Applying conversion optimization to SEO

When optimizing your website, you'll realize high rankings aren't the sole factor for a successful online marketing strategy. However, you can only implement conversion optimization when you have enough website visitors. How do you approach this and what else is involved? Below, we answer all your questions.

What is a conversion?

There are various types of conversions, representing actions users must take on the website, crucial for online success. Examples include signing up for a newsletter, requesting a quote, downloading a PDF file, or completing a purchase. Each webpage has its own goals, categorized into micro and macro conversions. Micro-conversions yield small campaign successes, like clicking on a phone number. Macro-conversions represent major successes, such as product purchases.

SERP, CTR, and CTA

The most common conversion is requesting a quote or making a purchase. With SEO, conversion begins when visitors see your page within the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) and subsequently click on your website. There's a distinction between a page click and the number of impressions, known as Click-Through Rate (CTR). Crafting a compelling call-to-action (CTA) in the meta-tag, a persuasive meta-title, and a powerful snippet ensures visitors are enticed to click on your page in Google.

The goal of CRO

Once visitors land on your website, you can optimize these conversions. With conversion rate optimization (CRO), you aim to increase the number of conversions for a webpage or website. This means encouraging visitors to take action on your website, an essential component akin to Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in creating user-friendly pages. Integrating CRO into search engine optimization provides valuable impact in online marketing. However, SEO must precede CRO since testing can only commence with sufficient visitors, as clearer data emerges with increased website traffic.

The perfect match

You can also combine SEO and CRO, ensuring proper alignment, as organic traffic often converts well. With Google's evolving algorithms, search results improve, with SEO frequently driving significant website traffic, complementing CRO efforts. Implementing CRO on a webpage encourages visitors to stay longer and take more actions, reducing the likelihood of returning to Google for other results, an ideal scenario. CRO specialists constantly test to determine which page goals convert better, benefiting from insights derived from organic traffic without significant costs or time investment. To boost conversions, thorough testing and optimization are imperative.

Technical considerations

Several technical aspects are involved, including page load speed, Javascript, and CSS code. User Experience (UX) also influences rankings; optimizing this experience ensures visitors find and navigate your pages quickly and easily. A positive user experience is key to higher conversion rates. By combining SEO and CRO, you can increase organic traffic and achieve a higher conversion rate, a win-win situation.