Landing Page Checklist for Conversions

A landing page converts when it delivers exactly what the ad or link promised, makes the next step obvious, and loads quickly on a phone. Then you need tracking, or you won’t know whether any change helped. This checklist walks through each part, using Google’s own guidance where it exists.

We don’t quote conversion-rate benchmarks here. Published averages vary widely by industry and method, and your own before-and-after numbers matter more.

Key facts (as of October 2026)

Google Ads defines landing page experience as “how relevant and useful your landing page is to people who click your ad.” It is one component of Quality Score (Google Ads Help).

Google recommends a landing page that “closely matches your ad and keywords” and mirrors the ad’s call to action (Google Ads Help).

Good Core Web Vitals: LCP within 2.5 seconds, INP of 200 milliseconds or less, CLS of 0.1 or less, measured at the 75th percentile (web.dev).

WCAG 2.2 asks for a text contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text) at Level AA (W3C).

Step 1: Does the page match the ad?

Message match means the visitor lands on the thing the ad talked about. Google’s advice is to “choose a landing page that closely matches your ad and keywords,” because that alignment helps both ad relevance and landing page experience, two components of Quality Score (Google Ads Help).

Google also says the page “should also mirror the call-to-action in your ad text.” Its example: if the ad asks people to sign up for a free tour, feature a sign-up form prominently on the page.

Check these:

The headline repeats the offer or keyword theme from the ad, in similar words.
The call to action on the page is the same action the ad asked for.
Prices, discounts, and deadlines in the ad appear on the page and match exactly.
Each ad group points to the most specific page you have, not your home page.
Final URLs work and match the display URL domain. Google Ads policy disapproves ads for problems such as “destination not working” and “destination mismatch” (Advertising Policies Help).

Step 2: What must be visible without scrolling?

Google suggests putting “important information towards the top of the page,” so visitors see it immediately when they arrive (Google Ads Help). On a phone, the first screen is small. Decide what goes there before you design anything else.

The first screen should answer three questions:

What is this? A headline that names the product or offer in plain words.
Why should I care? One line on the main benefit or the problem it solves.
What do I do next? One primary button or a short form.

Then check:

There is one primary call to action. Secondary links are visually quieter.
The button label says what happens (“Book a free tour,” not “Submit”).
The hero image or video shows the product or the result, not a generic stock scene.
Nothing covers the content on arrival. Google advises against “cluttering your site with too many ads or pop-ups.”

Step 3: Is the form as short as it can be?

Forms are where most visitors drop off, so every field needs a reason. Google’s web.dev guide on sign-up forms says: “ask for as little as possible,” and collect more data “only when you need to” (web.dev).

Remove fields you don’t use in the first follow-up. You can ask later.
Every field has a visible label. W3C says to “provide labels to identify all form controls” and notes that most users “prefer or even need visible labels” (W3C WAI). Placeholder text alone disappears when people type.
Labels are linked to fields in the code (<label for="email"> matching id="email").
Inputs use the right type, such as email or tel, so phones show the right keyboard (web.dev).
Fields use autocomplete values, such as autocomplete="email", so browsers can fill them.
Errors appear inline and explain how to fix them, “as soon as the user has entered a value” (web.dev).
The page after submit confirms what happens next and when.

If you ask for personal data, say why you need it and link your privacy policy next to the form.

Step 4: Does the page earn trust?

Google recommends providing “useful, original information” about what you advertise, and being “clear about your product or service and what it does,” with reviews as one example (Google Ads Help). Its destination policy also disapproves pages “designed for the primary purpose of showing ads” (Advertising Policies Help).

Trust signals that are within your control:

Real company name, address or service area, and a way to contact you.
Clear pricing, or a clear explanation of how pricing works.
Reviews, testimonials, or client names, used only with permission and only if real.
Specifics about what is included, delivery times, and refund or cancellation terms.
A privacy policy and, where relevant, terms of service.
Contact details that work. Google Ads can disapprove phone numbers that are “inaccurate, inactive, irrelevant” (Advertising Policies Help).

Never invent reviews, logos, or numbers. Besides being dishonest, it can break advertising rules and consumer protection laws.

Step 5: Is the page fast enough?

Use Core Web Vitals as your speed targets. Google’s web.dev defines the “good” thresholds (web.dev):

Metric	What it measures	Good
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)	Loading	Within 2.5 seconds
Interaction to Next Paint (INP)	Responsiveness	200 milliseconds or less
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)	Visual stability	0.1 or less

Google recommends measuring at the 75th percentile of page loads, “segmented across mobile and desktop devices.” So most visitors, not just the fastest ones, should get a good experience.

To check:

Run the page in PageSpeed Insights. It shows field data from real Chrome users over the previous 28 days when enough data exists, and lab data from Lighthouse (PageSpeed Insights docs).
Look at the mobile result first. Paid traffic is often mostly mobile.
Fix the largest problems. Compress and size the hero image, remove unused scripts and tracking tags, and reserve space for images and banners so the layout doesn’t jump.

A new page may not have enough field data yet. In that case, use the lab data as a guide and check field data again later.

Step 6: Does it work well on a phone?

Google says “many of your customers will be visiting your website on a mobile device” and recommends three things: “Keep it quick,” “Make it easy to contact you,” and “Use simple navigation” (Google Ads Help).

Test on a real phone, not just a resized desktop browser.
Text is readable without zooming.
Buttons and links are easy to tap, with space between them.
The phone number is a tappable link (tel:).
Forms work with the on-screen keyboard open.
Sticky headers or chat widgets don’t cover the call to action.

In Google Ads, open Campaigns > Insights & reports > Landing pages. Google describes columns there such as “mobile-friendly click rate,” the share of clicks that went to pages Google treats as mobile-friendly (Google Ads Help).

Step 7: Can you measure conversions?

Without tracking, you can’t tell which ads or page changes work. Google Ads conversion tracking lets you choose what counts as valuable, “like a purchase, sign-up, or phone call” (Google Ads Help). It covers website, app, phone call, and offline conversions.

Decide on one primary conversion for the page, such as a completed form or a purchase.
Create a conversion action in Google Ads.
Install the Google tag on the site and set up the event that fires when the action completes.
Test it yourself and confirm the conversion shows in Google Ads.

Track the completion, not the button click. A click on “Submit” that fails validation isn’t a lead. If you tag non-Google traffic, use consistent UTM parameters. Our UTM naming convention explains how. For the campaign side, see the Google Ads search campaign checklist.

If you have visitors in the EEA, Google’s page notes that Consent Mode should be correctly configured. Get advice on what consent rules apply to you.

Step 8: Is it accessible?

Accessible pages work for more people, including anyone on a small screen in bright sun. Start with these basics from W3C:

Contrast. Text contrast of at least 4.5:1, or 3:1 for large text (WCAG 2.2, 1.4.3, Level AA) (W3C). Watch light gray text and text over photos.
Alt text. “Images must have text alternatives that describe the information or function represented by them.” Purely decorative images get an empty alt="" (W3C WAI).
Labels. Every form field has a label (see Step 3).
Keyboard. You can reach and use every button and field with the Tab key.
Buttons are buttons. Use real <button> or <a> elements, not clickable <div>s.

PageSpeed Insights also runs a Lighthouse accessibility check. It catches some issues but not all, so test by hand too.

What can go wrong?

Sending all ads to the home page. Visitors have to search for the offer you promised.
Testing only on desktop. The page looks fine on a laptop and breaks on a phone.
Counting clicks as conversions. Reports look good while real leads stay flat.
Changing many things at once. If results move, you won’t know why. Change one major element at a time, and give it enough traffic before you judge.
Adding pop-ups to “boost” sign-ups. Google specifically warns against too many ads or pop-ups.
Copying a competitor’s page. Google’s policy targets content replicated without original value.

Pre-launch checklist

Headline and call to action match the ad.
One clear primary action visible on the first mobile screen.
Form asks only for what you need, with visible labels and correct input types.
Real trust signals: contact details, pricing clarity, terms, privacy policy.
PageSpeed Insights checked on mobile; LCP, INP, and CLS in the good range or a plan to fix them.
Tested on a real phone.
Conversion tracking fires on completion and shows in Google Ads.
Contrast, alt text, labels, and keyboard access checked.
Final URL works and matches the display URL domain.