Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) and Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) are crucial for any business’s success today. While CRO focuses on improving your website to increase the number of visitors who take action, such as purchasing or signing up for a newsletter, SEO helps your site rank higher on search engines to attract more visitors.

However, these strategies can sometimes clash—changes made for better conversions might negatively impact your search rankings. Therefore, finding the right CRO and SEO balance is essential. So, how can you boost conversions while maintaining your SEO?

In this article, we’ll explore how to optimise for both without compromising either.

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Understand The Relationship Between CRO And SEO

Before diving into a specific action plan, it’s important to understand the relationship between CRO and SEO, especially the CRO and SEO balance. Both aim to enhance user experience on a website, but they do so in different ways. SEO draws visitors in using relevant, well-structured content that matches their search queries. At the same time, CRO ensures that once visitors arrive, they smoothly perform the desired actions, such as making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter.

However, issues arise when CRO changes—like design, content, or site layout modifications—conflict with SEO best practices, leading to a drop in search rankings. The key is finding a balance where SEO and CRO can work together effectively. Any improvements to boost conversions shouldn’t negatively impact the website’s search visibility. Remember, SEO brings potential customers to your site, while CRO converts those visitors into paying clients. Balancing the two is essential for a successful strategy.

Step-By-Step Guide To Maintaining A Balance Between CRO And SEO

1. Audit Your Website: Know Where You Stand

To begin with, one has to conduct extensive rounds of analysis of the target site. Determine what your SEO figures, sources of traffic or conversion, or anything else are like at the moment. Utilise Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and other SEO synthesising sites like SEMrush or Ahrefs. You will find your site’s SEO and CRO position, particularly regarding CRO for organic traffic.

When performing the audit, look for the following:

  • High-traffic pages with low conversion rates – These are prime candidates for CRO efforts, as improving conversions here can yield significant results.
  • Pages with a high bounce rate – Understand why visitors leave and what changes can reduce this without harming your search rankings.

Knowing where you are performance-wise, you will also be able to understand which actions within the scope of CRO will not lead to any collateral damage to the SEO.

For more insights on optimising your online presence, check out our blog on website SEO strategies for 2024.

2. Focus On Mobile Optimisation

Mobile optimisation is essential for conversion rate optimisation (CRO) and search engine optimisation (SEO). Google uses mobile-first indexing, which ranks and indexes content based on the mobile version first. Therefore, if your website is not mobile-friendly, you could experience a drop in SEO rankings. This can also negatively impact conversions, highlighting the importance of implementing SEO strategies for CRO to ensure a seamless user experience across all devices.

To optimise for mobile:

  • Use responsive design – Ensure your website layout adjusts to fit different screen sizes and resolutions.
  • Improve page speed – Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix issues that slow down your site.
  • Simplify forms and navigation – Long or complex navigation can deter mobile users from converting. Make these elements more user-friendly.

Optimising for mobile will enhance your CRO efforts without hurting your SEO, as a faster, mobile-responsive site improves both user experience and search engine rankings.

3. Keep SEO Best Practices In Mind During A/B Testing

A/B testing is one of the most common tactics in conversion rate optimisation, which compares two alternative versions of the same web page to recognise which one gets more conversions. A/B testing can help determine the reasons behind the increase in conversions, yet it is better to practice such tests correctly to avoid any problems with SEO.

Here’s how to do it:

  • Use rel=”canonical” tags – When there are many versions of a single page, and audiences want to optimise them, one can use canonical tags which point to the original. This avoids complications from repeated content that can negatively affect one’s SEO.
  • Refrain from cloaking – Google discourages presenting different content to users and search engines. Make sure that any variations you test are visible and accessible to both search engine bots and visitors.
  • Track page performance – In addition to performing tests, it is also important to maintain the tested pages to monitor their performance and, more specifically, their page rankings. If a test version generates a low SERP ranking, it may be helpful to reconsider the changes made.

By adhering to these best practices, you can gain CRO insights without sacrificing your search rankings.

In our detailed blog, you can explore more about optimising your online presence and driving traffic through effective CRO services for businesses.

4. Use SEO-Friendly Content And CTA Placement

Content is important in both CRO and SEO. With regards to SEO, content has to be query-centric and user-structured. With CRO, however, the content must be interesting enough to entice users to act. The primary goal is to strike a middle ground.

  • Don’t over-optimise – Avoid keyword stuffing in your content to prevent penalties from search engines. Instead, focus on providing clear and concise information on the topic, tailored to your target audience’s needs and interests.
  • Use CTAs wisely – Place the CTA where it is required and makes sense. It should be visible but not too bright. A well-placed call-to-action can help the users perform the required action without altering the content or its SEO structure too much.

As a result, by making your content engaging and suitable for the search engine, you will enhance user experience, encouraging conversions without harming your rankings.

5. Maintain URL Structure And Navigation Integrity

When optimising conversion rates, it’s common to make mistakes like changing URLs or navigation without considering SEO. For example, altering a URL without setting up the correct redirects can result in broken links and a drop in search rankings. Similarly, simplifying the website by removing essential navigation elements can prevent search engines from properly crawling and indexing your content. To avoid these pitfalls, consider leveraging CRO services for businesses that understand how to balance these changes while maintaining strong SEO practices.

To avoid these issues:

  • Implement 301 redirects – If a URL has to be altered, always remember to implement a 301 redirect to lead the users and search engines to the new page.
  • Keep important pages in navigation – Ensure crucial pages, such as category or service pages, are accessible to users and search engines for better visibility and navigation.
  • Use breadcrumbs – Breadcrumbs provide a secondary navigation option, helping visitors and search engines understand your site’s structure.

These practices will help you maintain a user-friendly site without damaging your SEO.

Final Thoughts

CRO and SEO can successfully work together. With the right strategy, including effective SEO strategies for CRO, you can boost conversions without sacrificing search rankings. If you’re looking for expert guidance, consider partnering with an SEO agency in Croydon to help you focus on enhancing user experience while maintaining SEO best practices and making data-driven decisions to balance the two perfectly.

Boost your visibility and connect with local customers. Let us help you stand out with bespoke digital marketing solutions. Contact us on 08007720022 or email at hello@makemelocal.com today to schedule a free consultation!

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