Optimizing Landing Pages for PPC and SEO

Optimizing an integrated SEO and paid search strategy can have synergistic effects on a company’s internet marketing efforts. It’s true that the steps to reach the right target audience can vary between paid and organic search, but ultimately, these visitors are going to land on the same website. This is important to keep in mind when developing a website and choosing landing pages¹. Below are some tips on how to create landing pages that appeal to users coming from a paid search ad or a natural search listing.

Targeted Title

Whether someone clicks on a natural listing or a paid search ad, the content on the search engine results page sets an expectation of what the user should see next. Having a clear, targeted title ensures that you are presenting the data that the user expects to see after clicking on your listing.

Navigation & Internal Links to Other Pages

Users are becoming more educated and internet savvy. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that you’re going to convince them to convert into a customer with one page. Incorporate internal links and clear navigation to give the users options to click through to other pages. These users may want to learn more about your company or look at your other product offerings before making a decision.

Organized Content (images optional):

Tailor your content in a way that serves both the user and the search engine. Whatever the focus of your page is, stick with it. This will keep the user interested and it would also help the search engines crawl your page and make better decisions about how to rank that page. Using bulleted lists, bold and italicized fonts can also help the user read and understand your content.

Special Pricing/Promotions

If an ad mentioned a special promotion/pricing, it sets an expectation in the user’s mind. This expectation needs to be fulfilled on the landing page. Otherwise, you may lose a user that was attracted the most by that offer.

Multiple Calls to Action

Having multiple calls to actions will help visitors use your site in the way they want/need to. People just doing research should be able to bookmark your site or ask you a quick question about a product/service they’re looking at. Someone ready to get a quote should be able to request that quote or add an item to their shopping cart. Having a phone number present will also help with those that need an immediate, personal response.

Page Loading Speed

For search engine optimization, the time it takes to load a page has become an important ranking factor. A quick site contributes to a better user experience. Landing pages optimized for both PPC and SEO traffic should be as fast as possible for quality score, natural ranking and a better user experience. In conclusion, truly integrated search marketing strategies focus all efforts into making sure that no matter how a user finds your site, the landing page meets that user’s expectation, fulfills his needs, answers questions and delivers the best user experience possible. Targeted content, useful links and navigational structure, multiple calls to action and quick loading speeds help ensure the highest possibility of acquiring and retaining long-lasting customers.

1. Landing pages should include navigational elements and not be orphaned pages.