Sunday, November 16, 2008

Six SEO Secrets to Turn Visitors Into Sales

Want to increase your sales? I'm willing to bet the answer's "yes." After all, that's what SEO (search engine optimization) and getting traffic is all about. But if your visitors aren't buying once they arrive at your site, your hard work's going down the tubes! Use these 6 SEO conversion secrets to convert your visitors into sales...

SEO Secret #1: Create a compelling listing Your site's description in the search results is your first chance to make a good impression with prospective buyers. So make sure it grabs your visitors by the eyeballs! Rewrite your title tag and meta description tag - the parts that show up in the search engine listings. Experiment with new ways of describing who you are and what you do. Repeat until you hit on the combination that persuades the most people to click through to your website. Just make sure your main keyword phrase appears first in both tags.

SEO Secret #2: Create a powerful headline The average visitor to your site will spend just FOUR seconds deciding whether your site has what they're looking for. A headline that intrigues, excites, or inspires will leave your visitors in no doubt... so they'll stay long enough to see what else you have to offer. Start by stating the main benefit of what your page is offering. Will your customers learn money-saving tips, for example? Then frame your main benefit with a power statement like "How to..." or "Discover..." or "Uncover the Secret to..." (And don't forget to include your main keyword in your headline and subheads!)

SEO Secret #3: Create keyword-specific pages Create groups of related keywords for each page or section of your website (e.g., an article, blog post, or salescopy). When people land on a page that focuses on the keyword they searched for, they're much more likely to stick around - and buy your products! Just include a lead-in or link somewhere to your main sales page. Sometimes just a keyword-rich link is enough, especially when you've impressed them with your content.

SEO Secret #4: Use images and multimedia to your advantage The best images help your customers understand what your website is all about. The more directly they relate to your product and content, the more they'll reassure your visitors they've come to the right place. Audio and video can also be great sales tools when used correctly... so long as your listeners are ready for them. Turn off the auto-start feature on video or audio you include on your site. If you can create an optimized page for each video or podcast, your conversions will be even better.

SEO Secret #5: Include an internal search box Adding a search box is an easy way to help your visitors find what they're looking for. (And according to MarketingSherpa's Ecommerce Benchmark Guide, 43% of consumers use an internal search box if it's there.) And a search box offers a prime SEO opportunity, too! Using tools like Google Analytics, you can find out the exact words your market is typing to search for things they expect to find on your site. Use these keywords to optimize other pages of your website, and to test using pay-per-click.

SEO Secret #6: Encourage immediate sales A call to action is what's going to get your customers to buy today. But is yours full of keywords that will reassure your visitors that their problem will be solved? There you go - six SEO secrets to help you turn your visitors into customers. Try them out and watch your sales soar!

About the Author:

Derek Gehl, CEO of The Internet Marketing Center, shares the SEO secrets he uses to keep his sites ranking at the top of the search engines.

Now you can discover the proven SEO strategies Derek uses to quickly, easily, and automatically make $10.42 for every $1 he invests in online marketing!

To find out more, visit IMC's Search Marketing Lab

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