CRO Plus SEO - What You Should Know

byRobert-A

10.9K followers

Updated 5 years ago

SEO + Content + CRO = Dollars

Hi Folks

For all you newbies or indeed not so newbies who have asked me to describe CRO and SEO in such a way you will understand, this blog is for you all.

Conversion Rate Optimization + Search Engine Optimization, what should you know about them and how they can work together.

The definition of SEO is 'The Practice Of Increasing The Quantity And Quality Of Traffic To Your Website'. This is mostly achieved through organic search engine results.

CRO on the other hand is defined as 'The Practice Of Improving The Conversion Rate In Marketing Practices Used To Get People To Take Action'.

In other words: SEO attracts traffic, while CRO turns it into income.

But what if you could get all of it in a single, neat package?

The Difference Between SEO And CRO?

It could be said that the difference between SEO and CRO is the ultimate goal. They are both digital marketing tactics, but the outcome is different. This I might add is not entirely true.

In order to be effective, your marketing tactics need to be aligned with your business goals. Organic traffic in itself is meaningless simply because it wont bring in much if any money.

CRO content is designed to convert, and of course make you money. But without SEO how will you attract the visitors in order to convert them? It seems like a bit of a catch 22 situation doesn't it? But its not too much of a problem to sort out.

If anyone here has read my previous blog about User Intent you will perhaps see where I'm going with this.

The Catch 22 isn’t as problematic as it seems.

You see, the marketers who can create great SEO know that repeating the same short keyword all the time will get them nowhere. Not only will that get them penalized, but the content they create would be illegible and unable to convert anyone.

However when you add user intent to the mix, you don’t just get conversions, you also get the keywords that you should be optimizing for. These are the keywords internet users who are ready to buy look for. But not any old keywords because due to the increase in voice search and mobile device users, short keywords are a thing of the past. Sure, you can try to optimize for keywords made of one or two words, but it will likely cost you a fortune to best the big boys.

Using Longtail Keywords To Best Effect

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Long tail keywords, especially those with commercial intent, are your best bet. Why, I hear you ask?

Simply because using those keywords help you create content that matches users intent.

I will use the example in my previous blog - For example - if you optimize for Kitchen Remodelling you might get a ton of traffic but the user intent isn't clear because this is an informational query.

On the other hand, if you optimize for 'Top Kitchen Trends Of 2019' you are definitely targeting people who are ready to buy. They did their homework. They know what they want. Ok so you wont be getting as much traffic (fewer people search using very specific queries). But you will get the traffic that matters.

If you can match all these criteria, your CRO and SEO efforts will be working hand in hand to do what any marketing tactic should do: pad your bottom line.

To Finish

If someone tells you to choose between SEO and CRO, Don't listen to them. You shouldn’t have to make that choice. SEO can sell.

Start your keyword research with user intent in mind. What would they search for? How would they phrase it exactly?

Then move on to writing your content so that it speaks to your audience’s needs. Your keywords should fit right in, effortlessly and without making your content seem unnatural.

The end result is content that attracts visitors and converts them into paying customers.

Ok folks there you have it and I hope you go away with at least a basic understanding of how SEO and CRO can and will work hand in hand for you if applied correctly.

Onwards and upwards to your eventual success.

Robert Allan