SEOSearch Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Advertising (SEA) mean more than just keyword analysis and should be an essential part of any online marketing strategy today. Simply because skillful SEO and deliberate SEA makes websites more productive for the sales of products. Considering certain rules can be useful to steadily improve existing operations, like the following

SEO - leading interested users directly to the own website

1. Data-supported audience composition

The wealth of information on the Internet is endless, hence, customers expect companies to approach them nowadays more personally and individually than ever, making optimal adaptation of content to marketing a core discipline. However, tailor-made SEO results assume that companies know and understand their target group and the corresponding search behavior in order to be as visible as possible for these groups of people, succeeding on the basis of collected data. Collecting useful data is no longer a problem: the real challenge lies in meaningfully combining the immense data volumes in order to draw valuable conclusions about the respective user groups. Based on a data-driven understanding of target groups, providers can tailor landing pages. Through the insights gained, target groups can then be identified very precisely and offers adjusted accordingly. In contrast to a one-size-fits-all solution, personal "SEO experiences" have - as you can imagine - a lot more potential to increase the ROI.

2. Automated SEO Business Intelligence Solutions

More and more sophisticated and complex SEO tools on the market provide useful, small-scale, and granular results, but can also create confusion in view of the immense data amount. The linking of the various data sources in consolidated reporting is the crucial point to obtain a comprehensive picture of the potential customer. Automated business intelligence solutions that provide holistic 360-degree deep-dives are particularly helpful. Then, from the insights gained, the SEO strategy that is optimally adapted to the needs and preferences of the users can be derived. Another advantage is that these tools constantly link new data, which allows in turn a continuous modification of the strategy according to the latest findings. Apart from that, it is possible to work considerably more efficiently and increase quality.

3. Data-driven SEO understanding and continuous monitoring

Just as important as the development of a data-driven SEO strategy is an immediate and continuous monitoring as the second step. The SEO analyst should continuously monitor how conversions are being generated, turning users from prospects to buyers. Only that way, further measures can be planned with foresight. Another indicator of necessary adjustments is the bounce rate as a ranking and turnover factor. Who leaves a page for what reason is as crucial for the optimization as knowledge about who dwells there for what reason. Through direct monitoring, SEO experts can also react directly and specifically to concrete developments: there are a variety of reasons for change, e.g., a new competitor may have joined the market, the popularity of certain products may have increased, or the Google algorithm has been modified. If the company knows about the effects of these processes, it can adapt the contents of its website accordingly - anytime.

SEA - The right ad in the right situation

4. Granular account structure

Google Ads campaigns should be thematic and strategic for the best results. In fact, it is the only way for the company to remain fully in control and decide for itself on which budget, at which time of the day, on which devices and which target groups the campaigns will be played. It is advisable to use a detailed campaign structure to provide individual keywords with individual advertisements. Because if these are optimally matched to the respective search intention and the appropriate product, their relevance to the user increases enormously. Just make sure that similar-looking inquiries, but different in essence, are not leading to the same ad.

5. Traffic Qualification

Even before the user visits the website, the wheat separates from the chaff through the so-called traffic qualification. You do not only manage to bring the generally interested users to the own page with certain niche keywords, but those who already have a very specific purchase intent for an article or service, too. Even type designations or brand names help to guide the traffic optimally. Initially, less traffic is generated on the website itself, but the waste circulation is reduced considerably, since only really interested users are addressed. Thus, a provider reaches maximum visibility in the relevant target group, which results in increasing conversion rates. Eventually, the more efficient niche strategy reduces campaign costs.

6. High performance SEA landing page

As a rule, special attention should always be given to the landing page, since it is the first point of contact for the potential customer. Websites that don’t convince in seconds make users leave immediately. In principle, it's an extension of the ad, so it should also take its content one-to-one. Otherwise, it is simply irrelevant to a user looking for specific content. Therefore, it usually makes no sense to simply link to the company homepage in a search engine ad. The click on the respective link should lead the interested party straight to the right spot, where more about the corresponding offer can be found. In the best case, customers find here a well-placed ‘call-to-action’ (CTA) to buy instantaneously. Incidentally, a convincing landing page also has a clear and uniform design, which corresponds in form and content to the corporate identity of the respective company. Finally, the loading speed of the website should not be neglected as a deciding factor – if it is too slow, the users may leave the website directly under certain circumstances and might be lost to the company forever as a customer.

Clearly all depends on the right strategy. Hence, you might want to consider the recommendations presented above to increase the chance of boosting your conversion rate significantly.

By Daniela La Marca