A landing page that produces enquiries: the structure step by step

A landing page is a page with one task: persuading the visitor who arrives to take one action, usually to get in touch. That sounds simple, and yet we often see pages trying to do everything at once: an extensive menu, ten separate services, three different buttons and a form with twelve fields. The result is a visitor who does not know what to do, and so does nothing. This article walks through the structure, from message to measurement. We name no conversion percentages or “proven” tricks: those depend on your industry, your offer and your traffic, and figures from other situations say little about yours.

When do you need a landing page?

Wherever you send traffic with one purpose: an ad campaign, a newsletter, a QR code on a flyer or a specific service you want to highlight. The general home page usually has several goals at once; a landing page has one. That makes it easier to write, easier to test and easier to judge. For paid campaigns there is something more: in the Quality Score, Google also assesses the landing page experience, next to expected click-through rate and ad relevance. A page that does not match the search therefore costs not only enquiries but can also reduce the efficiency of your campaign. More about the budget itself in Where does your Google Ads budget leak away?.

Step 1: choose one goal

Decide what a successful visit is. Is it a completed form, a phone call, an appointment in the calendar? Choose one as the main goal. A second, softer action (for example calling) can sit alongside, but make clear which is the most important. If you cannot say what the goal is, you cannot measure whether the page works.

Step 2: make the headline match what the visitor was looking for

Someone who clicks an ad for “hairdresser in Terneuzen” wants to see that confirmed at the top of the page straight away. The headline answers three questions: what is this, who is it for and what happens if I continue? Use your customers' words, not those of your internal organisation. Under the headline goes a short paragraph with the main promise, and directly after that the button that matches the goal.

Step 3: show proof that is real

People decide on trust. What gives proof must be real: actual reviews with a source, concrete examples of work, logos of customers who have given permission, certifications you really hold. Do not invent figures or quotes. In its guidance on helpful, reliable content, Google says content that helps people first is the core, and asks, among other things, who created the content and whether that is clear. That applies to a landing page just as much: show who you are and why you can do this.

Step 4: a form that asks for little

Every field in a form is a reason to drop off. Ask only what you need to respond: usually a name, a way to reply (email or phone) and a field for the question. Anything you can ask later in a conversation does not need to be there. The form must also be usable for everyone. In its forms tutorial, the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative explains that labels, grouping and clear instructions help people with and without disabilities, that people using speech input use the labels to activate fields and that a large clickable area helps people with limited dexterity. web.dev has its own course on forms with practical advice. In short:

1. Visible labels above or next to each field, not just placeholder text that disappears as soon as you type.
2. Clear error messages that say what is wrong and how to fix it.
3. The right field types (email, phone), so a phone shows the right keyboard.
4. A visible confirmation after sending, and a working email address on the receiving end. See email delivery: SPF, DKIM and DMARC.

Next to the form, briefly state what you do with the data and link to your privacy statement; see cookies and GDPR for your website.

Step 5: remove distraction

A landing page usually does not need a full menu. What you do not want is visitors wandering off via fifteen links before they have acted. Keep a logo and possibly a link to your home page in the header, and keep the rest of the page focused on one action. This does not mean hiding things: contact details, address and terms must simply be findable.

Step 6: make sure it loads quickly and stably

A page that loads slowly does not get read. In Web Vitals, web.dev describes three metrics: how fast the largest content appears (LCP), how fast the page responds to interaction (INP) and how stable the layout is (CLS). For a landing page the biggest image or headline at the top matters most; the LCP guide describes what influences that metric. Also check that everything is readable and usable on a phone, because most ad visits happen there. More in Core Web Vitals explained.

Step 7: measure the right thing

Without measurement, a landing page is an opinion. Google explains that you define yourself what a conversion is (a purchase, sign-up or phone call) and that conversion measurement shows which ads and keywords lead to it. So agree what counts, test it yourself by filling in the form and check whether the conversion appears in your report. Also measure what is not done: where do people drop off? You can only judge a change once enough visitors have come through to avoid going by chance. How to measure with respect for privacy is in privacy-friendly web analytics.

Step 8: improve in small, tested steps

Do not change everything at once. Change one thing (a headline, the number of fields, the position of the button), give it time and judge. Write down what you changed and when. Anyone who changes five things at once does not know what worked. With a campaign that steers itself, that applies even more: during the learning period of automated bidding, avoid too many simultaneous changes.

Common mistakes

• One page for everyone. Putting all services on one page speaks to nobody specifically.
• No follow-up after sending. A visitor who submits and sees nothing doubts whether it worked.
• Copy about yourself instead of about the customer. Start with your visitor's problem.
• A beautiful page that does not work on a phone.
• Hidden costs or conditions. What you have to say later anyway, you had better say straight away.
• A form nobody receives. Test it regularly, especially after a change to email or hosting.

A checklist before your page goes live

1. Does the headline match the ad or source?
2. Is there one clear main action, visible without scrolling?
3. Is the proof real and checkable?
4. Does the form ask only what is needed and is it accessible?
5. Does the page load quickly on a phone?
6. Has the measurement been tested?
7. Are the privacy statement and cookie choices in order?

In conclusion

A landing page that works is not the result of a trick but of clarity: one goal, an honest message, real proof and a threshold as low as is reasonable. Want us to build and measure your pages as part of a project with ads? Look at our Google Ads service and custom websites, or book a free intro call.

Sources

Reviewed on 28 October 2026 against the sources below. Rules and guidelines change; this article is general information, not legal or tax advice.

• About Quality Score (Google Ads Help)
• About conversion tracking (Google Ads Help)
• Web Vitals (web.dev)
• Optimize Largest Contentful Paint (web.dev)
• Forms Tutorial (W3C Web Accessibility Initiative)
• Learn Forms (web.dev)
• Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content (Google Search Central)

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