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SEO and Conversion Rates: 9 Points to Consider

7 December 2009 625 views No Comment

In the end, the number of visitors to your site isn’t nearly as important as the number of visitors who actually become your customers. This statistic, also called a conversion rate, can be greatly impacted by SEO, or search engine optimization. Here are 9 points to consider if you plan to use SEO to increase your conversion rate:

1.Watch the competition. Find out your competitors’ conversion rates. How do they compare to yours? If your competitors have higher conversion rates than you do then it may be time to consider what steps you need to take in order to increase yours. SEO can have a huge impact on conversions, so rather than making excuses about why your conversion numbers are low, start optimizing!

2.Be Careful How You Use Testing. Testing can reveal a great deal of helpful information, but it’s not the same as optimizing. In fact, it’s probably best to think of testing as the last step in a successful optimization process.

3.Do Something Now. There’s always room to improve your conversion rate, so do one thing today that will make a difference. Use your web analytics to find out which of your pages have high bounce rates and then fix those pages. This is a great time to call on the help of an SEO expert or internet marketing professional who can pinpoint the exact problem. This will save a lot of time and effort on your part.

4.Admit it When You’re Wrong. SEO is not an exact science. Sometimes optimization approaches work and sometimes they don’t, depending on a host of factors. So if you’ve tried one approach that doesn’t work, try something else. You’re only hurting yourself and your business if you insist on sticking with a strategy that’s not helping, or even hurting, your conversion rate.

5.Don’t Be a Copycat. Just because a strategy works for another business doesn’t mean it will work for you. Feel free to try different strategies, but don’t assume that SEO is a cookie cutter process.

6.Trust the Professionals. If you decide to pursue services from an SEO professional, seriously consider what he or she has to say, even if you don’t think it will work. These are people who have years of experience under their belts, and who can actually show you whether or not something works with testing, so at least give it a shot. This doesn’t mean that you should unequivocally trust a professional whom you feel is leading you astray, but in most cases it’s in your best interest to give him a shot.

7.Commit Yourself. . Remember that SEO isn’t a magic bullet. It takes time to produce results and it requires a commitment to keeping the SEO process going for a long time. So if you don’t see results immediately, don’t give up. Stick with it, try multiple strategies, and soon you’ll see improvements in your conversion rats.

8.Start Early. The best time to optimize your site is in the process of creating it. This saves an unbelievable amount of time, money, and hassle. Consult an SEO expert early in the game to help you construct a website that’s optimized from the very beginning.

9.Learn to Love the Quickie. Take your laptop to a friend’s house one evening and ask her to go through the process of ordering from your website. This is a great test of usability and gives you a place to start if you aren’t sure how to start the optimization process.

If you’re not converting your visitors, you need to do something. You need to do something now. Contact an SEO professional to help you pinpoint your trouble areas and fix them. You’ll see an increase in conversion rates—and profits!

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