Mobile search is where a significant proportion of travel research happens – particularly in the early inspiration and consideration stages, when prospective customers are browsing during commutes, evenings, and weekends. For tour operators running Google Ads campaigns, failing to optimise specifically for mobile means paying for mobile clicks that convert at a fraction of the rate your desktop campaigns achieve. Here’s how to close that gap.
Creating a better landing page experience
The mobile landing page is where most of the performance gap between desktop and mobile converts sits. A slow-loading tour page, a form that’s hard to complete on a small screen, or content that requires extensive scrolling to find basic booking information will lose mobile visitors before they’ve had a chance to engage. In our experience, the mobile landing page improvements that drive the largest conversion uplifts are: load speed optimisation, click-to-call placement above the fold, and form simplification – reducing the fields required to complete an enquiry to the minimum needed to have a useful initial conversation.
Device-specific ad copy
Mobile searchers are often in a different mindset to desktop searchers – more likely to be in early research mode, more likely to want a quick answer, and more likely to call rather than complete a lengthy form. Writing device-appropriate ad copy means adapting your messaging for the mobile context. Shorter, more action-oriented headlines that speak to the mobile user’s likely intent – “Call us about 2025 Morocco tours”, “Get your Italy itinerary today” – tend to outperform desktop ad copy served unchanged to mobile. Google Ads allows you to write specific mobile-preferred ads, or to adjust your RSA asset priorities based on device.
What are IF functions?
IF functions in Google Ads allow your ad copy to dynamically change based on conditions you define – including the user’s device. You can set your ad to show different text for mobile users than for desktop users within the same ad. For example: “Call now to book [IF mobile:today][ELSE:your trip]”. For tour operators who handle bookings primarily through phone calls, this kind of mobile-specific messaging – placing the call option front and centre – can meaningfully improve mobile call conversion rates.
Focus on generating calls
Phone calls are often the highest-value conversion for travel bookings, particularly for higher-value tours where customers want to speak to someone before committing. Mobile search is where call-based conversion is most natural – a prospective customer searching on their phone can go from clicking your ad to calling your team in seconds. Use call extensions on all mobile-optimised campaigns, run call-only campaigns for branded and high-intent searches, and ensure call tracking is in place to measure which campaigns are generating phone enquiries.
Mobile-friendly extensions
Ad extensions improve the relevance and size of your search ads – and several are particularly effective for mobile. Callout extensions highlighting key booking benefits (“ATOL Protected”, “Guaranteed Departures”, “Flexible Booking”) display well on mobile and improve Quality Score. Location extensions are useful for operators with physical offices. Call extensions add a click-to-call button directly in the SERP. We tend to run a full extension set on all travel campaigns, then review performance data by extension to optimise over time – on mobile, extensions often contribute more to click-through rate than the headline copy.
Auto-fill lead ads
On Meta (Facebook and Instagram), lead ads allow prospective customers to submit their details without leaving the platform – particularly effective on mobile where navigating to an external landing page creates friction. For tour operators running awareness and consideration campaigns on social, lead ads can capture enquiry-stage interest at the moment it peaks, without depending on a mobile landing page conversion. What we’ve found is that lead ads for travel work best when the ask is clear and low-commitment – “request a brochure”, “ask about 2025 departures” – rather than a full booking enquiry form.
Review your mobile strategy
Review your mobile performance data regularly in Google Ads – comparing mobile vs. desktop conversion rates, CPAs, and impression shares. If mobile CPA is significantly higher than desktop, the fix is usually in landing page experience or ad copy rather than in bidding alone. Bid adjustments for mobile devices can compensate for lower conversion rates, but they don’t address the underlying issues – which is where sustained performance improvement comes from.