Getting organic traffic from search engines is just the first step – the real goal is converting those visitors into leads, sales and loyal customers. Here are the top strategies to improve your conversion rate from free search traffic.
Prioritize User Experience
Nothing turns visitors away faster than a clumsy, confusing site. Keep pages clean, simple and focused on usability. Optimize for speed. Ensure seamless navigation between key pages. Run regular usability tests and get feedback from visitors to streamline the experience.
Use Compelling Headlines
Headline writing is an art. Craft attention-grabbing, benefit-driven headlines that entice readers to know more. Test different headlines using tools like Optimizely to see what resonates most. Be conversational yet informative.
Provide Social Proof
User reviews, endorsements and case studies enhance credibility and trust. Feature real testimonials prominently on high-intent pages. Highlight awards, media mentions to establish authority. Display rich customer profiles with photos for authenticity.
Address Target Queries Directly
Understand searcher intent behind top keywords. Answer the latent user question on the landing page explicitly using their own natural language. Address pain points and sell benefits clearly without fluff.
Focus on Educational Content
In-depth how-to guides, step-by-step tutorials, eBooks are valuable resources for searchers. These affinity-building assets improve conversion by establishing yourself as a subject expert over time. Leverage opt-in forms to capture leads.
Use Targeted Calls-to-Action
Placement of well-designed CTAs above folds drives action. Tailor primary CTA verb to next logical step like "Request Demo" vs "Get Pricing". Use secondary CTAs for alternate pathways. Track CTA variations for winners.
Optimize for Mobile
As searches become more mobile-dominated, sites must cater to small screens easily. Adopt responsive design and optimize landing pages for speed, scannability on phones. Use tap-friendly buttons and single-column layouts for effortless engagement.
Preview Key Benefits
Highlight top 2-3 benefits upfront before initiating contact. Intrigue visitors enough to collect additional information willingly for a free trial or download. Leverage animations, videos to demonstrate value visually.
Provide Social Sharing Tools
Allow visitors to publicly endorse your brand value through social channels they frequent most. This improves organic virality of your content and referral traffic over time.
Nurture Site Visitors
Just getting a conversion or two from each search visitor is far from optimal. Implement email capture best practices on landing pages. Send relevant periodic nurture emails to warm leads over weeks, turning some into customers.
Retarget Website Visitors
Serve retargeting ads to recent visitors who didn't convert yet on search engines or social platforms reminding them of your value. Use discounts, time-bound offers to promote re-engagement.
Leverage User Behavior Data
Tools like Google Analytics reveal what pages interested/ overwhelmed visitors most. Adjust content accordingly. Heatmaps, scrollmaps analyze dropout points to optimize experience further.
Continually Test and Improve
Regular A/B and multivariate testing helps identify high converting page variants and optimize elements like headlines, images, calls-to-action. Continuously evaluate metrics like time on site, bounce rate to enhance visitor experience.
Refine SEO and Content Strategy
Continuing SEO improvements will bring related, higher intent traffic. Ensure any new content provides clear value to searchers for gaining links, shares naturally over time.
Personalize for Individual Visitors
Leveraging behavioral data, personalize key pages highlighting most relevant products or offers based on past visitor behavior for better targeting.