The most important thing every marketer needs to know in order to master conversion rate optimization is the implicit assumptions and desires—or user signals, to use the proper marketing term—of their target audience.
User signals are essentially any action taken by a visitor on a site; when looked at over time, an SEO can extrapolate key findings about what their target audience likes on the site, what needs to be optimized, and what can be done away with. Managing the push and pull of what should be on the website is at the core of effective conversion rate optimization.
User signals like bounce rate and click through rate are primary determinants of your site’s effectiveness at serving your customers. They are also used as a proxy by Google for your site’s relevance for specific keywords, which means sites that are optimized for search behavior are likely to rank higher.
But how do you set up an analytics and measurement system to ensure you are converting in the right places in the right ways?
Mastering CRO is only possible if you know how to measure user signals and iterate based on key findings. SEO companies in Long Beach, CA have the analytical acumen required to pull insightful data from user signals. Here are some tips!
How to Identify User Signals that Matter to Your Site
In order to become a master, you need to:
- Identify User Signals that Matter to Your Site
- Test, Measure, Learn
Let’s look at each of these more closely.
Every site serves a purpose. Furthermore, every page on every site should be architected to support or encourage visitors towards taking an action that supports the overall purpose of the site.
While this might sound like “sales-y” jargon that only makes sense for e-commerce merchants, the proper architecture of a site—in which site navigation is straight-forward – has always been a core recommendation from Google in their Webmaster Guidelines. The principle of smooth site navigation applies to every website, and in order to achieve optimal levels of frictionless viewing, SEOs need to have a desired purpose behind every page they create.
The first step in identifying user signals that matter is understanding what your objectives are for each page. Common conversion goals look like this:
- I want x % of new visitors to download a free white paper from a pop-up notification
This objective makes sense for a business looking to use quality marketing collateral (a white paper) to generate leads from organic search.
- I want x % of returning visitors to fill out a quick survey
This objective makes sense for a business looking to gather more insight into their personas.
- I want x % of new or returning page visitors to follow a CTA link to a service page
This objective makes sense for articles or landing pages geared towards qualified leads or late stage buyers.
Keep in mind that the goals you set should be enduring, while the content of the pages should change regularly as you try to optimize for what the user signals are telling you.
Test, Measure, Learn
Once you establish objectives for each page, you can turn them into goals in Google Analytics and begin tracking user behavior against them. It is in this analytical and iterative process that the true expertise of an SEO comes to the fore.
Start by looking into Google Analytics → Behavior → Behavior Flow → Landing Pages to see how your audience navigates through your site. Take note of where the drop off ratio exceeds through traffic, and presto, you have evidence of friction on the site that can be fixed.
Collect as many of these ineffective pages and begin studying why there are not working. What content changes can be made? Is the layout not smooth? Are there too many steps between the landing page and conversion goal you have set? These are common hypotheses that need to be tested and measured through A/B and multivariate testing until the best mix of site attributes is found—attributes that bring the highest conversion rates for your overall page goals.
CRO Is A Repetitive Process
Conversion rate optimization is the process of continually refining how well you know your target audience. Companies that do it best, by employing the best local SEO services firms in Long Beach, CA, will reap the monetary rewards.
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