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It doesn’t matter the industry or the size: Every business needs a strong online presence to stay competitive in today’s marketplace. To accomplish this, you’ll need to master SEO for landing pages.
SEO, which stands for “search engine optimization,” is both a science and an art. It’s a science in that proven results come from the direct application of marketing best practices. It’s an art in that search engines like Google don’t share their algorithms for ranking, so the process sometimes requires creativity.
It's worth the effort to better understand landing page SEO optimization. A recently updated study by Chitika Insights found that the first four pages listed on a Google results page receive nearly 70% of the overall clicks. This is known as organic traffic, meaning you don’t have to pay advertising costs to get noticed.
But if your page appears too low on the list, all your work to create it could be for nothing. That’s why it's so important to learn and integrate the SEO techniques marketing professionals have determined to help improve where your page ranks.
What Are SEO Landing Pages?
SEO landing pages are sections of your website that serve a very specific purpose: They are a place for your potential customers to “land” as they search online for the solution to their needs. This is a web page designed to directly answer their query, which is foundational to all other SEO best practices.
For example, a company that sells facial lotions likely has a web page listing all the different formulas. Then, each lotion will have its own page addressing its features for its specific target audience. These detailed pages would be considered landing pages, and they work best when you strategically integrate SEO landing page best practices.
How Does Landing Page SEO Work?
Landing pages for SEO work as dynamic elements of your website. These pages are designed to draw in potential customers by using proven online marketing techniques.
Learning how to optimize a landing page for SEO will make your website more robust. You’ll expand your online presence beyond your current site’s stable structure by adding pages that will rank higher in specific queries.
You don't necessarily need to list these pages in your main menu. Instead, the user will be directed straight to the landing page and can navigate the rest of the site from there. By following SEO tips for landing pages, your users will be more likely to find exactly what they are looking for.
You can also experiment with different landing pages, as they exist beyond the foundational format of your website. Landing pages can be created and changed at any time, with a focus on using content to improve the user experience.
This work allows you to draw in more customers and deepen your relationship with them. Everyone appreciates a company that speaks their language and meets their needs.
8 Tips To Create and Improve SEO Effective Landing Pages
Any project to expand your website with SEO for landing pages requires a plan. The more research, analysis, and strategy you include at the beginning of the project, the more likely you’ll see the success you seek in the end.
1. Conduct Keyword Analysis and Research To Find Target Keywords
Target keywords are simply the words that potential customers write into the search engine bar at the top of the Google screen. Once they hit the “search” button, the algorithm that runs Google will then scan the internet for those words to create a list of results.
Use keyword research tools, such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMRush, or Answer the Public. Analyze your competitor’s websites to see what keywords they are using and try to beat their ranking. It will be possible to create a plan for landing pages or blogs based on your results.
Keep in mind that these algorithms are sensitive to “keyword stuffing.” It knows when a primary keyword is added solely in an attempt to improve the ranking factor, and that tactic backfires. That’s why many small businesses work with professional writers who know how to use keywords for better SEO.
Long-Tail Keywords
There are two types of keywords: short-tail and long-tail. Thinking about your behavior when searching online will help make this clear. If you want a new bikini, you may search “high waist bikini” and be directed to landing pages selling this specific product. That is a short-tail keyword, and it can be your primary keyword.
Alternatively, you may ask, “What are the best bikinis for an hourglass figure?” Another related search could be “bikinis that cover bigger bellies.” Those are examples of long-tail keywords. It can be easier to rank higher with these, but fewer people will search using these longer phrases. You’ll want to include both in any piece of content online.
Keyword Variations
Creating a list of keywords requires creativity because not everyone searches the same way. For the best landing page SEO, you’ll want to phrase your keywords differently and integrate all of them. Just be sure to weave in every keyword naturally.
If you have a service or product that's often misspelled, you can even add in the misspelling on purpose as a keyword variation.
2. Optimize the Landing Page URL Used
The algorithms used by Google and other search engines look at many things when determining the ranking — starting with the URL of the landing page itself. Whether your landing page contains blog posts or specific promotions for your services and products, you’ll want to optimize the URL.
Think about the URLs for your static web pages. They may look something like: www.mycompany.com/services or www.mycompany.com/aboutus. You can optimize the URL for your landing pages for SEO by including a keyword.
Let’s say you own a professional cleaning company in Miami, Florida. If you create a landing page to attract customers in need of carpet cleaning, an optimized URL could be www.mycompany.com/carpetcleaningmiami. Use your keyword research as a guide.
3. Carefully Craft Meta Descriptions and Title Tags
Don’t overlook other opportunities to include keywords beyond the URL and web page content. As you build the landing page for SEO, don’t neglect the meta description and title tags.
A meta description, usually around 150 characters in length, is a short phrase that summarizes the content of a web page. Always include your primary keyword in this description, which will show up on the search engine results page and improve your ranking.
A title tag is created on the backend of a website with coding, and it's simply a title for the page that's displayed on the browser title bar. Strategic keywords here also improve the ranking factor, as well as make your site look more polished and professional.
4. Focus On Quality Over Quantity
While keyword “science” is crucial for landing page optimization, remember that there is an artistic side to the process, too. If the page is stuffed with the same keyword repeatedly, the overall value and user experience diminish. Always prioritize quality over quantity.
When small and medium-sized businesses begin writing landing page content, they often make the mistake of trying to churn out handfuls of low-quality blogs or pages. Instead, budget for fewer, well-executed pages. Google and other search engines value useful, informative content that focuses on real people, rather than chasing the algorithm.
You can easily tell the difference between an article or web page written by AI, or artificial intelligence, compared to a professional writer. Search engines can, too.
5. Don't Forget About Image Titles
When creating landing pages for SEO, include images — but do so wisely. Stock photos come in a wide range of quality, and the last thing you want is to increase your bounce rate simply because you picked a picture worthy of an eye roll.
There are many places online where you can get images for blogs. Many images are protected, so it’s best to include images in your budget. The best images are unique to your business, so hire a professional photographer for strategic shots if possible.
Then, when you add an image to your landing page, fill out all the information on the backend. Images can have titles (these appear if there’s a problem loading the image) and captions. Consider these opportunities to include keywords and helpful information that both search engines and customers will notice.
6. Monitor Landing Page Speed and Mobile Friendliness
Beyond being well-written with appealing images, a landing page must also function well. Google algorithms frown upon websites that don’t work as designed. In general, these backend problems fall into two categories.
Page Load Time
If a page requires patience, it won’t rank well on a search engine results page.
For the best conversion rate, aim for your landing page to load somewhere between zero and four seconds. If you discover it takes a while to load a page, you may need to reevaluate the company hosting your domain.
Often, slow page load time is a result of flashy graphics, animation, videos, and other dynamic elements. Keep the design simple for better success.
Mobile Friendly
According to Statista.com, nearly 60% of all website traffic comes from people using their mobile devices. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, Google will naturally pass it over for one that is.
Most modern web-building templates and professional developers will do this work automatically, but not always. Check that your new landing page lays out clearly and functions smoothly on a smartphone or a tablet to avoid ranking lower on a search engine results page.
7. Include High Domain Authority Backlinks
Another powerful way to enhance the SEO for landing pages is to provide additional research in the form of backlinks. A backlink is when one web page links to another, but the trick is to make the link in the form of text rather than a URL.
For example, instead of linking to www.ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner, a better backlink is simply Google’s Keyword Planner.
Inbound Links
Once a potential customer finds your landing page organically, you can keep them on your website by providing backlinks within your site. These types of backlinks are known as internal links.
However, there is a fine line between providing high-quality information from other blogs on your site and engaging in too much self-promotion. As always, consider the user experience first.
Outbound Links (External Links)
You can also include external links, also known as outbound links, on your landing pages to improve the ranking by search engines. Look for primary sources and stay clear of linking to the competition.
It’s a good idea to check these links, as bad links can decrease the page rank.
8. Keep the User Experience in Consideration
Finally, when considering SEO for landing pages, it’s always most important to think about the overall experience of your potential customer. To be most effective, you’ll need to have an in-depth knowledge of the user persona.
When you know who you are targeting, it will be easier to create a landing page that effectively reaches them. You’ll have a better understanding of which keywords, topics, and designs will work best.
Measuring the results of your efforts will determine if you’ve succeeded in reaching your target audience. One way to do this is by monitoring Google Analytics for high bounce rates. Another way is to look for social proof, which may be in the form of sharing your page through social media.
Remember, online marketing and SEO for landing pages may require some experimentation and testing to find the best method to grow your business.
Start Constructing Your Landing Pages Today
To start the process of adding new landing pages to your website, begin by scheduling a time with the leaders of your company to brainstorm goals. Just like with all projects, make your online marketing goals “SMART” goals. That stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
Sometimes, the most challenging part of this effort is finding the time. When you're crafting your strategic plan, realistically delegate the work. You may discover that you can move forward faster if you work with a professional writing team. Compose.ly writers have extensive experience with SEO for landing pages. Request a sample on the Compose.ly website today.
