Matt: Hey, James. Nice to have you once again for another bonus episode of The Conversion Podcast. Today we’ve got another broadly applicable example, this time looking at how experimentation can improve paid performance. I’ll let you set the scene.

James: Thanks, Matt. This one includes a couple of examples to illustrate how to optimize paid channels, which are often quite short. In this case, we had a SaaS customer running a lot of paid search ads — both branded and non-branded.

They had a very simple funnel: a prospect clicks an ad, lands on the page, sees the value propositions, and signs up for a free trial.

James: We started with a conventional idea. The control version was a short page without all the product details. Our test version expanded the page, added more information about features and value propositions, and provided multiple opportunities to get started. The idea was: when people see the content that resonates with them, they’ll be more likely to convert.

This is a tried-and-true methodology — more comprehension, more CTAs, more conversions. But in this case, it failed. Or at least, it produced a flat result. No measurable impact. Customers already had enough information, so this wasn’t the lever to pull.

James: That led us to think differently: what about the entry point? What expectations did users have when coming into the page? Were we delivering on those expectations?

When we dug in, we discovered something important. Almost all of their top paid ads — both branded and non-branded — used the term “free trial” prominently in the copy and headlines. But when you landed on the page, that promise wasn’t reinforced. The first mention of “free trial” came all the way at the bottom of the page, with the final conversion action.

James: In the variation, we made a simple but powerful change. Just above the CTA, we clearly stated: “Start your free trial today.” We added details like the 14-day trial length, easy setup, and cancel anytime — consistent with what some of the ads had promised.

The result? A 7% increase in leads.

James: This drives home a point marketers often forget: the scent trail matters. With so many fractured journeys — multiple ads, multiple variations — customers arrive with certain expectations. If your landing page doesn’t match that expectation, you create friction. When you align the scent trail — ad to page, promise to delivery — results follow.

Matt: Did this only work for paid traffic, or did it help organic as well?

James: We explored it across different channels, but it was particularly impactful for paid because that was the primary entry point. And let’s face it, a free trial is a hard proposition to pass up.

Matt: Right. And beyond the 7% lift in leads, there’s a budget impact too. Better conversion rates mean more efficient ad spend, the ability to scale, and a flywheel effect that drives growth.

James: Exactly.

Matt: A really cool one. Thanks once again, James.

James: Thanks, Matt.