Landing pages are easily one of the most important aspects of every website. Whether you are running an eCommerce web store or the website of a philanthropic non-profit, the landing page is where most users are going to “land” during their search engine or direct marketing clicks. Because of its importance, the landing page for your website or blog must be as visible to the search engines as possible. This means optimizing it properly so more visitors can turn into more conversions. While SEO is crucial, sometimes website owners forget about who is on the other end of the screen: people. Here are a few suggestions to help you optimize your landing pages for search engines and readers.
Call to Action
Call to action is a vital part of the landing page. Whether you want people to buy your product, sign up for an email newsletter, contact you directly or ask for more information, your landing page should have call to action options directly on the page. This is true for B2B and personal websites. Make sure that you have call to action components visible on the website so people will be able to quickly perform the task. This could be an icon for buying your product or a 1-click option for subscribing to an RSS feed. Call to action also instantly tells the reader what you are providing them without the need to click on subpages.
Keywords
Google has recently tried to penalize websites that are using over-optimization and keyword stuffing. However, keywords are still the rule of thumb for all websites. Use the right keywords for the niche that your website falls into. It doesn’t matter if you are a medical supply store or a blog about golden retrievers, using the right keywords the right number of times is essential to getting placement in the search engine results pages and leaving your landing pages clean for real readers. Keyword stuffing and using the wrong keywords can leave readers with questions about what you are providing and how they can benefit from your website. Use your keywords naturally to avoid penalties from Google and from your readers.
Appropriate Length
Many website owners believe that they have to put all of their information on the landing page. This is simply not true. Landing pages should be used to give a brief overview of what your product or services are. Implement subpages so your readers are not overwhelmed by the amount of information on your landing page. Breaking all of your information into different subpages gives the reader usability so they can find the information they need quickly. The reader should not have to scroll two to three times to get all of the information on your landing page. The landing page should be a one-sheet of what you are offering and what they can benefit from by going deeper into your website.
Promote the Differences
There are thousands of products on the market that essentially do the same thing. All vacuums clean carpets. All soaps clean the skin. All curtains block light. When you are creating a landing page for your services or your products, you should highlight what makes your products or services different from the competition. Even if you are running a blog about golden retrievers, tell the reader what makes your blog different from all the others. As mentioned before, the landing page is a one-sheet of your website, but tell the readers about what makes the information or products on your website different.
For more information on landing page optimization, call us at 1-800-978-3417 or Contact Active Web Group and let us help you!
