Driving traffic but not leads? How to win with SEO and CRO

The Ton has long observed the struggle between SEO and CRO, two bitter competitors. Deliberately competing for dominance in the packed ballrooms of the internet, there was friction.

One side was SEO, which was an expert at drawing attention and attracting large numbers of visitors.

CRO stood on the opposite side. It had a delicate way of turning even the briefest glances into fidelity. CRO aimed to fine-tune and optimize the user’s journey, making sure that each step was directed toward the desired outcome of conversion.  

Until the day came, when we asked: “Why must we endure this senseless discord? Together, SEO and CRO shall form an alliance so formidable that none shall rival their combined might.”

This writer may have spent too much time watching “Bridgerton” lately. And yet, the truth still remains:

The power of SEO and CRO together is a harmonious union. If you’re struggling with converting traffic, follow these helpful tools and tips. 

Why traffic without leads is a problem

High traffic, low leads

Many websites struggle with non-converting visitors.

High traffic doesn’t always translate to high conversions.

Lots of traffic with low conversion rates likely indicates an underlying problem.

Disconnected SEO and CRO

The problem often lies in a mismatch between CRO and SEO.

SEO attracts visitors, while CRO converts them into paying customers by optimizing their website journey.

When these areas are unbalanced, you get lots of low-quality traffic that’s hard to convert into sales.

Here are some typical problems when directing high-quality traffic:

Targeting keywords that are too broad

Using high-volume keywords can increase visibility, but if they’re too broad, visitors might not be interested in your content, leading to high bounce rates and low conversions.

Review pages with high traffic but high bounce rates. Check the keywords and consider revising the content to target more relevant terms.

Overly focusing on driving traffic to low-converting pages

Driving traffic to upper-funnel content isn’t bad, but too much focus on it can hurt CRO.

Analyzing traffic and conversion rates for each page can help address this issue.

Missing CTAs

Blog pages can drive good traffic, but most visitors read and leave.

Optimize your content with targeted CTAs, offer deeper content or a free trial and use CTAs to help convert traffic more effectively.

Believing in either/or

There is no choice between SEO or CRO.

SEO and CRO should work together to boost visibility, conversions and sales.

Any business that wants to grow needs an audience to sell to.

Succeed with SEO and CRO

Identify and target the right audience

• Understand the specific needs and behaviors of your target audience, including demographics, motivations and barriers customers face. 
• Define what drives people to your website and what might stop them from converting, you can tailor your SEO strategies to attract the right traffic that is more likely to convert.
• Use tools like surveys and interviews to help gather critical information. 
• Use personas to craft content that resonate with your specific audience, significantly boosting the likelihood of conversion.

Optimize pages for conversions

• Make sure your targeted pages are not just aesthetically pleasing but also simple to use and navigate by optimizing them.
• Be sure to focus on grab the user’s attention, such a clear headline, an attention-grabbing value proposition, and a standout call-to-action (CTA), should be placed prominently.
• Reduce the number of form fields to drastically increase conversion rates.
• Make sure your call to action (CTA) is clear and succinct, such “Download the Guide.” 

Build trust and credibility

• Foster trust and boost authority by including ratings and reviews, testimonials, or case studies.
• Online reviews improves business rankings and visibility in search results, and also builds credibility with website visitors.

Focus on mobile users

• A poor mobile user experience can lead to increased cart abandonment and reduced sales, as mobile users expect quick, easy-to-navigate, and seamless shopping experiences.
• Implement responsive designs, improve page load speeds, and ensure easy navigation on mobile devices to improve search rankings and boost conversion rates. 

Improve page speed 

Page speed is a key factor for both search rankings and conversion rates.

Fast-loading pages correlate with higher conversion rates.

Even a one-second delay can cause a significant reduction in conversions.

How to optimize page speed

• Optimize media and code
• Use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)
• Responsive design implementation

Continued synergies between SEO and CRO 

The power of websites is rooted in the integration of SEO and CRO.

Aligning SEO’s ability to attract audiences with CRO’s skill in converting them creates a powerful synergy, driving both traffic and conversions.

Rather than conflicting, both strategies are important to driving results.

Targeting the right keywords, optimizing for user experience and ensuring mobile-friendly, fast-loading sites are crucial steps in this process.

The mutually beneficial efforts of SEO and CRO can enhance visibility and significantly boost conversion rates for sustained growth and success.