When it comes to digital marketing, the whole is often greater than the sum of its parts. Though there are many parts that contribute to the optimization of a firm’s marketing efforts, the success of these efforts depends on the quality of the campaign as a whole. If only one aspect of the consumer funnel is effectively addressed—the front end, for example—a company will likely not be able to maximize its revenue generation and customer acquisition.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) represent two of the most popular tools used by organizations to improve their digital marketing tactics. However, these two processes are typically evaluated separately rather than together. As enterprises start to appreciate the value of omnichannel marketing and Test & Learn strategies, more and more firms are beginning to adopt a holistic approach to customer engagement. By optimizing the synergy of your SEO and CRO strategies, a business may be able to maximize its manipulation of the consumer funnel as a whole. So, how does that happen?
The Relationship between CRO and SEO
While typically viewed as two separate entities with two different goals, CRO and SEO are actually two sides of the same whole. The whole, in this case, being digital marketing. SEO is one of the tools used by firms to help drive the top half of the consumer funnel. By effectively integrating targeted keywords into web copy, titles, and media captions, businesses can rank higher on search platforms and, hopefully, increase the number of users who visit their landing pages.
CRO, on the other hand, drives the bottom half of the consumer funnel. CRO’s main goal is to increase the rate at which visitors are converted into consumers. A company may choose to add a recommendation engine, engaging media content, or frictionless navigation to help encourage users to convert on their visits. Because these two tools feed into one another, the quality of their cohesion may directly influence the overall quality of a corporation’s digital marketing.
Optimizing Both Ends of the Funnel
When effectively performed, both strategies work to increase the reliability of a firm’s online revenues. For instance, SEO directs users to landing pages, and CRO encourages users to convert their visits into purchases. One does not succeed without the other.
To maintain effectiveness at both ends of the customer funnel, a business has to optimize the synergy of these tactics as it pertains to the customer journey.
This means creating CRO tactics that complement your SEO strategies, like creating dynamic video content that uses keyword-supported titles and alt text. While companies can optimize these two strategies individually, a site owner may see greater success and improved results by adopting a holistic approach that implements and synergizes both simultaneously.
The Power of SEO and CRO Synergy
Katra Marketing, a digital marketing agency out of Jordan, recently conducted an evaluation of one of its clients that identified a lack of SEO and CRO synergy as one of the main reasons for lack of conversion success. In this case study, a healthcare company was seeing a massive drop-off rate (86%) on one of its landing pages from visitors who had gotten there via a social media ad. The team at Katra determined that the landing page didn’t complement the information provided on the social media platform. Visitors were clicking the social post to learn more about the company but were directed to a general form page. The solution here was to reduce the friction of the landing page while also integrating more informative sections that guided and engaged social media visitors.
Katra achieved this by spreading out the information over visually dynamic and easy-to-read sections. Similarly, they simplified the form and kept it at the top of the page. This way, visitors were still engaging with the form but had the option to learn more from the FAQs below. The results were a 124% increase in conversions and a 94.2% decrease in the number of drop-offs, with 37% more qualified leads.
This is how SEO and CRO can work together to create a frictionless consumer funnel that engages users at every stage in their purchase journey. The only question left is: how do you optimize the synergy of your SEO and CRO tactics?
How to Apply This Synergy to Your Business
The key to synergizing your SEO and CRO strategies begins with using the data insights of one to inform the other. There is a reason why 70% of marketers believe SEO is a better method for generating sales (increasing conversion rates) than pay-per click (PPC) advertising. What users engage with at the beginning of the funnel will likely influence their choices at the end of the funnel. For example, the keyword results collected through SEO should help inform the copy, titles, alt text, and captions used to convert users on their associative landing pages.
To maximize the customer acquisition, CLV, and sales growth generated by digital marketing, a firm should use all the data at its disposal. Most companies will shy away from this due to the burden associated with data collection in the first place. However, leveraging the resources and knowledge of other firms may be a cost-effective solution to informing a more holistic marketing approach.
Finding Help through Outside Resources
Trying to coordinate multiple marketing strategies can be difficult, especially when you don’t have the right tools. Third-party data consultants can be an invaluable resource to help collect, organize, and implement data insights from all segments of the consumer funnel. Adopting a holistic perspective means broadening your data pool. By using a third-party data consultant, you can leverage the skills, tools, and expertise of data professionals without having to divert time and money away from other activities. If your business is looking to optimize its digital marketing strategies, don’t be afraid to enlist extra help.
Ron Bisaccia is Managing Director at Enabled Concept. They leverage a world-class data science team, cutting edge tools and techniques to generate measurable value for your business. They have a track record of proven results with Fortune 500 clients.
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