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Combining CRO & SEO: A comprehensive guide

March 8, 2023

7

min read

ROI

SEO

CRO

Combining CRO & SEO is a powerful method for boosting traffic and converting potential customers. Book your free strategy session today.

A comprehensive guide to maximising your online presence

One of the main benefits of combining CRO (conversion rate optimisation) and SEO (search engine optimisation) is getting more conversions. In 2020, the average website conversion rate was just 2.35%. But consider that, in the same year, companies with the best websites enjoyed a conversion rate of 11% or more. 

Can you imagine the difference it could make to your revenue if your site were among the best?!

Learning how to streamline the optimisation process of your digital strategy.

In today's competitive marketplace, optimising your website for search engines and user experience is crucial for achieving your business goals. A well-optimised website can attract more qualified traffic, engage with your audience better, and ultimately increase conversions and revenue. 

Not only that, but combining these services can save you time and resources by streamlining the optimisation process and providing a cohesive strategy. 

Read on to learn more about developing effective CRO and SEO strategies and taking your business to the next level online. 

Understanding SEO and CRO services

Using digital marketing tools like Google Analytics, you can uncover the data you need to perform better.

A good digital marketing strategy should create a robust online presence that helps the business achieve its objective – whether that is increased lead generation, sales or a better ROI. Search engine optimisation is a crucial aspect of this, helping to markedly improve your website's visibility on search results and boosting brand awareness. 

But what happens when you fail to see the results you need to grow?

That’s where conversion rate optimisation services come in. CRO services help you to gain little wins by optimising the user journey from landing page to checkout to get more from your marketing efforts and boost ROI. 

CRO focuses on optimising the user experience to increase the likelihood of visitors taking the desired action. When combined with SEO, these two strategies can boost your marketing budget ROI and create a powerful and effective approach to driving traffic to your site and converting more visitors into loyal customers.

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What is the difference between CRO and SEO?

SEO focuses on optimising a website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) and drive more organic traffic to the website. However, having a high-ranking website is not enough. You also need CRO services to ensure that visitors are engaged and motivated once they arrive on a landing page. 

CRO is the process of improving a website's performance to increase the percentage of visitors who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. [/tip_box]

Why should I use CRO and SEO together?

Using CRO and SEO together is a more effective overall approach to digital marketing that helps to:

  • Boost conversion rates
  • Give you a better return on investment (ROI)
  • Increase the percentage of visitors who take a desired action
  • Drive more quality leads to the website

Improved user experience (UX) = better conversion rate

Probability of leaving vs time visited on page.

Combining SEO and CRO efforts can lead to a better user experience, which is crucial for boosting your conversion rate. According to a report by NN Group, the average time a user spends on a web page is 15 seconds! So, it’s vitally important for websites to make a strong first impression and provide value to users in this short window of time. The probability of a user bouncing (leaving the site after visiting only one page) is high, so websites need to quickly engage and retain users in order to keep them on the site for longer.

It is also important to note that the length of a web page does not necessarily determine the length of a user's visit. This means that simply having longer web pages is not a guarantee of increased user engagement and longer visits. Instead, websites must focus on creating engaging and valuable content that users will find worth their time.

Better return on investment (ROI)

Combining CRO and SEO can lead to a better return on investment. 

Combining CRO and SEO can lead to a better return on investment. 

A study by VentureBeat revealed that, on average, companies spend as much as $2,000 per month on CRO tools. Over 3,000 CRO tool users took part in the survey, which also revealed that the average ROI from using CRO tools is 223%. 

Just 5% of survey respondents did not generate ROI, while a whopping 173 marketers said they gained returns higher than 1,000%!

By optimising the user experience and increasing conversion rates, you can generate more revenue from your website. At the same time, by ranking highly in search results, you can reduce the cost of acquiring new customers, as you are driving more qualified traffic to your site.

Encourage your website visitors to take action!

While SEO is great at generating new visitors for your website, it’s not a guarantee that these visitors will take your desired action. 

SEO typically does not need to rely on the user experience of a website’s design to start delivering results. You can increase your rankings and have more people visiting your website without redesigning your website. However, what good is website traffic if no one buys from your website?

As a lead-generating machine, your website must succeed in both generating new traffic and converting that traffic into leads or sales. CRO is the missing piece that encourages people to take action after they land on your website.

5 tips for combining CRO and SEO

Here are our top 5 tips for combining SEO and CRO. These tests and best practices will help you to uncover any web design issues that may be negatively impacting the user experience and preventing them from taking the actions you wish them to take, for example, making a purchase or inquiry.

Making changes to your site without detailed analytical data is an easy way to waste your marketing budget. CRO is not a place for gut instincts! Use our handy suggestions and get to the bottom of the issues preventing your website from becoming a powerful conversion machine!

1. Conduct user testing

Conducting user testing is a great way to identify areas for improvement in the user experience. User testing involves observing users as they interact with your website and gathering feedback on their experience. 

This can help you identify areas for improvement and make changes that will positively impact the user experience and increase conversion funnel rates.

2. Use heat maps

Heat maps are a visual representation of how website visitors interact with your site. They show where visitors click, how far they scroll, and where they spend the most time. 

Using heat maps and engagement metrics, you can identify areas of your website that are not performing well and make changes to improve the user experience and increase conversion rates.

3. Optimise landing pages

Landing pages play a crucial role in helping to convert site traffic. It is important to ensure that landing pages are optimised for both search engines' organic results and the user experience. 

This means ensuring the landing page is visually appealing, easy to navigate, and contains clear calls to action.

4. Monitor analytics

Monitoring analytics is crucial for understanding the performance of your website and making data-driven decisions. You can track your website's performance by monitoring analytics, including conversion rates, bounce rates, and average time on site. 

This information can help you identify areas for improvement and make changes to optimise the user experience and increase conversion rates.

5. Partner with SEO and CRO experts

Partnering with an experienced digital marketing agency with the right expertise and technological capabilities can help mitigate those risks and ensure you get the best results from your SEO and CRO strategies. 

Are there any risks of combining SEO and CRO?

What are the risks of combining SEO & CRO?

The main risk of using CRO and SEO together is the potential for conflicting goals, such as optimising for the user experience at the expense of search engine optimisation or vice versa. SEO and CRO teams should work collaboratively to avoid developing strategies which may be counterproductive. This will ensure the best possible outcomes.

To ensure that your CRO and SEO tactics are not conflicting, it is important to understand your goals and review and analyse your website's performance regularly. Seek a balance between optimising the user experience and search engine optimisation and make data-driven decisions based on your findings. 

Monitoring key metrics, such as conversion rates, traffic, bounce rates, and average time on site, will give you the visibility you need to ensure effective strategies. 

Key takeaway

Combining SEO and CRO can lead to a powerful and effective approach to driving website traffic and converting visitors into customers. By optimising the user experience and increasing conversion rates, you can generate more revenue from your website and achieve a better return on investment. 

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Free financial strategy session*

Claim your free 90-minute strategy session that will give you a clear plan for growing your website through SEO and CRO.

  • Get a better understanding of your business
  • We generate a detailed report from your strategy session
  • Understand your priorities and next steps

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Ready to implement SEO and CRO strategies in your business? Discover how we can make these digital marketing services work for your business, and book your free strategy session with a senior digital advisor at EngineRoom. 

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