While most SEO agencies measure success by traffic or pageviews, our process is different.
We report on the overall number of conversions generated each month (and from which blog posts), so you know whether you're generating a positive ROI or not.
Since generating leads is our main focus, each step of our SEO process — and the 5 key differentiators we cover below — are designed with conversions at the forefront.
What sets our SEO agency apart from others — and what should be the most important factor for any B2B company — is that we evaluate our success based on the number of leads we generate for our clients.
That sounds like common sense. Yet many SEO agencies dazzle their clients by pointing to high traffic volumes. Typically, the client doesn't question this approach, thinking: "Well, we’re getting 100,000 visitors per month from SEO. Surely that must translate into revenue somehow sooner or later. We should be getting some ROI indirectly. Probably. Right?" Meanwhile, they just keep paying the agency with fingers crossed.
Yet without measuring the leads that actually matter, (1) the agency isn't accountable for results, and (2) the client doesn’t know how much of that traffic, if any, is turning into revenue. Whether they are generating a positive ROI from the engagement is anybody’s guess. Neither the client nor the SEO agency is counting what counts.
The best way to generate SEO conversions is to prioritize keywords with high purchase intent from the bottom of the funnel. For example:
All of those keyword formats can be important.
But if you had to pick just one to prioritize in your SEO efforts, it's the “X” + “software” variety.
Why? Because, in addition to the high purchase intent, these phrases generally have higher search volume.
You can see what I mean above.
A common mistake is to only go after one “X” + “software” phrase.
But what are the other ways people refer to your product category? Don’t neglect those variations!
For example, maybe you focused on the keyword phrase, “best automated webinar software.” Meanwhile, a significant number of potential customers might be searching for it in other ways:
Many people assume that if they create an article to target “automated webinar software”, it will also rank for synonym variations like “evergreen webinar software” and “pre-recorded webinar software”.
But let’s test that assumption. If you google “automated webinar software”, the title of #1 article includes the exact-match phrase: “automated webinar”.
Likewise, if you search for “evergreen webinar software”, the top-ranked article includes exactly that phrase in its title: “evergreen webinar software”.
What if you google “pre-recorded webinar software”? Yep! You guessed it: The title of the #1 article includes that very same phrase: “pre-recorded webinar”.
This is no coincidence. The presence (or absence) of exact-match phrases can have a big impact. So if you were to create an article targeting only 1 of the 3 phrases, it might help boost visibility in search results for that 1 phrase. But you’re unlikely to rank well for all 3 … unless you create content for all 3. And that’s very valuable traffic, representing visitors with high purchase intent, whose revenue you’d be missing out on.
When it comes to the “X” + “software” keywords, you should (1) prioritize this category AND (2) exhaust it fully before moving on to other keyword opportunities. That means all the synonyms, and all the different ways people refer to the product category in which you and your competitors operate.
Additionally, there are also many “X” + “software” + “use case” keywords you could go after. Take a look at all the ways that “best accounting software” can be expanded:
In this case, you could target “best accounting software for” … a range of use cases: for small business, for mac, for self employed, for nonprofits, for contractors, for restaurants, for cleaning, and so on. Each of these has a significant search volume in its own right. (See the “SV” column.)
Of course, search volume is a good base way to prioritize options among the various bottom-of-the-funnel keywords with high purchase intent. If your product can serve all these use cases, then you want to capture leads from all of them, using more than one net. And it’s prudent to start with the biggest opportunities, in terms of volume.
On the other hand, if your product specializes in 1 particular niche (e.g., accounting software specifically for nonprofits), then that’s the use case whose keywords matter, regardless of volume. Relevance is ultimately what drives any purchase decision.
When most people write bottom-of-the-funnel posts (e.g., “X" + "software”), they typically have a very short blurb for their product section.
But in order to maximize conversions, you need to make your product’s description longer, listing all of its features and competitive strengths, then explaining each of these in great detail – almost like a software demo but delivered in writing.
Put it this way: The more knowledge someone has about your product and its features, the more confident they will feel that it can address their needs, which makes them more likely to convert.
Rather than generalize, let me give you a concrete, solid example of what you should be doing. Check out this article by eWebinar: https://ewebinar.com/blog/best-evergreen-webinar-software-platforms. Notice (1) the length and (2) the advanced level of detail they go into regarding their key features, differentiators, and so forth.
A potential customer arrives with uncertainties and unanswered questions: “Does this product actually solve my needs?”, “How is it better than competitors?”, etc. But by the time a reader finishes reading such an in-depth article (or even just quickly skimming it), many of those concerns will be gone. And they’ll feel more confident in what you’re offering.
Why ask a potential customer to scour your entire website just to find this information – assuming it’s even there to be found? Why expect them to begin by arranging a demo call, which they’d need to wait for and then sit through? It’s much better – in terms of product marketing as well as SEO – to give them a self-service walkthrough right where they are, in writing, without delay. Also, blog posts are a great place to go into greater depth and nuance than you typically can justify on a landing page.
In short, the more detailed the product description, the greater the visitor’s confidence, leading to more conversions.
P.S. Some people worry that a long product section might sound too salesy or biased. But think about it! The customer knows where they are, and they expect your best pitch. Giving them a comprehensive view of your product features, all in one place, saves them time. And if your product message is compelling, they just might be ready to move forward.
Also, you don’t need to hide. Be up front in the article, saying: “Yes, we’re biased. But we’re proud of our product. We built it to solve problems just like yours; and we’re going to put our best foot forward, making a strong case for how it can help.”
Many companies hand over blog post topics to freelance writers and say, "OK. Dig through our website and figure out what our message is." Since the writer is neither an expert on your software nor a target user from the industry you serve, it's naïve to expect them to do a proper job. At best, they will reshuffle the verbiage you gave them as a starting point. At worst, they’ll plug the gaps in their information with generalizations that fail to differentiate your product from the other solutions out there.
Any reader who actually belongs to your target audience will immediately recognize that your content was not written by a subject matter expert. So they'll dismiss your cookie-cutter content, which is of limited practical value, as irrelevant. Face it: Your customers know more about what they need than a freelance writer who has never even spoken to someone in their industry about processes, pain points, etc.
Our approach to content is utterly different. For each and every SEO blog post we create, we start by interviewing members of your team. We’ll ask questions such as:
We’ll use feedback from you to create effective content that accurately educates readers about your product. From experience, we know this leads to a higher conversion rate, greater overall leads, and revenue.
We offer a completely done-for-you SEO service. We will …
Our done-for-you service is paid month to month, and you’re not locked into any yearly contract. For smaller budgets, we also offer smaller consulting engagements, billed hourly.
Questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out! Or maybe you just appreciated something we said in this article and would like to connect on LinkedIn.
While most SEO agencies measure success by traffic or pageviews, our process is different.
What sets our SEO agency apart from others — and what should be the most important factor for any B2B company — is that we evaluate our success based on the number of leads we generate for our clients.
That sounds like common sense. Yet many SEO agencies dazzle their clients by pointing to high traffic volumes. Typically, the client doesn't question this approach, thinking: "Well, we’re getting 100,000 visitors per month from SEO. Surely that must translate into revenue somehow sooner or later. We should be getting some ROI indirectly. Probably. Right?" Meanwhile, they just keep paying the agency with fingers crossed.
Yet without measuring the leads that actually matter, (1) the agency isn't accountable for results, and (2) the client doesn’t know how much of that traffic, if any, is turning into revenue. Whether they are generating a positive ROI from the engagement is anybody’s guess. Neither the client nor the SEO agency is counting what counts.
The best way to generate SEO conversions is to prioritize keywords with high purchase intent from the bottom of the funnel. For example:
All of those keyword formats can be important.
But if you had to pick just one to prioritize in your SEO efforts, it's the the “X” + “software” variety.
Why? Because, in addition to the high purchase intent, these phrases generally have higher search volume.
You can see what I mean in the above table. "Project management software" receives 26,000 monthly searches, which is far more than than the search volume for "Trello vs. Asana" (1,600 monthly searches) and "Asana alternatives" (800 monthly searches).
Because of the large search volume difference, “X” + “software” keywords typically generate far more leads and sales.
Note that while this is just one example, and there are some exceptions, this holds true in most industries.
A common mistake is to only go after one “X” + “software” phrase.
But what are the other ways people refer to your product category? Don’t neglect those variations!
For example, maybe you focused on the keyword phrase, “best automated webinar software.” Meanwhile, a significant number of potential customers might be searching for it in other ways:
Many people assume that if they create an article to target “automated webinar software”, it will also rank for synonym variations like “evergreen webinar software” and “pre-recorded webinar software”.
But let’s test that assumption. If you google “automated webinar software”, the title of #1 article includes the exact-match phrase: “automated webinar”.
Likewise, if you search for “evergreen webinar software”, the top-ranked article includes exactly that phrase in its title: “evergreen webinar software”.
What if you google “pre-recorded webinar software”? Yep! You guessed it: The title of the #1 article includes that very same phrase: “pre-recorded webinar”.
This is no coincidence. The presence (or absence) of exact-match phrases can have a big impact. So if you were to create an article targeting only 1 of the 3 phrases, it might help boost visibility in search results for that 1 phrase. But you’re unlikely to rank well for all 3 … unless you create content for all 3. And that’s very valuable traffic, representing visitors with high purchase intent, whose revenue you’d be missing out on.
When it comes to the “X” + “software” keywords, you should (1) prioritize this category AND (2) exhaust it fully before moving on to other keyword opportunities. That means all the synonyms, and all the different ways people refer to the product category in which you and your competitors operate.
Additionally, there are also many “X” + “software” + “use case” keywords you could go after. Take a look at all the ways that “best accounting software” can be expanded:
In this case, you could target “best accounting software for” … a range of use cases: for small business, for mac, for self employed, for nonprofits, for contractors, for restaurants, for cleaning, and so on. Each of these has a significant search volume in its own right. (See the “SV” column.)
Of course, search volume is a good base way to prioritize options among the various bottom-of-the-funnel keywords with high purchase intent. If your product can serve all these use cases, then you want to capture leads from all of them, using more than one net. And it’s prudent to start with the biggest opportunities, in terms of volume.
On the other hand, if your product specializes in 1 particular niche (e.g., accounting software specifically for nonprofits), then that’s the use case whose keywords matter, regardless of volume. Relevance is ultimately what drives any purchase decision.
When most people write bottom-of-the-funnel posts (e.g., “X" + "software”), they typically have a very short blurb for their product section.
But in order to maximize conversions, you need to make your product’s description longer, listing all of its features and competitive strengths, then explaining each of these in great detail – almost like a software demo but delivered in writing.
Put it this way: The more knowledge someone has about your product and its features, the more confident they will feel that it can address their needs, which makes them more likely to convert.
Rather than generalize, let me give you a concrete, solid example of what you should be doing. Check out this article by eWebinar: Best Evergreen Webinar Software. Notice (1) the length and (2) the advanced level of detail they go into regarding their key features, differentiators, and so forth.
A potential customer arrives with uncertainties and unanswered questions: “Does this product actually solve my needs?”, “How is it better than competitors?”, etc. But by the time a reader finishes reading such an in-depth article (or even just quickly skimming it), many of those concerns will be gone. And they’ll feel more confident in what you’re offering.
Why ask a potential customer to scour your entire website just to find this information – assuming it’s even there to be found? Why expect them to begin by arranging a demo call, which they’d need to wait for and then sit through? It’s much better – in terms of product marketing as well as SEO – to give them a self-service walkthrough right where they are, in writing, without delay. Also, blog posts are a great place to go into greater depth and nuance than you typically can justify on a landing page.
In short, the more detailed the product description, the greater the visitor’s confidence, leading to more conversions.
P.S. Some people worry that a long product section might sound too salesy or biased. But think about it! The customer knows where they are, and they expect your best pitch. Giving them a comprehensive view of your product features, all in one place, saves them time. And if your product message is compelling, they just might be ready to move forward.
Also, you don’t need to hide. Be up front in the article, saying: “Yes, we’re biased. But we’re proud of our product. We built it to solve problems just like yours; and we’re going to put our best foot forward, making a strong case for how it can help.”
Many companies hand over blog post topics to freelance writers and say, "OK. Dig through our website and figure out what our message is." Since the writer is neither an expert on your software nor a target user from the industry you serve, it's naïve to expect them to do a proper job. At best, they will reshuffle the verbiage you gave them as a starting point. At worst, they’ll plug the gaps in their information with generalizations that fail to differentiate your product from the other solutions out there.
Any reader who actually belongs to your target audience will immediately recognize that your content was not written by a subject matter expert. So they'll dismiss your cookie-cutter content, which is of limited practical value, as irrelevant. Face it: Your customers know more about what they need than a freelance writer who has never even spoken to someone in their industry about processes, pain points, etc.
Our approach to content is utterly different. For each and every SEO blog post we create, we start by interviewing members of your team. We’ll ask questions such as:
We’ll use feedback from you to create effective content that accurately educates readers about your product. From experience, we know this leads to a higher conversion rate, greater overall leads, and revenue.
We offer a completely done-for-you SEO service. We will …
Our done-for-you service is paid month to month, and you’re not locked into any yearly contract. For smaller budgets, we also offer smaller consulting engagements, billed hourly.
Questions? Don't hesitate to reach out below.
