Tong has long observed the battle between two fierce competitors, SEO and CRO, creating friction as they purposefully vie for dominance in the packed ballrooms of the internet.
On the one hand, there was SEO, an expert on getting noticed and getting lots of visitors.
The CRO was standing on the other side. It had a delicate way of faithfully transforming even the most fleeting glances. The CRO aimed to fine-tune and optimize the user journey and ensure that each step was directed toward the desired conversion outcome.
One day we asked ourselves: “Why do we have to endure this pointless feud? Together, SEO and CRO form an alliance so powerful that no one can match their combined strength.”
I may have been watching too much of “The Bridgertons'' recently. But the truth remains the same.
SEO and CRO, when combined, make a harmonious combination, so if you’re struggling to convert your traffic, check out these handy tools and tips.
Why Non-Lead Traffic is a Problem
High traffic, low leads
Many websites struggle with visitors who don’t convert.
High traffic doesn't necessarily mean high conversions.
High traffic and low conversion rates could be a sign of an underlying problem.
Separation of SEO and CRO
The problem is often a mismatch between CRO and SEO.
SEO attracts visitors, and CRO converts them into paying customers by optimizing the website navigation path.
When these areas are out of balance, you end up with a lot of low-quality traffic that's hard to convert into sales.
Here are some typical problems when forwarding high-quality traffic.
Target keywords that are too broad
High keyword volume increases visibility, but keywords that are too broad can cause visitors to be uninterested in your content, resulting in high bounce rates and low conversion rates.
Review pages that get high traffic but also have high bounce rates. Review your keywords and consider revising your content to target more relevant terms.
Overemphasizing driving traffic to low-converting pages
Driving traffic to top-of-funnel content isn’t a bad thing, but focusing too much on it can have a negative impact on your CRO.
Analyzing the traffic and conversion rate of each page can help you solve this problem.
Missing CTA
A blog page can generate good traffic, but most visitors just read it and then leave.
Optimize your content with targeted CTAs, offer more in-depth content or free trials, and use CTAs to convert traffic more effectively.
Believe one or the other
You don't have to choose between SEO and CRO.
SEO and CRO should work together to increase visibility, conversions, and sales.
Any business that wants to grow needs customers to sell to.
Succeed with SEO and CRO
Identify and target the right audience
- Understand your target audience's specific needs and behaviors, including demographics, motivations, and barriers they face.
- By defining what brings people to your website and what stops them from converting, you can customize your SEO strategy to attract the right traffic that’s more likely to convert.
- Gather important information using tools such as surveys and interviews.
- Use personas to create content that resonates with your specific audience, greatly increasing your chances of conversion.
Optimize your pages for conversions
- Optimize your target pages to ensure they are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also easy to use and navigate.
- Be sure to focus on grabbing the user's attention, with a clear headline, an attention-grabbing value proposition, and a prominent call-to-action (CTA).
- Reducing the number of form fields can significantly improve your conversion rates.
- Make sure your call to action (CTA) is clear and concise, such as “Download the guide.”
Build trust and credibility
- Build trust and increase authority by including ratings, reviews, testimonials, case studies, and more.
- Online reviews improve your business' ranking and visibility in search results and also boost your credibility among website visitors.
Focus on mobile users
- Mobile users expect a fast, easy and seamless shopping experience, so a poor mobile user experience can lead to increased cart abandonment and lost sales.
- Implementing responsive design, improving page loading speeds, and making navigation easier on mobile devices will improve your search rankings and increase conversion rates.
Increased page speed
Page speed is an important factor for both search rankings and conversion rates.
The faster the page loads, the higher the conversion rate.
Even a one-second delay can significantly reduce your conversions.
How to Optimize Your Page Speed
- Optimize media and code
- Use a content delivery network (CDN)
- Implementing responsive design
Continuous synergy between SEO and CRO
The power of a website is rooted in the integration of SEO and CRO.
Combining SEO's ability to attract audiences with CRO's skills in converting them creates a powerful synergy that drives both traffic and conversions.
Both strategies are not contradictory and are important for success.
Targeting the right keywords, optimizing the user experience, and ensuring your site is mobile-friendly and fast-loading are key steps in this process.
The mutually beneficial efforts of SEO and CRO increase visibility and significantly increase conversion rates, leading to sustained growth and success.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily those of Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.