When explaining our search engine optimization services to a potential client, there inevitably comes a point in the conversation where we have to inform them that search engine optimization isn't enough. As SEO is usually the reason we're talking in the first place, what typically follows is an awkward pause and a quizzical look. That's when we have to tell them The Truth.
The Truth is SEO is only the beginning. Occasionally we work on a project where the client has developed such an awesome sales funnel that increased visibility is truly all they need. The upside is it makes a job easier - build some links, improve the ranking on key terms, and voil� - happy client. The downside is that pure link building tends to be perceived as a commodity. Eventually the conversation devolves into questions of volume and cost rather than quality and effectiveness.
We have seen examples of high rankings and increased traffic having little to no effect on a client's bottom line. The problem may be traced back to flaws or gaps in branding, marketing or sales strategies, but it's a piss-poor agency that takes the stance of "not my problem". Contract or no, professionals take on some measure of accountability for their client's success (assuming the client is willing to get out of their own way!).
Over the last year the popularity of conversion rate optimization has infected the world of SEO. CRO gurus like Tim Ash have made us aware that conversions are where the money is. This is the metric that matters to most clients. If rankings and traffic are the definitions of our success, even the smallest dip prompts a phone call. When we help our client increase actual sales or leads, they are only mildly interested rankings and traffic.
The silver lining in some of our less-than-successful experiences is that unhappy clients turned out to be a good thing. We started looking at projects through a wider lens. We learned more about their business strategies, goals and processes. We looked to a user interface design company to learn more about personas and user engagement. We dabbled in A/B testing. We sought to understand the underlying psychology of search. The goal wasn't to become experts in everything as much as it was to become more conscientious about why we were doing SEO in the first place. We started thinking about the people, not just the search engines. We realized SEO and CRO are bookends to online success. All we had to do was figure out what was in the middle.
The infographic below is our attempt to create a more elegant visual model of what optimization really is (or at least what it is to us). It is an effort to represent the process by which we can produce real, meaningful results. The pairing of profiles and metrics keeps us focused on the people as well as the data. By observing a broader range of data we began to make sense out of the process from a user's perspective (Google's Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics provide valuable data about click-through rates, visitor engagement, and goal conversions.
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Initially we divided people into two categories - visitors and customers. We noticed some sites were not connecting with people at an earlier stage - the search itself. Low click-through rates in high SERP positions led us to examine the initial impression. In these cases relatively minor changes to the language used in the title tags, meta descriptions or URL's often influenced the CTR. Snippet data like ratings and weblinks were additional opportunities to influence people's search behavior, increasing the likelihood of converting searchers to visitors.
Visitors are people that end up on the site, but the distinction of users was brought about by examining bounce rates and visitor paths. In the past we considered bounce rates to be a bad thing, but began to consider two distinct possibilities: visitors bounced because (a) they didn't find what they were looking for and left, or (b) they found EXACTLY what they were looking for and left. A good example of this is dictionary.com - they tend to provide the exact thing a user is looking for at the point of entry.
Users, we decided, were visitors who engaged with the site. Users engage with options like "Read More" or "See Related Posts". They visit more pages and spend more time. Users experience the site, interact, review, refine and (hopefully) return for more. Converting visitors to users appeared to be focused around compelling content and an intuitive user interface.
Users become customer when they enroll buy, join, sign up, subscribe, etc. - they want what you're offering because it appears to fulfill their specific needs and conditions. Converting users to customers is about demonstrating the necessary trust, authority and the ability to meet their needs, and then getting the non-essentials out of the way to avoid confusion. Having a great product or service isn't enough if you can't convey it to your prospective customer, and it doesn't get any easier than when they've asked for what you're offering. Especially when it comes to relevant search traffic, more often than not the business is yours to lose.
What has come out of this process is (intended to be) a more holistic view of why we do SEO. Nothing is ever perfect, and nothing is ever done, but optimization isn't just about appeasing the search engines. More often it's about making the most of what you already have - accelerating, amplifying, expanding. Ultimately it's about creating a relationship with people - getting the right people to the right place at the right time in the right way. Sometimes simple, rarely easy.
Aaron Douglas is President of Deep Ripples, an Indianapolis-based professional SEO company. He is a good husband, a decent boss, and a crappy graphic designer.Source: http://www.deepripples.com/blog/a-taxonomy-of-optimization-from-seo-to-cro
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