Convert Organic Traffic Into Qualified Leads: The Ultimate Guide

Intro

Getting a high volume of visitors to your website is an excellent start for any business. You can harness the benefits of online advertising with google ads to bring more paid traffic. Or, you can use SEO content to generate more organic traffic.

But that, relatively speaking, is the easy part. The real challenge is converting those numbers into qualified leads. Organic traffic has the highest conversion rate of any channel, so it’s a good idea to make it your priority.

There are a number of ways you can increase the conversions you get from organic traffic. But first, let's clarify the terminology.

What’s a qualified lead?

For anyone who isn’t already familiar, a qualified lead is a potential customer who has indicated an interest in your brand. Not only this, but they have actively provided you with their information, e.g., name and contact details.

In the case of organic traffic, it means someone who has arrived at the website via a web search. For example, say you’re a business owner who needs to be able to make calls from anywhere — you’d likely Google VoIP numbers.

That might bring you to a website where you can receive a free trial, so you fill in your details. Hey presto, you’re now a qualified lead. You’re not a customer yet, but there is now a better chance you could be.

Encouraging users who are browsing your website to give you their details is the crucial part. There are numerous ways to achieve this and make the most of the traffic that SEO optimization brings in.

(Free to use image sourced from Unsplash)

Analyze your current content

A great place to begin is with your existing content. You can use tools like Google Analytics to see how your current content is performing. Establish where you are seeing the highest conversion rates but also where visitors lose interest.

Use this information to inform your content strategy going forward. For example, if your business is in the financial sector, you might find that your blog about preparing for a recession performs very well. On the other hand, your posts sharing industry news might have a lower conversion rate.

Use this information to create more content in a similar vein. So in this instance, blog posts that provide tips and advice. If it works, don’t be afraid to try and replicate it.

Create content that matches user intent

Keyword research is only the beginning of creating effective, SEO-optimized content. First, you find out what users are searching for, then you need to consider why they are searching those terms.

You can achieve this through social listening. By spending time in the social media groups that your potential customers are engaged with and use this information to guide your strategy.

For example, a person looking to create an automated workflow might type in “Constant Contact and Salesforce integration with Make.” Start with your keywords and work backward; the customer’s intent should advise your content.

Always prioritize creating content that is both informative and helpful. One way to succeed with this is to address customers’ pain points. Think about what might be their issues and then give them content that addresses the problems.

Remember, blogs that are thinly veiled self-promotion are not helpful to your customers, nor are they effective. Keep the sales pitches to a minimum. You should, of course, include CTA’s, but make sure they are relevant to the content and evenly spread out.

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Live chat or chatbots

Being on hand to answer a potential customer’s question can make a big difference in converting a browser into a qualified lead. It shows them you care and may prevent them from looking elsewhere to answer their needs.

It’s not feasible for many businesses to be available 24/7. However, those looking for flexible communication can use a number of tools, including virtual phone numbers, chatbots, and live chat.

It’s a good idea to tailor chatbot responses, or any automated messaging they may receive on live chat. This means looking at what page they are on and what stage of the funnel they are at. This will allow you to best answer any queries that may encourage that final step towards becoming a qualified lead.

Offer an incentive

This can come in many forms. For example, offering a free trial on your landing page is a great start. Be transparent, make it clear there are no strings attached, and they do not have to commit. This will make users more inclined to give it a try.

Alternatively, you could offer gated content. This could be an ebook, video, or how-to guide that is available for free only if they sign-up to your mailing list. A great place to include links to gated content is in related blogs. Place noticeable links at strategic places to offer them the upgraded content.

You already know they’re interested in the topic, so it's a great incentive to get them to opt-in to more contact and helpful information from you.

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Make opt-ins easy

You have SEO-optimized your website and delivered engaging and helpful content. When you bring customers to the opt-in stage, you don’t want to lose them at the final hurdle.

One thing you’ll definitely need to research thoroughly is how to create email sign-up forms that convert. But a good rule of thumb is to keep it simple. In many cases, a name and email address may be the best starting point.

If you want to gain a bit more information for the purposes of future customer segmentation, you certainly can. But make sure you don’t overdo it; a few clicks should be all it takes. Anything too involved, and they may lose interest.

Retarget your organic traffic

If you want to boost brand awareness and sales, you should start with a guide to social customer relationship management. But if you’re going to gain more qualified leads, you’ll want to retarget your organic traffic.

You can easily do this by placing a pixel on your website. This is a simple way to track a potential customer’s behavior, then gently remind them of your brand when they’re elsewhere on the internet.

In particular, when they’re scrolling through social media. If you’re looking to widen your reach on social channels, this is a great tool to utilize, alongside reaching out to the right brand ambassadors for your business.

(Free to use image sourced from Unsplash)

Use social proof

Social proof is very valuable in generating qualified leads. Customer reviews, testimonials, or social media posts all help to demonstrate you are trustworthy and delivering on your promises.

If you need to acquire more social proof, send post-purchase emails asking for product or service reviews. This is valuable feedback to use on your website for future sales but also to nurture your relationship with your current customer base.

There are many places you can use social proof to amplify your content, such as landing pages or sign-up forms. Link to your social media pages too, a verified account where you interact with customers will boost your credibility.

Make it a user experience to remember

In the same way that content marketing is important for ecommerce, a good user experience is essential for getting qualified leads. You want to ensure your website is attractive, intuitive, and easy to navigate.

Remember not to neglect your mobile site. Many people do their research or shopping on their phones now. A poor mobile site is a very quick way to lose potential customers to your competitors.

User experience is an integral part of how visitors view your brand. Make sure you come across as professional and accessible; this will increase the chances they’ll trust you with their information.

(Free to use image sourced from Unsplash)

Regularly audit your content

Ensuring you maintain a high conversion rate from your organic traffic by tracking and updating your content. Ideally, you should perform a content audit at least twice a year.

This may require being ruthless sometimes. But content that did well in the past may lose its effectiveness. The keywords users are searching for may change, and so may their needs. Don’t get complacent, and keep adapting wherever necessary.

Commit to conversion

All the organic traffic in the world won’t help you if your conversion rate is low. Using SEO to bring people to your table is only half the story. The rest is providing them with an attractive enough offer to stay.

While it is tempting to put all your focus on making immediate sales, cultivating qualified leads is the wise long-term strategy. Put these tips into action and make the most of your optimized content.