Optimise existing pages for mobile and message match

After identifying your best pages and redirecting traffic, the next step is systematic optimisation. Don't jump to building new pages yet. Optimise what you have first.

Two optimisations deliver the biggest impact with least effort: mobile optimisation (fix load speed, tap targets, form length) and message match (ensure ad headline matches landing page headline). These fixes alone can lift conversion 20-50%.

This chapter shows you how to compare desktop versus mobile performance, fix mobile-specific issues, ensure ad-to-page message match (maintaining scent), and structure pages for scanners not readers.

First, understand the problem. In Google Analytics 4, segment your landing page data by device: desktop, mobile, tablet. Look at conversion rates separately.

Common pattern: desktop converts at 4%, mobile converts at 1.5%. Mobile is 60% of traffic but 30% of conversions. You're losing most of your mobile visitors. This is the default state for most B2B sites because they were designed desktop-first.

Dig deeper: look at bounce rate (mobile often 50-60% versus desktop 30-40%), time on page (mobile 20 seconds versus desktop 45 seconds), scroll depth (mobile users scroll less). Mobile visitors are leaving faster and engaging less. Why?

Three main reasons: page loads slowly on mobile (3+ seconds), tap targets are too small (buttons and links under 48px), forms are too long (asking for 8 fields when mobile users want to type 3 maximum). Fix these three things first.

Use Google PageSpeed Insights for mobile specifically. Test your landing pages on actual mobile devices, not just browser emulation. iPhone and Android both. Small screen, slow connection, thumb-based navigation. Does your page work?

Load speed: Target under 3 seconds on mobile. Every additional second of load time reduces conversion ~7%. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to identify issues. Common culprits: large uncompressed images (compress and serve WebP format), unnecessary JavaScript (defer or remove), unoptimised fonts (use system fonts or preload custom fonts), excessive CSS (remove unused styles).

Quick wins: compress images (use TinyPNG or similar, aim for under 200KB per image), enable browser caching, use a CDN, remove unnecessary tracking scripts (every tracking pixel adds load time). Most landing pages can load in under 2 seconds with these fixes.

Tap target size: Buttons, links, form fields must be minimum 48px × 48px for thumb tapping. Smaller targets lead to mis-taps and frustration. Review every interactive element. Navigation links often too small. CTA buttons sometimes too small. Form field labels too small (makes it hard to tap into the field).

Also check spacing: interactive elements need 8px minimum spacing between them. Two buttons side by side with 2px spacing = frequent mis-taps. Increase spacing or stack buttons vertically on mobile.

Form length: Desktop users tolerate 6-8 form fields. Mobile users tolerate 3 maximum. Every additional field reduces mobile conversion ~15%. Audit your lead forms. Do you really need company size, industry, role, pain point, and timeline? Or can you ask name, email, company and qualify later?

Progressive profiling: ask for basic info first (name, email), then ask for more details in follow-up emails or during sales conversation. Don't try to qualify perfectly on the form. Get the lead first, qualify second. For mobile specifically, less is more.

Test mobile-only improvements separately from desktop. Don't assume fixing mobile helps desktop (sometimes mobile fixes hurt desktop, like shorter forms reducing lead quality). Track mobile conversion rate specifically and optimise for it directly.

Message match (also called scent) means the ad promise matches the landing page headline. If your ad says "30-minute security training" and your landing page headline says "Comprehensive security awareness platform", you've broken scent. Visitor thinks "is this the right page?"

The rule: ad headline and landing page headline should be nearly identical or clearly connected. If someone clicks your ad, they should immediately recognise they're in the right place.

Exact match example: Ad headline "Train your team in 30 minutes". Landing page headline "Train your entire team in 30 minutes". Same core promise, visitor knows they're in the right place, no cognitive load.

Connected match example: Ad headline "Reduce breach risk 47%". Landing page headline "Security training that reduces breach risk" with subheading "47% average reduction in 90 days". Connected but not identical. Core promise maintained.

Broken match example: Ad headline "Meet compliance requirements fast". Landing page headline "Build a security-first culture". Different promises, visitor unsure if this solves their compliance need. Broken scent.

Also maintain visual consistency: if your ad uses blue branding and professional photography, landing page should too. If your ad uses casual iPhone photos and orange branding, landing page should match. Dramatic visual changes break scent even if message matches.

Terminology consistency: if your ad calls it "training", don't call it "education" on the landing page. If your ad calls it "breach risk", don't switch to "security incidents". Visitors notice these shifts and subconsciously wonder if they're in the right place.

Test message match systematically: create landing page variants with headlines matching different ad campaigns. Your compliance-driven ad says "Meet SOC 2 requirements in 30 minutes", landing page headline matches exactly. Your breach-reactive ad says "Deploy security training today", different landing page variant with matching headline. Match the message to the campaign.

Nobody reads landing pages word-for-word. They scan. Structure your page for scanning: short paragraphs, clear subheadings, bullet points, white space.

Short paragraphs: 2-3 sentences maximum. Any longer and mobile users skip it. Desktop users tolerate longer paragraphs but still prefer short. Break up walls of text. One idea per paragraph.

Subheadings every 100-150 words: Subheadings let scanners jump to relevant sections. Make subheadings descriptive, not clever. "Reduce breach risk with behaviour tracking" (clear, specific) beats "See what's working" (vague). Scanners should understand your value by reading subheadings alone.

Bullet points for features and benefits: Lists are easier to scan than paragraphs. Use bullets for: features (what it does), benefits (what you get), proof points (who uses it, what results), objection handling (common concerns addressed). But don't overuse. Too many bullets and the page feels like a grocery list.

White space: Dense pages overwhelm. Leave breathing room. Space between sections, space around headings, space around buttons. Mobile especially needs white space because screens are small. Cramming too much on screen at once reduces conversion.

Visual hierarchy: Largest text (H1) is main headline. Medium text (H2) is subheadings. Body text is smallest. CTA buttons are visually distinct (colour, size, placement). Proof elements (logos, testimonials) are clearly separated from sales copy. Clear hierarchy guides the eye through the page in the right order.

Test page length: short pages (under 600 words) versus long pages (over 1,500 words). Cold traffic often needs longer pages (more education required). Hot traffic often converts better with short pages (they're ready, don't make them work). Match page length to awareness stage.

Optimise existing pages before building new ones. Start with mobile optimisation: fix load speed (under 3 seconds), tap target size (minimum 48px), form length (3 fields maximum on mobile). Mobile is 60%+ of traffic, optimise for it specifically.

Ensure message match between ads and landing pages. Ad headline should match or clearly connect to landing page headline. Maintain visual consistency and terminology consistency. Broken scent makes visitors wonder if they're in the right place.

Structure pages for scanners not readers: short paragraphs (2-3 sentences), subheadings every 100-150 words, bullet points for lists, white space for breathing room, clear visual hierarchy guiding the eye.

Track mobile conversion separately from desktop. Test mobile-only improvements. Match page length to awareness stage (cold traffic needs longer pages, hot traffic converts better with shorter pages).

Next chapter: build segment-specific pages where gaps exist.