Six data-driven optimization strategies that increase conversion rates

Research has shown that data-driven strategies have a five to eight-fold higher ROI. Conversion rate optimization (CRO), is a process that heavily relies on data. Most CRO strategies have a core focus on using consumer data to improve the customer experience and make their journeys smoother.

Search engines are putting more emphasis on user experience and we believe that SEO strategies can be used to complement CRO strategies.

However, your SEO strategies can really enhance your CRO efforts when driven with data.

I have six data-driven SEO strategies that will help you to improve your CRO efforts.

This article covers content analysis and website personalization. You can read the entire article to learn how to improve your search engine rankings, conversions, and overall SEO performance.

Data-driven SEO strategies that complement CRO

Data-driven marketing strategies are online marketing tactics that use consumer data to fuel their campaigns. Data-driven strategies are different from traditional marketing strategies because they are based on data-backed hypotheses and not assumptions.

These strategies are based on solid data and are the pillars of modern marketing.

These six data-driven SEO strategies will make your CRO efforts more successful:

1. Optimization and analysis of websites

Website analysis allows you to test different elements of your website. It evaluates your website’s overall performance and highlights areas for improvement.

Web analysis considers the website’s technical SEO and on-page optimization. It also looks at the keywords it ranks for and how many of them it has.

This process uses various web analytics tools to uncover sources of traffic to your website, highlight the problems in your website’s UX and provide the foundation for the website load speed optimization .

All of these elements contribute to improving your website’s user experience and promoting conversion rate optimization.

It also gives you information about your web traffic, such as their demographics and interests. This allows you to optimize your website for a better user experience.

Google Analytics is the best tool for optimizing your website. It can integrate with your website and track all data necessary to optimize your website for a better user experience.

One of the most successful marketing automation software companies saw a 10x increase in conversion rates after integrating their native real-time personalized tool with Google Analytics to make use of personalization data. This was combined with Google Analytics information to create personalized remarketing ads via Google AdWords.

They experienced higher conversion rates and a 107 per cent YoY increase of qualified leads thanks to the effective use web analytics data like demographics and behavior information.

2. Optimization and analysis of content

Content analysis can be compared to website analysis. However, instead of testing the technical elements of your website, it analyzes your website’s content strategy and content to identify areas for improvement.

Conversion rates for businesses who invest in content marketing are nearly six-fold higher. These results are only possible if your website is filled with optimized content.

Your content should be compelling users to take desired actions, or, in other words, to convert.

Content analysis determines how well it serves that purpose.

Content analysis can reveal a variety of metrics, such as which content type is most popular with your audience, which content is helping you reach your marketing goals, and which content needs to be improved.

A marketing optimization software company might have case studies and blogs in its content strategy. It is possible that their web analytics will reveal that case studies drive higher conversions, while blogs receive the most social shares.

Their content marketing goal is to increase conversions. Content analysis will allow them to focus more on publishing case studies.

A content analysis can also reveal if your content matches the target search terms. This will tell you whether or not your content matches the search intent of your target search queries. Even if your content matches the search intent exactly, users won’t convert if it doesn’t.

Content analysis can help you increase conversions by helping to create content that drives results. This will save you time and money by not having to spend on less profitable strategies.

This case analysis discusses how changing the content of your website can lead to a rise in revenue.

Brookdaleliving.com, which offers community living options for the elderly, had a low website conversion rate. Their website did not have the potential to drive conversions.

To test which content type performs best, the digital marketing professionals they hired revamped their site and used two content types – an image as well as a testimonial .

Ironically, conversions for the image web page were 3.92 percent higher than those of the original. Although it may seem small, this resulted in $106,000 more revenue.

3. Website design optimization

Website design optimization is driven by tests like usability testing or A/B testing. This data can be used to improve website design and user experience.

CRO’s purpose is to improve the user experience and make it more enjoyable.

Website design Optimization supports CRO by removing obstacles in the buyer’s path and making it easier to achieve their goals.

There are some best practices that website designers must follow to make sure it contributes to your CRO efforts.

1. 
   The design should look simple but be familiar to the users
   
2. 
   The navigation bars should be intuitively designed with the user’s search intention in mind. This will allow them to quickly find what they are looking for
   
3. 
   Content arrangement should be based on proven design principles that improve content readability and deliver value
   

To make your web design truly work for your business, you’ll need to keep testing different combinations of elements, their positions, and designs.

No matter how you approach your web design, it should make the journey of your target audience easier.

Trucker Reports was a community for truckers that assists them in finding jobs. However, conversions were low.

They hired CRO professionals to conduct a web design audit. They discovered many opportunities. They tested various hypotheses based on the opportunities they found.

In their final test, they compared three designs to see which one was more effective. The final design achieved 79.3 percentage higher conversions .

What’s the reason?

This design was the most straightforward and easy to convert.

4. Audience analysis

Audience research is also known as audience analysis. It’s the process of gathering information about prospects to help you create targeted marketing campaigns.

User experience is an integral part of SEO and CRO. Audience analysis is a data-driven SEO strategy to optimize conversion rates.

This process uncovers many data such as core demographic information like gender, age, marital status and income. It also uncovers online behavior and internal and external challenges.

A buyer persona is created by Audience analysis. This then forms the basis of highly targeted marketing campaigns.

Because it helps you make your website more relevant to users, audience analysis is an essential part of a successful CRO campaign. It helps you to understand your audience’s needs and challenges so that you can better address them with your content.

This shows you care about your customers, and builds trust between your brand’s prospects and your company. This bond of trust and reliability leads to higher conversions, as the modern customer places importance on their relationship with the brand.

You can also segment your audience using data-backed audience analysis. This allows you to use demographic information and interests. This level of segmentation allows you to focus your resources and efforts on the people who matter most to your business.

Studies show a 56% decrease in marketing costs for businesses who use audience analysis to inform their marketing decisions.

5. Optimization and testing

Conversion rate optimization is all about testing. To test which design or content works best, you can put some samples together. Then, optimize the results by using the results.

These tests can be data-driven. They are based upon hypotheses that have been generated using existing data. This gives insight into the validity of the hypothesis.

Websites with explainer videos may have a higher conversion rate, for example. This is the hypothesis for your test. To test which landing page performs best, you create two pages with different content. One with a video, the other with an image. You will know which landing page to optimize with if the videos convert better.

There are many types of tests you can use to optimize websites for conversions. Usability testing and split or A/B testing are two of the most popular.

Multivariate and A/B testing are also recommended by search engines for SEO. This improves user experience which search engines then index.

To increase conversions, NatureAir did A/B testing of their landing page. The one sample had a CTA placed on the side while the other was prominently located in the content area.

After the tests were completed, they discovered that placing CTA within the content area increases conversions by 591 per cent !

This is how powerful A/B testing can be!

6. Website personalization

Google reports that 90 percent of marketers believe personalization improves business profitability. Why wouldn’t it? A web page that provides a personalized experience is more valuable than a website with many identical websites.

Personalization of a website is a complex process that allows you to offer a personalized experience to every visitor. These experiences are based on the consumer’s data such as their search history, demographic data, and online behavior.

75% Consumers prefer online sellers to use personal information to improve their shopping experience.

People want to shop easier. Adding a personalized product recommendation to your website can improve user experience and increase sales. They don’t want the hassle of going out to search for what they need. They want you to be able to identify what they are looking for and to bring it to their attention. Website personalization allows you to do just that.

It improves website experience, reduces bounce rates and boosts SEO. It also increases conversions.

Dynamic content helps customers feel more connected and intuitive. This allows you to provide the content that is most interesting to them, which in turn contributes towards higher revenue.

Conclusion

Since search engines started to value user experience, the goal of an SEO campaign and a CRO campaign has become similar.

Many SEO strategies are focused on improving UX. These strategies can be backed up by data to increase conversion rates.

I’ve listed some data-driven SEO strategies to drive conversions.

However, the real success of a strategy is dependent on how well it is implemented. Consequently, improve your data analysis skills, draw insights, implement them, optimize your strategies, and get better results.

Atul Jindal, a web designer and marketing specialist, is interested in creating websites/apps optimized to SEO with a primary focus on conversion optimization. He creates web experiences that spark conversations and convert web traffic into paying customers, leads, or clients.

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Search Engine Watch’s first post, Six Data-Driven SEO Strategies to Optimize Conversion Rates, appeared first on Search Engine Watch.