How To Optimize Your Website For SEO And Conversions

Learning how to optimize your website for SEO and conversions is crucial to the success of your site.

If you have good SEO, you can drive more traffic and get more opportunities to convert leads.

And a conversion-optimized website typically has better metrics like time on page and bounce rate, which means Google could rank higher.

Optimize your website for SEO and conversions

The following tips and strategies will teach you how to optimize your website for both SEO and conversions so you get the best of both worlds.

First it would be good to know how your site is today. To do this, you can request a report on the current SEO status of your site. It is a free report.

What is SEO?

SEO stands for "search engine optimization ". It is the process of increasing traffic to your website primarily through Google search engine results.

This helps make your website more visible. When potential customers search for terms related to your brand, they are more likely to discover your website and become customers.

Imagine that your business is a dentist clinic like Sakar Dental . Offer oral care tips and treatments to improve your smile on your website.

You should also have articles on different toothbrushes or the importance of flossing.

With good SEO practices , a person searching for a keyword like “what is the best toothbrush” might have a better chance of finding that item, and therefore your brand.

That is the power of SEO.

5 reasons why you should optimize your website for SEO

There are many reasons to learn how to optimize your website for SEO and conversions together.

First, you need to know how they work together to create a more efficient and productive website.

Let's look at five specific reasons to optimize your site right away and continually optimize it over time.

Make your website useful to your specific audience

Marketers sometimes feel like they're at odds with Google. For example, the search engine doesn't rank the best content, or they see a big drop in traffic after an algorithm update.

However, in reality, your goals and Google's are the same:

• Offer the best possible content for your audience
• Create a positive user experience on your website
• Prioritize content that offers significant value
• Offer in-depth product reviews and evidence of use

You just do it in different ways. Google analyzes millions of websites, while you analyze the behaviors of your specific audience.

Google uses over 200 ranking signals to decide which pieces of content appear on the first page of the search engine results (SERP).

The algorithm pays special attention to the signs that a particular web page will provide search engines with the information they are looking for. Remember that Google focuses on the search intent of users. That is, why are they looking for what they are looking for.

When you focus on SEO, you choose primary and semantic keywords related to search intent . Write content that people love to read, and be sure to provide meta information to help Google better understand your content.

If you optimize your website for conversions, you focus on driving visitors to a specific goal, whether it's joining your email list or buying one of your products. Just like Google, you want to offer your audience exactly what those consumers want.

Knowing how to optimize your website for SEO and conversions simultaneously promotes both goals and creates a better relationship between your site and search engines.

Grow your organic traffic

An average business spends about 1% of its total revenue on advertising. If your company bills $5 million per year, you could spend $50,000 on advertising. That's the least you should spend on advertising. I invite you to read this report on advertising spending by industry (English) .

While that may seem like a small percentage, it all adds up. Some industries, like retail, spend considerably more on ads. Up to 3%, which is more reasonable.

However, attracting organic traffic through SEO is very cheap. You have to pay to develop and promote the content, but that's not as expensive as pay per click.

When you compare the conversion rate between searchers coming to your site through organic search and those coming through paid ads , the results are clear. Organic search converts at almost 15%, while paid search converts at less than 2%.

Invest your time and, if necessary, money in growing your organic traffic . It may take longer, but the results last longer and lead to more conversions.

Leverage existing traffic on your website

When people visit your website, you don't want them to look and leave. Instead, you want to make a lasting impression and encourage them to return.

Learning how to optimize your website for conversions requires understanding the user experience.

Find out how visitors navigate your site, whether they scroll down the page, and how often they click on your calls to action (CTAs).

If someone signs up for your email list, you can contact them at a later date with offers, incentives, and more relevant content. It can also encourage visitors to follow you on social media, visit your product pages, and read your blog posts.

Leveraging existing traffic helps improve your conversion rate because a higher percentage of your organic traffic will convert. You know what offer your audience will respond to and how you should present it in an attractive way.

Force your website to work harder

Anyone can create a website, even a beautiful website, but far fewer can create a website that reliably converts.

After all, the average conversion rate across all industries is less than 2.5% .

You want your audience to convert at much higher rates. To do this, you must study your audience closely and give them what they need and expect.

If you've done the research and applied the data to your site, you can expect an increase in conversion rates. People who visit your site quickly find what they need and appreciate that your brand provides it to them. This results in brand loyalty.

However, SEO always comes first. Without traffic, you can't have conversions. Create a site with valuable, sticky content and plenty of opportunities for visitors to convert.

Give your audience what they want and expect

Imagine this scenario.

You have an e-commerce site that sells shoes. A customer needs a new pair of running shoes and does a Google search for the best running shoes .

You've written a long and detailed blog on choosing running shoes, including brand recommendations and information for different types of runners.

The visitor reads the article. At the end, you have an option that offers a free size chart and fits for runners. All the visitor has to do is sign up for your email list to get this helpful table.

Send the table immediately to the visitor. A few days later, send a coupon code for your online store along with images of running shoes. The customer realizes that he has what meets his needs and the discount encourages an immediate sale.

As you can see, SEO and conversion rate optimization work hand in hand. If you meet the expectations of your audience and help them find what they are looking for, you will get a customer.

How to optimize your website for SEO in 8 easy steps

To begin with, you need to boost and optimize the SEO on your website to attract more traffic.

The following steps will set you up for successful SEO. Then you can focus on conversions while continuing to update and post new content.

Analyze all the data on your website

One piece of data by itself may not tell you anything, but when you collect a large amount of data, you start to see patterns.

If some people visit your site and don't click on your CTA (call to action), you may not have a problem.

However, if a large percentage of visitors ignore your CTA, you may need to make some adjustments.

User behavior reports and traffic data from Google Search Console help give a clearer picture.

User behavior reports, for example, show you how people behave once they land on your site. On the other hand, GSC data tracks key metrics, such as number of sessions, number of unique sessions, bounce rate, and more.

Analyze data for specific patterns. Referral sources can tell you a lot about your audience. How do people find your site? Look at pages that get more traffic and more conversions than others. Reverse engineer the success of that page to replicate it on your site.

Do extensive keyword research

Years ago, you could pick a keyword out of nowhere, write a 300-word article, and rank for that keyword the next day. SEO doesn't work like that anymore.

Tools like Ubersuggest help you find keywords related to your business and niche. Use it to find long-tail keywords that match the user intent of your potential customers.

Think about why they would search for a particular keyword and what they would expect to find on a page about it.

Start with a broad keyword. For example, maybe you offer SEO services, so start with a keyword like “ web SEO ”.

The tool will provide you with a list of keywords that you can filter in various ways. Look for long-tail keywords that you can use to attract a specific audience.

Do this over and over as you create more pages for your site. Write long, detailed articles that provide as much information as possible on the topic. A good example is this article you are reading.

Produce extensive, high-value content

According to Hubspot , the ideal length for a blog post is 2,100 to 2,400 words. However, that is just a starting point.

Before deciding on the optimal length of your content, Google your main keyword and visit the top 10 results in the SERPs. Are any of those pages longer than 2,100 words? Then yours should be too.

Length isn't everything. However, it sends a signal to Google that you are providing more information. If a lot of people spend a lot of time on that page, reading to the end, you're more likely to rank higher.

The important thing is to make the content interesting and relevant. Don't make it long if this makes it tedious and repetitive.

Optimizing your site for on-page SEO

On-page SEO tells you how to optimize your website when you are creating specific pages. Factors like headings, subheadings, friendly URLs , and meta-tags fall into this category.

Use your main keyword in your title, preferably as close to the beginning as possible. It should also appear in the url and in at least one subtitle. Throughout the body of the copy, aim for 0.5% to 2.5%. Try not to go over the upper limit to avoid looking like a keyword hoarder.

Spread your primary and related keywords throughout your body text, subheadings, and image alt text. Include plenty of context for each so Google understands precisely what you're talking about.

Optimize your website for off-page SEO

Off-page SEO, also called off-site SEO, refers to the ways you optimize your website through external means. Guest blogging, social media activity, influencer marketing, and brand mentions can all improve your site's SEO.

We'll talk specifically about backlinks a bit later, but links in general can make a big difference to SEO. You don't want to get links from small sites with little authority. They won't help (and can hurt). Contrarily, you want to target well-respected publications when looking for backlinks.

Optimize website for mobile SEO

With more and more people accessing websites through mobile devices, you don't want to miss out on those potential conversions. Also, Google has launched the mobile-first index, which means you could rank better if you focus on mobile device compatibility.

Responsive design offers the easiest solution.

Speed ​​up your website pages

Page speed is important when it comes to both SEO and conversions.

If you visit a website that takes forever to load, chances are you'll click the back button and look for something else. Likewise, if you're filling out a form that refuses to submit due to slow speed, you'll eventually give up.

Google's PageSpeed ​​Insights gives you valuable insights into how fast your site loads on all devices and what specific things you can fix to make your site faster.

Get quality backlinks

Backlinks or backlinks are a primary factor in helping your website rank better.

When high-quality sites link to yours, Google interprets the link as a sign of your site's credibility. As you build a strong backlink profile, your pages will rank higher.

Getting quality backlinks takes effort, but you will see results. Consider emailing influencers and other blogs in your niche. Share your article with them and direct them to a page where you've shared some of its content.

Can SEO improve your website conversions?

Now that your SEO aspect is clearer, what about your conversions?

You will not see results right away . Rankings take time to build, especially with the vast amount of content that exists online. This is why you must work hard to create quality content, attract backlinks, and establish credibility with Google.

However, you should start preparing for conversions now. If you know how to optimize your website, you can immediately see higher conversions even if you have low traffic.

SEO improves conversions by directing the right search engines to your content. By making the purpose of a page clear, Google can accurately classify it based on consumer search intent.

Additionally, writing longer, more value-oriented articles increases the chances of a visitor converting. They recognize the value of what you have shared and are intrigued. As long as you present them with an attractive offer, you will increase the chances of getting conversions.

Optimizing your website for conversions: improve the user experience

User experience simply means how people perceive your site in relation to browsing and finding what they're looking for. A good user experience leaves the visitor satisfied and grateful.

To get more conversions, focus on the smallest details.

For example, examine your home page and identify every element, from your logo and top navigation bar to the "Widgets" in your sidebar. If you were to remove one of those elements, would it hurt the user experience?

If not, get rid of it. Focus on driving your traffic to the action you want people to take.

Try user behavior tools to analyze what you need to improve

Guesswork only goes so far when it comes to user experience. You may think a page element is necessary, but user behavior reports don't confirm this.

User behavior reports give you unique insights into what people do when they land on your website.

Heatmaps, for example, show you where the most clicks are happening so you can place your most important elements on the page.

Most of these projects also take weeks or months to show results, which is not a practical timeline for many companies. Especially SMEs. In SEO as in relevant things, NOTHING is immediate .

If you want faster results with a budget you can control, why not try paid or pay-per-click ads ?

Conclusion on how to optimize your website for SEO and conversions.

SEO can be extremely complex, but knowing the basics will give you a good start.

Start by collecting as much data as possible and conducting a thorough investigation. Write content geared towards your audience, but make sure it's better than your competitors'.

Create separate campaigns for on and off page SEO. Make sure your site loads fast on both desktop and mobile devices and that it's attracting backlinks.

Then find out how to optimize your website for conversions so you don't waste all that good traffic.

Focus on the user experience and the patterns you detect through user behavior reports. Over time, you'll see traffic and conversions increase based on your hard work.

Plus, even the oldest content can continue to work hard for you. Don't dismiss your efforts as only relevant to the moment.

By writing solid, green content, you can drive traffic and drive conversions for years to come. It is clear, SEO, traffic and conversions are strategies that take time. I recommend hiring the services of an agency to implement your SEO strategies.