How Does SEO Affect My Lead Gen? (More Than You Think)

What does lead generation have to do with search engine optimization, also known as SEO? More than you probably think. Optimizing websites for Google and other search engines requires a focus on the target group you want to address. With lead generation, the focus is precisely on those interested in your products and services.

Understanding SEO is quite simple. The more people who visit your website, the more likely you are to generate more sales. But that only works if the visitors are interested in what you have to offer. Your goal should not be to simply increase the number of visitors but to attract prospective customers.

Before you can get a lead, prospects need to find your website. How do they do that? Most likely they open Google and type in a question. We do it all the time. “Where can I find the best donuts in town?” Maybe they even crave European-style donuts and type, “Where can I find Boston Cream doughnuts to go?”

The higher your website is listed in the search engine results (SERPs), the better chance you have of being found. Probably ninety-five percent of clicks occur on the first page of results. That's where everyone wants to be, of course. That’s where you’re going to be after you finish that delicious donut, right?

"Keyword research tells you what topics people care about and, assuming you use the right SEO tool, how popular those topics actually are among your audience. The operative term here is topics ..." Hubspot 

Wait. Are your leads looking for donuts or doughnuts? They’re the same, right? That depends. So you don’t lose that potential lead, you need search engine optimized website content.

Search Engines are Also Interested in Your Visitors Staying Awhile

How do you create online hospitality? Well, pull up a chair, I’ll give you a cup of coffee while we chat. It's not just about having the right words. People want something to read while they are eating that sweet concoction. They want content. The more content the better, according to Google.

Before working out concrete lead generation data collection, you should have a mature SEO strategy. Words are not the only factors for a good ranking on Google. The search engine giant has also been paying attention to the user behavior of website visitors for some time now. The longer a user stays on your website and the deeper he clicks into your website, the higher Google considers the value of your website.

“So, what’s a good dwell time? You should be aiming for two to four minutes. Less than two minutes is usually considered a poor dwell time (although the precise numbers are always shifting, as is the case with many SEO metrics).” Semrush 

That's why any search engine optimization starts with creating the right content. If you have adapted keywords and web content to your hungry target group, not only will your Google ranking improve. You will also find exactly those visitors on your website who are interested in your offers.

The Less Content You Offer, the More Expensive Your Leads

But don’t let your visitors leave just yet! Offer them another cup of joe. Make it as easy as possible for prospects. Place a direct question link to a contact form on every single product page. Nothing should then stand in the way of generating contacts and your lead generation strategy will start to bear fruit – or in this case, donuts?

Does your website offer poor content? Is there just a contact form with which a customer "might" contact the sales department? Then you won't get far. Do you only have your products and divisions distributed on landing pages with no information and no great content? Then it will be very difficult for you to generate new leads. It can be done - but each lead is going to be more expensive. (Now you know why we have a blog, too.)

Google (et al) index not only content and keywords from your website, but also that on social media accounts, and content that your visitors share. That’s right – blog posts, Twitter feeds, YouTube videos all go into the sweet batter of your success. And once your customer has brushed the sugar from their lips and finished that second cup of coffee, what are they going to do? That’s right, they’re going to tell others about you. Those people will come to check out your website and will be calling your overworked Sales team. Better think of hiring some more people.

"Before you put on your SEO hat or even your marketing hat, just be human. Learn about your customers from your customers. Before diving into tools and spreadsheets, try to gain some real empathy and understanding for the customers you’re serving and the perspectives they hold." Search Engine Journal

There are basically two types of lead generation:

The company on page 12 of Google? They created a donut recipe book on the side and then promote it with paid ads. They probably pay $50 dollars a lead.The company on page 1 of Google? They have several recipe books, a blog, and a Twitter account managed by a savvy gal from Texas. They probably pay $10 dollars per lead.

Which company would you like to be? You should always keep an eye on increasing good, relevant, customer-focused content on your website.

High Retention, Sweet Leads for the Taking 

Stop torturing your sales team with low lead generation rates and boring, plain donuts. We’ll improve the performance of your lead gen program and your company will enjoy better results for years to come.

Our approach will make your sales team happy and your bottom line happier. Put down that tasteless dough ring, and let’s schedule a call.