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What Is a Website Conversion, and How Can SEO Increase Them?
At SonicSEO.com we consider it part of our job to increase your website conversion rate by using advanced, white-hat SEO techniques. Of course, this makes complete sense to us, but do you know what a conversion is?
Sit back and enjoy your coffee while we explain what conversions are…and why you want your rate to keep going up…and how search engine optimization (SEO) can help you do that.
Website Conversion Explained
Your website is potentially your most powerful marketing tool because it:
- Establishes an exclusively-owned web property that brands you (and your products and services) and that allows Internet users to view, explore and interact with you
- Can be indexed by search engines, allowing your website to appear in organic (i.e. unpaid) Internet searches for relevant products/services
- Provides compelling information your potential customers and clients need to become actual customers and clients
This last one—the conversion from potential to real lead or customer—that’s what a website conversion is.
A conversion occurs when a website viewer completes the action you want them to take, and that varies depending on your business. Your desired viewer action may be to:
- Complete a contact form (converting a viewer to a solid lead)
- Call for service (this requires the use of a tracking number so that you know which calls were the result of website viewing)
- Complete a sale (for websites with full ecommerce capabilities)
- Download a white paper, sample or trial software, etc.
Conversion is measured as a rate—the number of website viewers that complete your desired call to action compared to the total number of website viewers. Hopefully, it is apparent that you want your conversion rate to be as high as possible because that means more leads, more sales.
How SEO Works to Increase Conversions
Search engine optimization can boost conversion rates in a number of ways. First, the primary goal for SEO—higher organic search engine rankings—can increase your conversion rate simply by increasing traffic to your website. It’s just a numbers game—you need more people landing on your website to get more people filling out your contact form, calling your business or paying for items in their online shopping carts.
Individual SEO strategies can also increase conversions because each “piece” of an SEO strategy works to build trust and create a positive user experience that “greases the wheels” of conversion. For instance:
Optimized images and page elements reduce loading speed. Fast site and page loading times increase the likelihood of users actually landing on your site rather than hitting the Back button to look for a search result that doesn’t waste their time.
Link building and review management increases the number of possible channels through which an Internet user may land on your site. While most Internet searches begin with search engines, users can also find you by consulting review sites (e.g. Yelp!, TripAdvisor, Urban Spoon, Angie’s List, etc.) and websites sponsored by professional organizations (e.g. local chambers of commerce, BBB and the host of industry-specific credentialing agencies).
Quality content makes a compelling case for why potential customers should choose your products and services over your competitors’. It provides viewers the information they need at a glance to complete your desired call to action.
Robust website analytics can help you see how viewers get to and navigate through your site so that you can continue to provide an easier, more direct path from point A (their need) to point B (your products and services).
Does Your Conversion Rate Need a Boost?
There are a number of online tools that can help you measure your website conversion rate. However, you may already know if your website is performing to its potential based on the demand for your business. If new leads or sales are slow, maybe it’s time to revamp your website for top conversion performance.
SonicSEO.com regularly reviews our clients’ website performance and makes adjustments as needed to boost and maintain conversion potential. However, if you want to change how you define a conversion, contact us to update your SEO strategy.