Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) and search engine optimisation (SEO) are like two sides of the same coin. It’s all very well spending hours on SEO, but without including a sound strategy for CRO what’s it all for? Conversion goals vary from increasing click-through rates and sales to getting visitors to perform functions like calling a number, subscribing to a newsletter or downloading something in exchange for an email address. Lots of traffic doesn’t automatically equate to an increase in conversions, but by optimising the one you can and should look to improve the results of the other. Here are 5 CRO tips that will help with help with SEO and web content at the same time:
– Focus on a single topic or product. Search engines like to know exactly what a visitor will find on arrival and the more relevant the site is to the visitor’s search criteria the more likely they will remain on the site and perform the necessary task that will convert them from visitor to customer.
– Increase the value of your linked pages with the search engines by trimming back the number of links per page. Group links in a more logical way to assist your visitor and reduce the distractions that may be hindering your conversion rates. At the same time you could also trim back content ‘padding’ and replace this with content that directs the visitor gently and clearly to a timely call to action.
– Entice your visitor to spend more time and dig deeper by humanising your website with genuine reviews and testimonials. Adding value to your content to improve user experience keeps your visitor engaged longer, which not only increases the possibility of conversion but also avoids the dreaded bounce which is detrimental to both CRO and SEO.
– Weed out duplicate content CSS and JavaScript; reduce elements like spacer GIFs and image segments and make graphics smaller in size and resolution for stronger and faster pages. Keep Flash and audio to a minimum and never use auto play, as it’s clearly annoying to the visitor in so many ways. Why is speeding things up important? Whether it’s the time used searching or waiting for something to load, a few hundred milliseconds trimmed could equate to a 5-9% increase in visitor retention. You can also be sure such an effect on your bounce back rate will play a major part in search engine assessments too.
– You cannot hope to optimise your page to improve conversion rates without understanding your visitor’s intention when arriving there. An effective landing page uses keywords to firstly let people know they’re in the right place and then make it as easy as possible to get the information they need – namely, the why and how of whatever action is required of them. Having clear, relevant and keyword-rich headlines makes sense for successful SEO and CRO, so replace ‘clever’ headlines with clear, compelling and relevant ones. The Meta title in the SERPs should match the landing page’s headline and include the keyword and primary benefit of the product or service. Similarly, make the most of H tags. When well-written headers stand out from the body text, users can find the things they’re looking for faster, and that sends all the right messages to the search engines.