How to Optimize Landing Pages for SEO
Landing page SEO is a tricky proposition. Landing pages are potent tools to convert readers into customers, but the way most are designed is not exactly SEO friendly.
Think about it. A landing page aims to direct readers down a specific path, focusing them on your call to action without offering other distractions. But optimizing a web page for search engines requires more content, more links, and more calls to action.
But hey, more content also means more distractions. So, is it even possible to create a compelling (and high-converting) landing page that also ranks well in search engines?
It turns out you can—but not without carefully walking a tightrope between ranking and converting. The goal is to attract warm leads from search engines like Google to your page and convert them into customers.
What is search engine optimization (SEO)?
At its core, SEO is a multifaceted discipline that encompasses a bunch of strategies and techniques aimed at improving a website’s visibility on search engine result pages (SERPS). The overarching goal is, of course, to get higher rankings in organic (non-paid) search results, leading to more organic traffic to your website. (In other words: more traffic → more potential customers → happier you!)
What are SEO landing pages?
SEO landing pages are website pages designed to perform well in search engine results while simultaneously persuading visitors to take specific actions, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. These pages are optimized for particular keywords, delivering relevant and valuable content to users who discover them through organic searches. Unlike regular web pages, landing pages streamline the user experience by focusing on a singular call-to-action (CTA), simplifying the path for users to take the desired action.
Why do you need landing pages for SEO?
Simple answer: Because you enjoy being successful!
Longer (and more useful answer): There are a few reasons why landing pages are pretty pivotal in the realm of SEO:
-
Precision targeting: Landing pages enable precise targeting of niche audiences by aligning content with specific keywords, enhancing the overall relevance of your website.
-
Enhanced user experience: Well-structured landing pages streamline the user journey, improving user engagement, reducing bounce rates, and improving key SEO metrics.
-
Conversion catalysts: Landing pages are purpose-built to encourage conversions, whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or filling out a contact form. SEO-friendly landing pages will further help in capturing more leads by targeting organic traffic.
SEO landing page vs. PPC landing page
While SEO and PPC (Pay-Per-Click) landing pages both aim to convert visitors, they go about it in different ways and with different purposes:
-
SEO landing page: These pages primarily target organic traffic and are designed for long-term sustainability. They are meticulously optimized for specific keywords and provide valuable content. SEO landing pages may take time to achieve high rankings but offer enduring benefits.
-
PPC landing page: Tailored for paid advertising campaigns, such as Google Ads, PPC landing pages emphasize immediate conversions. They are often linked to ad campaigns, offering a more direct path to conversion for paid traffic.
Final Thoughts
In an ideal world, all of your landing pages would rank well for their targeted keywords in Google and convert people like crazy. But that’s not guaranteed to happen. It rarely does.
Why not? Well, in some cases, your ideal keywords are already dominated by other sites that have entrenched SEO efforts and backlink profiles. In other words, technical issues associated with landing pages keep people from reaching your content.
Ultimately, though, a landing page that’s laser-focused on conversions will have a particularly hard time ranking. For this reason, it’s best to distinguish between landing pages you want to rank well in the search engines and those you’ll design purely to convert. (Later, we’ll cover how you can use both together to great effect.)
Thanks for reading ❤