Why SEO And Lead Generation Need to Work in Complete Harmony

As an additional part of inbound marketing, lead generation describes the process of targeting prospects and turning them into customers.

Despite content being important to both, many businesses treat the two disciplines as separate. The following factors illustrate why incorporating SEO into your lead generation strategy from the very beginning is critical to building bridges that convert leads into sales.

Combining SEO and lead generation is vital for content discovery

To maximize its potential, lead generation content must combine with SEO to address user intent. The better you understand what content your customers are looking for, the easier your lead generation strategy becomes.

Performing keyword research before creating any lead generation content will allow you to learn the terms and topics your target customers search for. It will also help you recognize the questions these prospects ask at each stage of the buying process.

Search engines want to provide the best possible experience for users. Therefore, creating lead generation content that is optimized for user intent is the most effective way to connect prospects to the content that answers their needs.

Long tail searchers have more intent to buy

Most businesses focus on visitors that come to their site for the most popular head (shorter) keywords. However, people who search for information using long tail keywords – phrases of four or more words – are 2.5 times more likely to make a purchase.

The best long tail keywords are specific to your business or industry. Although this means the search volume will be lower, there’s usually less competition, and the conversion rates are always much higher. As a result, using SEO techniques to create lead generation content is one of the most effective ways to drive warmer prospects through your sales funnel.

Even if their search intent is not transactional, people using long tail keywords are typically looking for specific information. For this reason, linking long tail keyword research to lead generation content will provide better paths to purchase for customers who are actively shopping for what your business provides.

Push advertising is becoming harder than ever

When it comes to directing traffic to your website, many businesses choose push marketing techniques such as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising — yet disdain for irritating pop-ups and unwanted distractions (users want their browsing experiences to be as smooth as possible) means that ad blocking has become standard practice for many tech-savvy shoppers.

Research shows that 25 percent of U.S. internet users blocked ads on their connected devices in 2016. This year, the figure is expected to reach over 30 percent. The growing use of ad blockers, coupled with the introduction of GDPR, is making push advertising harder than ever. If your business relies heavily on paid traffic to generate leads, turning to the pulling power of SEO can help you meet the increased challenges of getting your content in front of potential customers.

Local SEO helps small businesses take on big brands – and win

The internet’s ability to provide access to a worldwide audience often leads businesses to overlook local SEO when chasing leads. This is a mistake. Stats published by Search Engine Land reveal that over 60 percent of consumers have used local information in ads, and 18 percent of local mobile searches lead to a sale within one day.

Getting your website content right provides the foundation of every effective local SEO strategy. Ensuring you have an optimized page for every service you offer, a contact page with all the key details, and a solid range of customer testimonials will equip you to make good use of local SEO for magnifying your lead generation efforts.

If you’re a small business selling locally, appearing in Google’s local ‘3-Pack’ also makes it easier to compete against established brands with bigger budgets. From taking control of your Google My Business page to populating your listing with photos, optimizing your site to rank in local searches will help you connect with customers that need your product or service at precisely the right times.

Capturing mobile leads goes beyond responsive design

After years of edging towards the tipping point, 2016 was the year in which mobile web browsing overtook desktop for the first time. A year later, mobile also surpassed desktop in terms of global online purchases.

Adapting your lead generation content strategy for the rise of e-commerce is about much more than building responsive landing pages. To truly cater to connected shoppers, you need to understand the difference between traditional SEO and optimizing your content for mobile searches.

As a first step, mobile keyword research and content creation are vital. As well as using voice search, on-the-go prospects use different search queries. At the same time, restricted screen space and finger scrolling mean you need to simplify content, make navigation easy, and include clear calls to action. For adapting existing copy and images to mobile-friendly layouts, lead magnet creators can be handy — just enter the relevant URL to collate the content into a single downloadable you can link to.

Google research reveals that over half of mobile users will abandon sites that take over three seconds to load. Consequently, using SEO best practices to make sure your lead-generating content loads fast is a crucial part of optimizing your mobile landing pages for conversions.

Final thoughts

SEO increases the number of people who organically find your website, while lead generation attracts prospects and turns them into customers. Despite the increase of social media and app usage, the majority of online experiences still begin with a search engine, which means SEO and lead generation complement each other.

Used separately, both disciplines can boost your sales — but combine them, and you will make your total marketing efforts even more profitable.

** About the Author: Kayleigh Alexandra writers for Micro Startups, a community dedicated to sharing startup stories and nonprofit marketing tips. Visit the blog for the latest entrepreneurial insights from around the globe. Follow us on Twitter @getmicrostarted.