Search engine optimization, or SEO, leaves a lot of people confused. SEO optimizes your website for search. Put another way, it brings people to your site and generates leads.
That’s great, right? You want people to come to your website. However, that’s only part of the story. Once people get to your website, what do you want them to do? Become a client – and no amount of SEO can convert a lead into a client. Only great content can.
The #1 mistake people make when it comes to SEO is not taking conversion into consideration.
This is why we take a different approach to SEO. Conversion has to be a paramount consideration when your website is being optimized for search, and that means we place a great deal of emphasis on outstanding content. After all, what good is 10 million leads if every one of them clicks off your website?
When a lead hits your homepage, we make sure they immediately see your value proposition – the reason they should pick you over anyone else – as well as a narrative around that story, and a call-to-action. That content, not the SEO that led users to your site in the first place, is what helps convert leads into customers.
You have to be thoughtful about your website content, of course. It needs to include the appropriate keywords for search, and it cannot be repetitive (or Google will ding you).
Our approach to SEO is pretty straightforward:
Write client-focused content.
The first thing we always look at is the current content and whether or not it is client-focused. Unless your website includes meaningful content that makes sense to the client, you’ll lose leads very quickly. We see good intentions go astray in two common ways.
One, many companies don’t address their prospects directly. Instead of talking to them (in the first person), you talk “at” them or about them (in the third person).
Two, content is completely company-focused and barely mentions the client.
To remedy these mistakes, we bring in our copywriters to edit the content so that it is both written in the first person and completely focused on the ideal client and his or her needs.
Remove jargon.
It’s not a safe bet to assume that everyone who lands on your website already knows the jargon and acronyms commonly used in your industry. And the people who don’t already know the meaning are not likely to search for it. Additionally, if someone is new to the industry but a hot lead, you don’t want to scare them away with dense, technical language.
Our copywriters sweep through and overhaul content so it’s more readable for industry newcomers and veterans alike. They never dumb down content, but they will replace jargon with the plain English keywords people use when conducting a search.
Add a compelling call-to-action.
Every page must have a call-to-action, or CTA, to help drive conversion or engagement. It is perfectly OK to tell people what step they can take next. Should they download a free guide or ebook? Sign up for a free trial? Contact you to make an appointment? Our goal is to get leads into the sales funnel so they become clients.
Implement the technical side.
Some companies have plenty of great content, but don’t bother to add titles and descriptions to their website code. From a technical perspective, this is an easy step that should not be skipped. If you don’t use keywords in the page title and description – and that’s what pops up in search – you won’t be found.
Naturally, when we address search engine optimization, we make sure that the technical aspects of SEO are taken care of and that each page incorporates the proper keywords in the page title, description, and content. Including a strong heading is definitely helpful, as is organizing the content with subheadings (which makes it more readable).
What is your biggest stumbling block when it comes to SEO – or content? Check out our Crash Course in SEO for tips on choosing the best title, description, and keywords for each page.
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