Sales page SEO isn’t something I hear SEO’ers OR copywriters talk about much. Maybe it’s because BoFu (bottom of the sales funnel) is where the action happens. Most of our SEO efforts are concentrated higher up the funnel….by this stage, we want readers to know our brand and be ready to invest in our offer.
Or maybe it’s that sales page conversations are (rightfully) focused on conversion rate optimization (CRO). After all, the primary function of a sales page is, well, to sell. It’s not to drive leads or convert cold traffic to warm traffic.
But I believe SEO plays a role at ALL stages in your customer journey, whether we like it or not. The simple fact is that your sales pages are indexable, which means customers may land on them from organic search. And that can have real ramifications for your marketing if you’re omitting SEO from the equation.
So, when do you need to think about SEO for your sales pages? I’m giving you the skinny on when and how to SEO on your sales pages…so stay tuned.
A conversion funnel (or sales funnel) is a series of steps your customers take from the first interaction through purchase. All potential customers will need several interactions with your brand; because we consumers like to feel good that the products and services we purchase are the right choice for us. We need that know/like/trust factor, the unshakable proof that we’ve invested our time and money into something and someone that is beneficial to us.
In order to lead your prospects through that journey from ‘I know I need this thing to solve a problem’ to ‘Yes, this is the right solution for me’, there are several predictable steps along the way AKA the sales funnel:
Top of the funnel (ToFu): Prospects first engage with your brand from a social post or an article. This ‘cold’ traffic is the first opportunity to appeal to your prospect and let them know why you’re worth a second (and third) look.
Middle of the funnel (MoFu): These prospects are ‘warm’ and are ready to take some small action or engagement. They may sign up for your email list, download a free resource from your site, or follow you on Instagram and begin engaging regularly with your content.
Bottom of the funnel (BoFu): Your prospects know your brand and are ready to make a decision about your products and services. Urgency and scarcity play bigger roles here in nudging your prospect toward action.
At each stage of the funnel, your prospects will find you through a variety of channels and methods: social media, Google, a direct link, email, article, etc. But as they move along your sales funnel, you’ll have more control over the narrative. You can market them more intentionally and nurture prospects through controlled spaces like email, private groups, or DMs.
The other side of the coin to consider in your sales funnel is the level of buyer awareness and urgency. How well do they know your brand, and what information do they need to move into a higher stage of awareness and urgency for purchase?
As prospects move from awareness (ToFu) > consideration (MoFu) > decision (BoFu), they are also becoming more sophisticated about your products, solutions, and brand.
As a conversion-focused copywriter, I prefer the granularity of Copyhacker’s six stages of awareness because it illustrates that customer evolution well:
ToFu
MoFu
BoFu
The top of the funnel is traditionally where SEO plays the biggest role in your marketing, and for good reason. When potential customers explore a problem or opportunity they want to solve, they’ll often start with a search engine and research the topic. But what marketers often overlook is that there’s search intent at every stage of the buyer’s journey.
When prospects are solution-aware, they’ll compare products and services to understand what they need and what’s right for them.
As prospects become product aware, they may compare your products to see which is the better solution. They’ll search for you by brand or product name.
Finally, even the most aware and most aware with high intent prospects want to make sure they’re getting the right deal. They may comparison shop by searching for the product they want. Or, they may search your site for the product to confirm and validate their choice.
At every step, organic search can help inform and influence your prospect toward making a decision.
So when is it worth giving your sales page extra SEO love?
There are a few times when it’s worth the effort:
There are some times when it’s not worth optimizing your sales page for SEO. If you know you don’t want cold traffic landing on your sales page, it’s worth taking the extra step to make it unindexable, so it’s not found at all in search. That’s the best way to create a closed sales environment and maintain control over your BoFu experience.
As with all SEO strategies, start with your human readers in mind and create readable, engaging content.
And while you’re out there creating amazing sales content, follow these best practices to ensure it gets found by the right cold prospects in search:
Pay attention to your metadata, URL slug, header formats, alt tags, and the other components of on-page SEO.
If you can naturally use strategic keyword phrases, look for navigational and transactional search terms. Intentionally exclude informational phrases that may attract unaware prospects. These are the hardest to convert.
Your sales page is meant to sell. Period. Optimize for conversions first. Above all else, make sure your page offers your prospects the best experience possible. Make your words count. Offer value. Reward prospects by making it worth the effort to read your content.
The SEO will follow.
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