It is incredibly easy to get wrapped up in an intricate SEO strategy that involves testing multiple landing pages, signing up for every single new social media sensation and begging bloggers to link to your site. Putting together a high-level and energy-intensive SEO strategy is wonderful if you’ve got the time and money, but always remember that search engine optimization is a process toward a goal and not the goal itself.
The goal of search engine optimization is to increase conversion rates on your website whether this means buying a product(s), signing up for a newsletter or following a call to action. Your SEO efforts need to constantly focus on achieving this goal and each new strategy should be evaluated in the context of audience and conversion.
You’ve developed new landing pages. Great. Are more people visiting your website? If so, are they purchasing/posting/signing up?
It’s easy to get lost in lots of fancy testing models and spend gobs and gobs of time trying to increase linkage, but at the end of the day, you must balance the cost of your SEO efforts with the results you are receiving. Hold your SEO company or SEO practitioner responsible for increasing conversion rates.
If your results are lacking, go back to the basics. Is your website easily navigated? Is the content engaging, relevant and rich in key words? Is the call to action clear and easy to follow?
Never forget that SEO is a means to an end. Conversions are what counts!