As a business owner, your website is one of your most valuable assets--especially if you want to grow your contact list. However, if you're not getting traffic to your website, it's difficult to feel like your website is an asset. Add low conversion rates, and that may deflate your confidence in your website even further.

Are you asking, "What am I missing?" "How do I increase website leads?"

We've proven you can grow your website leads when you follow a set of simple steps. You apply these actions systematically to every page on your website.

Understanding how to implement traffic-attracting SEO is the first strategy we'll address. This answers the search question we see so often, "How to get more website visitors." We'll give you the simple strategies any business owner can use so you know how to increase website traffic.

Then we'll show you how to harness each organic website inquiry so it's more likely to develop into a lead. While all your website contacts won't convert (take action), we'll share the strategies you can use to raise the odds in your favor.

Website SEO Basics for Getting Traffic

Luring traffic to your website depends on a combination of elements. There's a symbiotic relationship between these parts, so you want to put each one into practice.

1. Choose one target keyword for each page

Far too many business owners make the mistake of trying to attract everyone instead of focusing on the person who would have the most interest in what's on the page. They don't realize that if they target one search term, they'll naturally create a host of related keywords. This natural use of terms ensures you'll benefit from Google's growing dependence on LSI (latent semantic indexing) to evaluate page content.

Your goal is to differentiate your page content so it's attractive to a carefully targeted demographic. For example if your business is tourism oriented, your target keywords--and the page content connected with those keywords--will get more traffic if you've segmented your content for different tourist types. There is:

  • The luxury experience tourist, who seeks 5-star accommodations;
  • The extreme experience tourist, who seeks the thrill of adventure;
  • The outdoor lover, who seeks anything from gentle hiking to bicycling or backpacking;
  • The family planner, who seeks family-oriented activities;
  • The history buff, who follows the past.

Your first question must be, "Which of these tourists do I serve?" Your answer will help you choose appropriate keywords. Then, for each tourist type you serve, you need at least one page.

In addition, as you choose your target keywords, consider the type of conversion you're seeking. Do you want to grow your contact list? Consider what your potential contact needs. Then use keywords that promise helpful information. "How to..." "When to..." "What to..." "Where to..." "Ways to..."

Do you want higher conversion to immediate sales decisions? Then avoid too many pages emphasizing informational keywords. They may attract high volumes of traffic, yet rarely convert to sales. Instead, focus some pages on keywords with commercial intent, such as Buy, Coupon, Discount, Deal and Free Shipping. Focus other pages on product keywords such as review, best, top 10, comparison, etc.

2. Give each page a unique title

You took the time to choose the best keyword for the outcome you want from your page. Now, align the title with that keyword. Include the keyword in the title if possible. However, don't sweat if you can't get the keyword at the beginning. Also, don't struggle to get an exact match. Engaging titles are strong as an asset because they 'lure' your target audience to your content. Remember, Google stopped rewarding exact matches years ago if they aren't backed up with high-quality content.

3. Use H tags

H is the abbreviation used in HTML for headings. You find most website interfaces give you a dropdown menu with all the H tags listed.

H1 is the most important heading tag, so it should be applied to your title. Add subtitles to make your content easier to scan through. Prioritize these subtitles as H2, H3, etc. This helps your site visitors rapidly identify how your content will help them. This keeps them longer, which then helps you with Google rankings.

H tags also help Google understand your page content. However, keep your H tags aligned with your topic. Avoid keyword stuffing, as this will hurt, rather than help. Remember, Google's not like your site visitor who wants to get the lowdown before reading everything. Google's scanning the entire page and looking for keywords and related terms.

4. Deliver great content, frequently

Content Delivery

Page content is everything. It's foundational for answering the question, "How do I increase website leads?"

Keeping content flowing is also important because Google considers newer better. Why? Most visitors to your site think the same way.

Because content plays such a large role in converting your website visitors, let's take a closer look at the strategies which work best.

The Content Foundation for Converting the Traffic You Get

First, create content consistently. Blog. Whenever possible, use video, and complement it with written content (such as the transcript of the video). If video isn't in your budget, do the next best thing. Make sure you have high quality images to go with your written content. Then, ensure your message is laser focused for the target audience you chose your keyword for.

Whether your message reaches out through video or text, there's one factor that will make it or break it for you. Ask yourself, "Am I in my customer's shoes? Am I thinking like my customer? Does my content resonate with my customer?" The closer you get to aligning your content with your customer's interests and pressing needs, the better your conversion rate.

Another vital question is, "How am I approaching my customer?" If your content uses a hard sales approach, your risk of repelling customers goes up. It's far better to create content that gives value to your website's visitors. This creates a positive experience--one that sends the message, "Our purpose is to help you."

What does value-driven content look like? For a technology company, it could be content that takes the mystery out of using its product, in contrast to content promoting the product's features. For a garden center, it could be a guide for how to identify nutrient deficiencies from plant symptoms, rather than announcing the fertilizer's arrived. For a painting company, it could be how to ensure this year's house painting project isn't peeling next year, versus promoting the company's painting services.

When you create service-oriented content, you up your lead potential three times over traditional marketing venues (TV, newspaper, radio and billboard ads).

Converting the Traffic You Get

Once you have great content, you want to sweep away any obstacles to conversion. That's where usability becomes a factor. If your call-to-action is "Click Here", you want the click to execute.

Usability

Performing a usability optimization scan of your website could increase conversions by 87%. You need a combination of visual appeal and intuitive function. Users perceive attractive products as more usable. People tend to believe that things that look better will work better--even if they are not actually more effective or efficient."

However, don't let this be an excuse for tolerating minor usability issues. You want the gap between what your visitor knows when they land on your website and what you want them to gain from your website to be easy to leap across. So in addition to making sure your website "works", you also want your content to speak your visitor's vernacular. If you're targeting tech, then accurate tech vocabulary is essential. However, if you're targeting consumers, using non-tech lingo complements usability.

You want your website to be: 1) accessible, 2) logically structured, 3) mobile friendly, and 4) fast loading. Then you want any forms you use to be easy to fill out. (Avoid captchas that are so difficult to read that they don't execute on the first submission! It's a deal breaker.)

Conversion Opportunities

It cannot be emphasized too often. Every page on your website should be planned as a conversion opportunity. Thus recognizing the difference between conversion from organic search and conversion from pay-per-click (PPC) plays a role in conversion rates.

For example, PPC efforts convert best when connected to a page that matches the ad campaign. Alignment is something Google rewards with higher quality scores and lower cost-per-click fees. This means more opportunities come your way. In like manner, when a page designed to attract organic search matches keywords, you increase your conversion opportunities as well.

Calls-to-Action

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Once you've assigned every page on your website a purpose, choose at least one call-to-action (CTA) that fits the page. Ask your visitors to engage.

Engagement includes calling a toll-free number or downloading something. It could also be an invitation to watch a video.

While calls don't require forms, most other CTAs do. Even with a video, you should ask for an email before giving access or after sharing a short 'teaser' from the full video. This means you want to choose the button text in your form carefully. It can make a difference.

'Click Here' performs better than 'Click'. 'Download Now' converts more than 'Download'. If it's appropriate, use 'Get Started'. Those two words have a 33.39% conversion rate. 'Get Started for Free' has a high conversion rate as well at 31.81%.

Targeted Overlays

Targeted overlays (AKA popups) are an active call to action. Used responsibly these screens that come up over the page can increase conversions--from 30-100% according to GetReponse. However, timing is everything. The worst time to deliver a popup is upon entry to a website. You haven't earned trust yet. Always delay the popup by at least 20 seconds.

Also, it's best to only show visitors one popup per visit. When every web page a visitor clicks to disappears under an unwanted invitation, it's intrusive and annoying.

One practice that performs especially well is to scroll trigger your targeted overlay. If a visitor has scrolled through 60% or more of the page, the likelihood they'll respond positively to an opt-in box's appearance is much higher. You've earned some credibility.

Finally, recognize that any targeted overlay must provide value. Make sure you're not just pushing an ad at your visitors. "Offer content that's worth the interruption."

Summary

It's okay to attract window shoppers if you get them to sign up for your email list. You'll grow some solid leads from those who are still at the research stage.

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