May 8th, 2010 by Nick

Among the plethora of articles written about search engine optimization, it is arguably the case that the field of conversation rate optimization (CRO) is not given the attention it deserves. While most individuals with some knowledge of SEO are aware that getting more traffic on to a site is not enough, the mechanics of acquiring more conversions are sometimes not given the appropriate level of exploration in the typical article. As SEO has become increasingly complex over time, especially with the emergence of opportunities connected with social media marketing, CRO has also become an increasingly sophisticated activity. One difficulty superficially appears to be that there is on occasion a lack of dialogue between SEO and CRO experts.

For example, it is becoming evident that CRO, like SEO, is becoming a mixture of technical and creative activities. Theorising and implementing CRO is now a complicated matter for many sites. The days in which CRO was merely a question of experimental testing, if they existed, are gone. Deciding what should be measured and measuring it is far from straightforward. Things like audience segmentation are complex affairs. In short, CRO is a subject worthy of extended consideration and viewing it as separate from SEO could have potentially negative consequences. It is arguably best to proceed with these tasks in a unified and coherent manner.

An example is required to illustrate the point. As audience segmentation has already been mentioned, it makes sense to reconsider this tactic. Both SEO and CRO have something to bring to the party when it comes to audience segmentation. Analysis from the SEO tools’ box can help establish niches linked with long tail keywords. It is then possible to conduct experiments in relation to the niches, prior to behavioural scrutiny and observation of conversion rates on the relevant landing pages.

Results gathered by combining the strengths of SEO and CRO can be utilised to enhance future strategy. In the increasingly intense struggle for sustained success in the quest to exploit dominance of the search engine results pages, it is simply missing a trick to neglect CRO tactics. While every site is different, missing out on the potential opportunities presented by CRO can be a costly affair. Given this fact, why do some individuals not even implement the CRO basics?

One problem is the division of labour. Some people are specialists in SEO but have limited experience with CRO. Another reason is that budget constraints can limit the resources which are made available for CRO purposes. A further possible factor is that a client may be keen to retain influence over the conversions aspect of a site and may not wish for a SEO outfit to get into areas which are perceived to be outside their remit.

It is therefore desirable that determined efforts are made to overcome these possible hindrances. For example, the barriers between perceiving search engine optimisation and CRO as separate areas of expertise are quite flimsy and can be tackled within firms which possess the required human capital. Clients who do not wish their SEO outfit to get fully involved with their CRO should be persuaded of the virtues of a coordinated approach.

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