The number of organisations running A/B tests has doubled-and-then-some in the last five years according to econsultancy, which is wonderful news for the CRO-ers of this world. In ‘digital marketing’ terms though, conversion rate optimisation is still a way away from being seen as an integral part of an organisation’s online strategy, especially when compared to SEO and PPC.
It’s far more common-place to have an in-house “SEO Specialist” within a company’s marketing department than it is to have someone heading up CRO efforts. In some ways, it’s no wonder what with Google’s ever-changing algorithms making visibility in search more of a challenge and therefore a full-time occupation. Thing is, getting traffic to your website is only half the battle, and turning a visitor into a customer comes down to how that visitor engages with your website. SEO is step one, but CRO is all remaining steps along the user journey.
SEO and CRO – BFFs
Generally speaking (but not that generally) SEO involves meeting the criteria laid out by search engines, or rather those laid out by Google. This criteria is categorically published in Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines, debated amongst SEOs and speculated on in forums/chat rooms, but it’s difficult to deny that it’s becoming more and more user-centric. Consider how these four conversion rate optimisation tips relate to search engine optimisation:
1. A page optimised for conversions is user-friendly
User-friendly pages see higher engagement rates and so are more likely to receive naturally-occurring inbound links, which is an SEO dream come true.
2. Descriptive headlines make for a better user experience
Your users should understand what a webpage is about as soon as they arrive to avoid confusion and therefore a negative user experience. Search engines also ‘read’ your headlines to ‘understand’ what the webpage is about.
3. Structured content with a clear focus guides users
… and encourages them to follow the desired user journey. Structured hierarchy of information (using H1s, H2s and so on) is another SEO-must.
4. Keywords and relevant terms tell a user what a page is about
If your keyword isn’t on the page, you’re ranking for that term will be pretty difficult!
Without getting too SEO-heavy here, (we’ve plenty of articles about that!) the state of organic search and its ranking factors will shift further towards a user-centric and user experience-centric measure. It makes sense, then, that 2016 should be the year of CRO. Building a case for A/B testing your website has never been more important. Contact Browser Media to find out more about our Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) process.