Google announced that beginning April 1st they would start strictly enforcing their policy about destination URLs and displayed URLs in Google AdWords.

After April 1st, the displayed URL must take visitors to the same website (but not necessarily to the Home page of the website.)

They said this is not a policy or rule change, just that they are going to start enforcing their existing policy.

(I think if I were Google, I would set it to go into effect on April 5th or 10th so people wouldn't think it was an April Fool's joke.)

Anyway, for example, I sell Million Dollar Bills using Google AdWords (and have been for many years). The displayed URL in my Google AdWord ads shows www.zMillionDollar.com, but when someone clicks on the ad, they are taken to this page.

http://www.bizoprefund.com/products/item7.cfm

See the two screen captures below:

In the first one I used the search phrase, "Million Dollar Bills" and in the second one I use the singular version and searched for "Million Dollar Bill."

Notice that in the first example, my ad is in the #1 position (I don't like to be in the #1 position) and in the second example my ad is in the #2 position.

Most of the time Google lists two or three of the ads at the top on the left side, but in the second example Google doesn't show any ads at the top of the page on the left and all of the ads are on the right side.

As you can see in the second example, my ad is in the #2 position.

My tests (and many other tests) have shown that having a displayed URL that relates to the product being sold greatly increases the click-through rate.

It's no big deal to make the changes. It was just quicker and easier to design the sales page using the MemberGate software that I use to run this site and others.

I can still have the order button taking the buyer to the MemberGate checkout page so I can still use the same credit card processing account, but I have to quickly finish the layout of the zMillionDollar.com page (before April 1st.)

If you are using AdWords, . . .

take the time right now to check your displayed URL and your landing page URL and make sure they take people to the same website -- not necessarily to the same page on the website). If not, start now to make changes and don't wait until the last minute.

Note: It is ok to have the displayed URL to be www.zMillionDollar.com and have the destination URL to be www.zMillionDollar.com/xyz (or whatever). The displayed URL can be the the URL of the Home page on the site, and the destination URL can be a sales page on the site -- it just can't send visitors to a totally different website.

Bottom line: