Not all SEO agencies measure “success” in the same way. Let’s look at 5 common SEO mistakes, which you’ll want to think about before engaging an agency. As you might have guessed, our process is different.
Most SEO agencies proudly point to how much traffic they generate. Why? Because low-value traffic is easy to produce and simple to measure.
Really, however, traffic is a vanity metric. What ultimately counts for your business isn't the number of glances it gets from passers by. What matters are bona fide LEADS – the high-value visits that convert to actual sales.
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.
When we talk about lead generation or customer acquisition, it's handy to think about a funnel. At the top of the funnel, people are just getting started. So they search for broad keywords (e.g. "what is accounting", "accounting tips", etc.). Later on, as they move toward the bottom of the funnel, their queries show a more concentrated purchase intent (e.g. "best accounting software", "QuickBooks vs. FreshBooks", "QuickBooks alternatives", etc.). At this stage, people are researching their options, digging into the details, preparing for a decision.
Top-of-funnel keywords drive the most traffic, but they rarely lead to conversions. After all, they’re not ripe yet. Rather, top-of-funnel search queries represent early-stage interest with low purchase intent. In contrast, bottom-of-funnel keywords bring far less traffic, but they generate the most conversions and revenue.
So if the SEO agency you hired is only accountable for traffic, they’re incentivized – yep, you guessed it! – to deliver you a large volume of low-quality attention. This gives them impressive vanity metrics to point to. But all those top-of-funnel keywords will bring only “low-intent” visitors who aren’t necessarily interested in buying what you offer – not yet and maybe never.
The best way to generate SEO conversions is to prioritize high-intent keywords 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 likely ought to be 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.
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-automated-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. When we create content for you, 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.
Not all SEO agencies measure “success” in the same way. Let’s look at 5 common SEO mistakes, which you’ll want to think about before engaging an agency. As you might have guessed, our process is different.
Most SEO agencies brag about how much traffic they generate. Why? Because low-value traffic is easy to produce and simple to measure.
Really, however, traffic is a vanity metric. What ultimately counts for your business isn't the number of glances it gets from passers by. What matters are bona fide LEADS – the high-value visits that convert to actual sales.
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 professional is counting what counts.
When we talk about lead generation or customer acquisition, it's handy to think about a funnel. At the top of the funnel, people are just getting started. So they search for broad keywords (e.g. "what is accounting", "accounting tips", etc.). Later on, as they move toward the bottom of the funnel, their queries show a more concentrated purchase intent (e.g. "best accounting software", "QuickBooks vs. FreshBooks", "QuickBooks alternatives", etc.). At this stage, people are researching their options, digging into the details, preparing for a decision.
Top-of-funnel keywords drive the most traffic, but they rarely lead to conversions. After all, they’re not ripe yet. Rather, top-of-funnel search queries represent early-stage interest with low purchase intent. In contrast, bottom-of-funnel keywords bring far less traffic, but they generate the most conversions and revenue.
So if the SEO agency you hired is only accountable for traffic, they’re incentivized – yep, you guessed it! – to deliver you a large volume of low-quality attention. This gives them impressive vanity metrics to point to. But all those top-of-funnel keywords will bring only “low-intent” visitors who aren’t necessarily interested in buying what you offer – not yet and maybe never.
The best way to generate SEO conversions is to prioritize high-intent keywords 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 likely ought to be 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: Best Automated 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. When we create content for you, 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.
