Marketers face a common problem when it comes to organic traffic through SEO – how to convert website visitors into leads and paid customers. Working with SaaS businesses and hi-tech startups, we have nailed several proven methods, and in this article, we will share our experience with 13 effective strategies you can start using right away.
There could be several reasons why you are unable to generate leads or make sales through organic SEO. Here are the most common reasons.
For example, when it comes to AI, a lot of organic searches are done by scholars. SEO tools and Google Analytics only provide primary demographic data about website visitors without identifying them specifically. How can you determine if decision-makers are visiting your website as opposed to random students?
A helpful approach is to create a customized online survey with targeted questions to differentiate between the two groups. Hotjar allows you to display these surveys based on exit intent, gathering valuable insights as users are on the verge of leaving your website. But it is important to note that this method only works when you’re already generating significant traffic to your website.
Tips for ensuring you’re targeting the right audience before investing in SEO
The fundamental thing about converting website visitors into customers is to use content for commercial and transactional keywords. Informational articles very rarely convert visitors into customers directly.
Informational vs Commercial Intent keywords
The reason why someone is researching a particular topic is called the search intent for that topic. There are four types of user intent, all of which are very important to understand.
Each of these user intents represents a specific step in the customer journey. So, what happens if we wrongly guess a user’s intent?
Let’s say someone searches for “what is a chatbot.” Most likely, they want just that information. An article explaining the functioning of chatbots would suit their needs. However, responding to this query with a page promoting your chatbot services wouldn’t match their intention (Try searching up “what is a chatbot” on Google to see the point!).
At the same time, “custom chatbot” or “sms verification service” would represent commercial/transactional intent keywords that could be used to convert visitors into leads. So if you want to convert your website visitors into potential customers, these are the keywords you’d want to target.
We’ve seen cases where companies have used article-type content for transactional intent keywords. For example, in cases where they should use a well-structured landing page, companies have written blog posts with walls of text.
There are multiple types and formats of content you can choose from.
Content TypeContent FormatBlog postsHow-to-guidesProduct pagesStep-by-step tutorialsCategory pagesList postsLanding pagesOpinion editorialsReviewsComparisons
The basic SEO setup would involve three types of pages.
More advanced SEO strategies would include additional types of pages like
Ensure that you use the first three types of pages. Those will form the basis to start converting your visitors.
There are several important aspects of user experience (UX) that you must address.
50% of SaaS industry users browse the web using mobile devices. So make sure your website is mobile-friendly, with all illustrations and text accessible across all devices. Utilize tools like Microsoft Clarity or Hotjar to review user screen recordings and monitor their experience.
In today’s fast-paced digital world, users expect web pages to load quickly. Employ tools like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to analyze and optimize your site’s loading time. Otherwise, even a few seconds’ delay could result in high bounce rates.
Users should be able to find the information they’re looking for without hassle. A clear, organized menu structure, a functional search bar, and well-defined content categories can significantly improve UX.
Break content into easily digestible sections using headers, bullet points, and visual elements. This makes it easier for users to skim and find relevant information.
Besides generating organic traffic, you need to convert visitors into paying customers. This is the second piece of the puzzle.
As we mentioned before, first, you need to match search intent with the correct page type and format. You have to understand that each page should have its own unique call-to-action. In other words, you need to encourage visitors to perform a specific action after getting on your web page.
Typically, conversion rate optimization (CRO) strongly emphasizes landing pages given their pivotal role in driving conversions. However, while landing pages are undoubtedly crucial in the CRO process, it’s also essential to recognize that CRO can and should encompass other elements of a website or user journey. CRO could include optimizing the checkout process, email sign-up forms, product pages, and CTAs on blog posts.
Let’s also discuss some fundamental things to keep in mind when dealing with page optimization, referring specifically to product pages.
Let’s be honest: how many times have you been on a website where you didn’t understand what the company was doing? Create an effective unique value proposition (UVP) that addresses your website visitors’ pain points.
Unique value proposition example
Perform a 5-second test to uncover whether users understand what your page is about and the action you want them to take. Test different landing pages using this method.
Social proof is a powerful tool that helps increase conversions on landing pages by leveraging the collective trust of endorsements.
Different ways to show credibility include testimonials, reviews, trusted partner logos, and user metrics.
Employing authentic and relatable testimonials, showcasing trusted client logos, and highlighting metrics like user counts can significantly enhance credibility and trust.
A CTA, or call-to-action, prompts website users to take a specific action, such as “Sign Up”, “Buy Now”, or “Learn More.”
CTA Example
A well-crafted CTA bridges the gap between passive browsing and taking decisive action, ultimately driving conversions.
When creating a Call-to-Action (CTA), these are some essential factors to keep in mind.
Please refrain from using too many calls-to-action on a single page. Overloading with CTAs can distract users and detract from the primary value of your content.
In the modern SaaS world, achieving product-market fit can be challenging due to users being distracted by information overload.
Website visitors struggle to distinguish similar SaaS tools from competitors, causing difficulty in standing out amongst countless businesses.
Here is an example of SaaS business competition by various industries
SaaS Competition. Source
Product differentiation and achieving a product-market fit are expansive subjects. However, a simple yet effective exercise for crafting your product messaging is to answer the question:
‘What unique value does your product offer to X audience?’
For example, our agency focuses on ethical link building for SaaS businesses.
We highly recommend reading the book ‘Blue Ocean Strategy‘ to broaden your horizons. Additionally, consider exploring CXL University, which offers a wealth of valuable materials on the topic.
Let’s sum up everything that we have talked about, with some bonus points that might further help you gain more visitors and boost sales.
It is important to understand who your potential customers are and what content might be interesting on their journey.
It’s essential to target words that people are using when they want to buy or compare specific solutions. These fall in the later stages of the customer journey (or bottom of the funnel, if you prefer so). These pages are responsible for converting your website visitors into leads.
Please remember to check whether you need a landing page or a blog post. Just go check the top 10 SERP results for your keyword to see what type of content your competitors have been posting that’s caught your target audience’s eye.
Pay attention to the structure of your landing page. Remember to be clear with your unique value proposition and use social proof to justify your arguments.
Every piece of content should have an end goal,like getting email subscribers, urging users to download a case study, or getting more requests for scheduling a demo.
According to one survey, implementing exit-intent popups resulted in a 341% surge in email list subscribers, a 290% boost in form-building activities, a retrieval of 53% of visitors on the verge of leaving, and a 4.1% uptick in sales conversions.
Sales cycles can be quite lengthy, especially in the B2B industry. Therefore, it’s essential to utilize email marketing campaigns to convert website visitors into new customers.
Google retargeting and Facebook remarketing can be highly effective and often relatively cost-effective per lead acquisition. Users may only sometimes be prepared to decide immediately but might be ready in the following weeks. Thus, tracking and targeting them with valuable content that resonates with their needs and interests is essential.
Chatbots can be very helpful nowadays as they allow natural language conversations. In fact, they can increase your conversion rate as high as 10-20%.
Below are the tools we have personally used and experienced success with.
Analytics
Email marketing
Chatbots
Successfully converting website visitors into paying customers requires a strategic and comprehensive approach, combining the science of understanding user intent with the art of creating engaging and valuable content.
As businesses in the SaaS domain and hi-tech startups intensify their competition for online visibility and conversions, it’s critical to attract organic traffic and optimize every stage of the customer journey.
By leveraging targeted SEO strategies that align with transactional and commercial keywords, businesses can better position themselves in front of the right audience at the right time.
If you would like to monetize your organic traffic and turn visitors into customers, drop us a message, as we have extensive experience working with great SaaS companies all over the world.
