Conversion Rate Vs Search Engine Optimization: Why They Must Remain Separate

In the minds of customers, the public at large and often of businesses

, search engine ranking optimization and conversion rate optimization are one and the same. Many people aren't aware of the existence of conversion optimization as a separate discipline, and because of exaggerated marketing statements by some SEO marketing companies, believe that getting to the top of the Google rankings is all that they need to guarantee website profitability. Today we get to the bottom of the two functions, explaining why each is currently very different from the other, and why they should remain so in the future.

What is search engine optimization?

Search engine optimization is a system of improving both on-site and off-site factors in order to help a website appear higher up in the Google/Yahoo/Bing results for a particular set of keyphrases. So, eBay's search engine optimization goal might be to appear as #1 in the Google results for the term 'online auction site'.

What is conversion optimization?

Conversion optimization is the process of improving the usability and sales tactics of a site to ensure that the highest possible percentage of visitors to a site perform a given action - the 'goal' of the website's existence.

Why the confusion?

When you have the two definitions neatly set out in front of you, it is difficult to imagine how anyone could mix the two functions up. However, mix they do! The confusion usually arises from the very common claim by search engine optimization companies that their services (like article marketing, link building, on-site optimization etc) will make you more money.

In reality, good SEO marketing results are a few miles down the road from 'more money'. Good SEO will get you a good ranking in Google, not:

More visitors

More qualified visitors

More people signing up to your newsletter, buying your products, etc

Better branding

All of these may naturally arise from skillfully executed search engine optimization, but they are not the true goals of SEO professionals.

You can see that the factors which bring SEO success are very different to the factors that affect conversion rates:

Factors affecting search engine optimization success

Domain features such as age, domain name, speed of load time etc

On-site factors such as keyword occurrence and placement in the website copy, website structure, etc

Number of links pointing to the web page and the anchor text used in the links

Factors affecting conversion rates

The base product and service offering. MUST be decided at a company level, not by outsourced services

Website infrastructure

Professionalism of the copy and the website design

Incentives for consumers to buy

Customer service standards

Why should they remain separate?

Many firms will perform both functions, and this is perfectly reasonable. After all, the particular search engine optimization strategies used will have an affect on conversion rates, and vice versa.

However, both of these disciplines are too involved and require too much expertise to be effectively delivered as part of the same service. Businesses simply need to understand that engaging an SEO marketing service doesn't automatically mean that profits go up ... that is the responsibility of conversion optimization processes. A good full-service internet marketing company will provide both ... but won't lead you to believe that they are one and the same!

by: Gregory Smyth

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