# Statement vs question PPC headline: CTR fell from 2.71% to 1.99%

- Outcome: Lost
- Page type: Ad (Lead-gen)
- Elements: Headline, Ad copy
- Date shared: 2008-09
- Test run by: [MarketingExperiments](https://liftarchive.com/practitioners/marketingexperiments/)
- Commentary by: LiftArchive (our analysis, not theirs)
- Original source: https://marketingexperiments.com/value-proposition/optimizing-headlines
- Page: https://liftarchive.com/test/me-ppc-statement-vs-question-headline/

Swapping a question-style PPC headline for a statement cut clickthrough rate from 2.71% to 1.99%, so the original question ad won by 36%. MarketingExperiments (MECLABS) ran this test with an unnamed research partner advertising free content. The statement shown was the best of three statement versions.

## Result

**CTR fell from 2.71% to 1.99%**

- Clickthrough rate: 2.71% to 1.99%, about -27% relative. The question ad did 36% better. A negative result for the statement.
- The ad group had four ads, one question and three statements, with traffic split evenly. This compares the best two.
- No impression counts or significance level were shared.
- The test measured clicks only, not sign-ups or leads after the click.

## Control

A pay-per-click ad with a headline written as a question, shown on searches for 'free content'.

## Variant

The same ad with a statement-style headline instead. The end of the second line was tweaked to match each headline.

## Why it likely lost (our reading)

- A question can mirror what the searcher is already asking, so the ad feels more relevant.
- Questions invite the reader to answer in their head, which may pull more attention in a list of ads.
- The exact ad copy is only shown as an image on the source, so we can't judge the wording itself.

## Caveats

2008 test with no impression counts, significance or post-click data shared. The partner's business type was not stated.

## How to run this test

- Hypothesis: If we phrase our ad headline as the question the searcher is asking, then more people will click because the ad matches their intent.
- Primary metric: Clickthrough rate
- Guardrail: Conversion rate after the click
- Guardrail: Cost per lead
- Who should test it: Lead-gen and SaaS businesses running search ads on question-like or problem-led keywords. It may not help on brand or product-name searches, where a direct statement of the offer is often clearer.

---

Credit: MarketingExperiments ran this test and owns the result. Summary and commentary by LiftArchive (https://liftarchive.com/test/me-ppc-statement-vs-question-headline/).
Usage: Free to use, quote and build on, with credit and a link: name the practitioner or organization that ran the test and link to its LiftArchive page. The results belong to the practitioners who ran and shared them; the summaries and commentary are LiftArchive's.