When it comes to SEO (search engine optimization), we traditionally think about our website topic and content and how we can get that coveted spot within the first page of Google search results. Many of us spend a lot of time (and often considerable expense) attempting to land that coveted spot.
After all, if a company is spending $25 a click for specific keywords they must be getting leads and new clients or customers.
So, wouldn’t those be the keywords that you should pursue?
Are you looking at SEO the wrong way?
Recently, we worked with a client who wanted their website to rank high for the keywords “Vermont disability lawyers”. This is perhaps one of the most competitive set of keywords in every city and state across the USA. The Holy Grail of keywords for attorneys who work with disability cases.
Moving up in the ranks
In the first month, we were able to move our client up in the ranks to a position on page one, albeit not at the top of the list. That space was occupied by Google Ads and Google Business placements. The competition was dog eat dog and any firm that could even place on the first page of the search results, was extremely fortunate.
During the second month, they dropped to the second page of results, despite our best efforts to boost them up with traditional “white hat” SEO, creating and enhancing blog post content, increasing social media share, getting new backlinks, etc.
It would seem that Google’s algorithm’s had other plans.
We also noticed that other law firms bounced around the search results as well, like a web based game of “wack a mole”. Now, 6 months later, the results are totally different with many law firms listed in the SERP’s that were nowhere to be seen previously.
Most of the other firms who held fast to the first page of results are no longer there.
So it would seem that first page results in Google for popular keywords is fleeting, at best. Here today, gone tomorrow.
Alas, paying for Google AdWords is the solution…NOT!
My client tried Google AdWords, attempting to get top of the page results for their keywords but guess what happened? Very few click-through’s and no conversions. Despite paying a large amount per click, none of the clicks converted to acquisition of a new client for them.
Here is an example of one of the Google AdWords paid ads that come up at the very top of the page for the keyword phrase “Vermont disability lawyers“.
The second, paid placement above sends you directly to a “landing page” for a disability related topic. In this case, social security disability.
This is highlighted company below is one of the random organic (non-paid) results for the same keyword phrase “Vermont disability lawyers“:
Although the above site is in the first page rankings for “Vermont disability lawyers”, it’s about social security NOT disability. If you’re looking for information about disability lawyers in Vermont, there is nothing here to pique your interest.
Like their Google AdWords placement, this law firm also comes up number 1 in the organic search results (and Google My Business). They have designed their home page as a landing page specifically about “Vermont disability lawyers”. When you click through to this law firm website, you get exactly what you expect to see:
If you’re looking for a lawyer in Vermont who can help you with a disability claim, which of the above law firms would you most likely call first?
Do you see why the above page would generate more leads and conversions?
The first landing page simply has too much content about nothing that you’re searching for. You can probably guess which law firm gets more disability claim business from the web.
Web marketing the right way, through conversion tracking in Google Analytics
With SEO, most people get hung up on getting their website ranked for what they consider the most popular keywords. While that is important for most businesses, that doesn’t necessarily translate over to conversions in terms of leads and sales, etc.
It would be a much better use of your time to find out where your current traffic, leads and sales are coming from, so that you can focus on web marketing tactics that work and stopping the ones that are not.
Use Conversion Tracking to get an accurate measurement of what’s working
Set up your goals, log into your Google Analytics, click on your site, in the left sidebar click on “Conversions > Goals > Overview.” Now, you can see where your conversions are coming from.
Next, find out which of your web pages are the most effective in driving actual conversions and sales and concentrate your SEO efforts on them. This article tells you how to identify your high converting landing pages in Google Analytics.
Doing the above may not yield a massive amount of traffic but it will help boost your conversions and sales, etc. The bottom line is optimize for revenue, sales, leads, and ROI instead of pure traffic.
If this post helps you, please share with others. If you’re a business that needs help implementing any of the methods above contact us today and we’ll get you moving in the right direction.
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