcha? Multi-step?
• Mobile experience: Does it work on mobile? (Most Google Ads clicks are mobile)
• Page speed: Does it load in <3 seconds? (Slow = bounced)
• Trust signals: Phone number, reviews, certifications, real photos?
• Specificity: Does the page serve ONE intent, or is it a homepage trying to serve all intents?

The Intent Routing Test

3. Are different intent classes landing on different pages?

If multiple intent classes all route to the same generic page, that's a structure problem (→ recommend in structure draft), not a landing page problem.

The Conversion Path Walk

4. Walk the actual path the user takes:

Click on ad
  → Landing page loads (check: speed, mobile rendering)
    → User reads headline (check: message match)
      → User finds CTA (check: visibility, clarity)
        → User clicks CTA (check: does it work?)
          → Form/checkout loads (check: friction, fields)
            → User submits (check: confirmation page loads)
              → Tag fires (check: conversion recorded)

Each step is a potential break. Document where the break is.

Fork B Scoring

Rate each dimension:

Data Acquisition — Landing Page Review

Connected Mode (MCP + Browser/Fetch)

1. Pull ad final URLs and campaign data via GAQL (see queries above)
2. For each unique landing URL:
   • Fetch with web_fetch for content analysis (H1, CTA text, form fields, page structure)
   • Use browser for interactive checks if needed (JavaScript-rendered pages, form testing)
   • Check mobile rendering if concerns arise
3. Cross-reference landing pages against search term intent classes from workspace/ads/intent-map.md