When it comes to search engine optimization, so many people just think “traffic, traffic, traffic.”
What, exactly, does traffic do for you? Nothing! It is conversions that bring you leads and customers. To properly use SEO, you must develop your site with conversions in mind. You want to create a site that is optimized for search engines, as well as encourage people to click on that little button that takes them from anonymous site-reader into a lead with a name, goal, and budget. Here is how to do it.
Watch your keywords
Your keywords should not be chosen purely based upon what will generate the most traffic, Instead, they should be selected based upon what will bring you the right traffic. You want the keywords you use to match the language used by your customers when they are searching for companies in your industry. How do you find your keywords?
- You develop your buyer personas (summaries of your ideal customers) so you know the type of people you are looking for
- You pay attention to the challenges and goals of your buyer personas
- You listen to the language used by your existing customers
- You measure how your keywords perform
You make sure your content is easy to read and digest
Developing content that can easily be read has importance both for your actual site visitors as well as for search engines. Just like a real person, the ‘spiders’ sent out by search engines to comb through webpages seek pages that have clearly identifiable goals and information.
For human readers, a well formatted page will be easy to scan. This allows your visitors to see that you have the information that they seek, which will encourage them to dive further into your site, rather than just clicking off right away. That is why no experienced writer for content writing sites worth their salt will send back just a wall of text. So what are these good formatting practices?
- Clear headlines, preferably containing the page keywords
- Short paragraphs
- Lists and bullet points
- Bolded text to call the reader to key points
- Use of the keywords in a natural way
Using a prominent and applicable call to action
The call to action will always work best when you align the call to action with the information that is on the page. For example, a call to action on a page about how to avoid frozen pipes might be a downloadable PDF about caring for pipes. A call to action for a free estimate might not work as well because the customer reading about frozen pipes has not given any indication that they are ready to buy. That CTA would work better on the pricing page.
SEO works best for the company when it is paired with conversion considerations and techniques. By aligning these two types of optimization, the company can take their website to the next level and start to see their focus on traffic shift towards a focus on conversions.
Jessica B spends her days writing content for her customers and laughing with her children. She loves learning about the latest in marketing and how it intersects with her background in psychology.
