Old School New Media

What is Conversion Based SEO?

Conversion Based SEO is Search Engine Optimization with the goal of achieving relevant rankings to increase the bottom line.

When your site has achieved a high Organic ranking, it is now in plain view for the world to see. Many SEO professionals at this point will feel they have done their job. However, this is just the beginning.

Now is the time to make sure you understand Conversion Based SEO.

A good ranking for a highly trafficked keyword means you now have a substantial audience. However, if you are displaying a meta description in the SERP that does not peak the users’ interest, your efforts are going for naught.

But how can you tell what to display in an Organic result?

Here’s one trick of Conversion Based SEO.

Use Paid Search for SEO

With Conversion Based SEO, a meta description serves a similar function as the ad copy of a Paid Search campaign. However, Paid Search allows for easy review of Impressions and Click Through Rate. Therefore, it becomes quite simple to identify what copy will best encourage users to click through.

For example, an online retailer may rank highly for the term “patio furniture”.

In reviewing the SERPs, there are a few different features pointed out in the Organic results.

• Premier retailer
• Best prices
• Cheap shipping
• Huge selection
• Secure ordering
• Ratings & Reviews
• Wholesale direct
• Entertain in style

And the list goes on.

It’s at this point that you may want to begin a Paid Search campaign, for Conversion Based SEO, targeting the different features mentioned above. After watching the different ad combinations for a brief period of time, it should become apparent what users searching for “patio furniture” are most inclined to click.

Once you have concrete evidence of what users want within a search term , imagine how much more effective that high ranking will be. You can now craft a meta description with more certainty of what features to point out to achieve your desired results.

Of course, this is not to say every ranking should have this type of analysis behind it. But it is a good way to insure your key rankings remain optimized and targeted to users.

Conversion Based SEO expands to relationships beyond just traffic as well. The whole goal of Conversion Based SEO is the true unification of a search term and SERP.

In turn, the next step in using SEO to increase conversions is the unification of the SERP and the site. But that’s a post for another day.

Matt Leonard