SEO vs CRO: What’s the Difference?
SEO (search engine optimization) and CRO (conversion rate optimization) are two crucial digital marketing techniques, but they serve different purposes. Understanding when to focus on SEO vs CRO can significantly improve your website’s performance.
What is SEO?
SEO refers to optimizing your website to rank higher in search engines like Google. The goal is to appear among the top results for your important keywords so more of your ideal audience finds you.
Some examples of SEO tactics include:
- Optimizing page titles and meta descriptions to include target keywords
- Creating blog posts and guides designed to rank for informational queries
- Building high-quality backlinks from industry websites to signal authority
- Speeding up page load times through image compression and caching
- Structuring sites for SEO using heading tags and internal links
- Adding alt text to images to optimize for image search
SEO brings in new visitors who are already searching for your products or services. A furniture company, for example, would focus on ranking for searches like “affordable couches” or “modern dining sets.” More organic traffic means more sales opportunities.
What is CRO?
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) means improving your website to convert more visitors into customers. This focuses on optimizing the user experience once people reach your site.
Some CRO best practices include:
- Simplifying navigation menus and CTAs for easy purchases
- Using trust-building elements like customer testimonials
- Optimizing product and checkout pages to reduce cart abandonment
- A/B testing page layouts, headlines, and call-to-action wording
- Personalizing site experiences and offers for return visitors
- Removing friction during signups and checkouts
For example, an e-commerce site might test having a support chat box or adding customer photos to product pages in order to increase conversions.
Work Together for Compounding Benefits
SEO and CRO work together to drive results. SEO brings in targeted organic traffic, then CRO helps convert those visitors more effectively.
Optimizing both search visibility and the user experience leads to compounding benefits over time. More conversions mean more revenue per visitor – which funds more marketing to increase traffic and sales further.
Focus on SEO to get found by your audience. Perfect user experiences with CRO to turn them into happy customers. Using both strategies together gives digital marketing efforts an essential one-two punch.
Boost Your SEO and CRO with Bytes.co
Boost your online visibility and sales with Bytes.co’s digital marketing expertise. Our skilled team provides customized SEO and CRO solutions to help companies thrive online. Let’s connect to discuss how we can optimize your web presence and drive more customers to your site.
