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If you’ve spent any time working on your Search Engine Optimization (SEO), you already know that getting traffic is only half the battle.
Traffic without action is useless.
It doesn’t matter how many people visit your website if they don’t click, don’t engage, and don’t take the next step.
What Is Conversion Optimization?
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is the art of tuning your copy, web design and overall user experience to guide more of your website visitors into taking an action:
➡️ Book a call
➡️ Join your email list
➡️ Buy from you.
Instead of chasing more traffic, you make the traffic you already have work harder.
That means:
- You stop wasting time always trying to drive more traffic.
- You need fewer visitors to hit your goals.
- You stop relying on social media to get found and make money.
And here’s something Google won’t spell out for you:
Conversions don’t just help your business. They help your SEO too.
When people stay longer, engage, and click, Google’s algorithm classifies your content as helpful, which can help your site rank higher over time.
If you’re spending your limited time, energy or money to get found on Google, CRO is what makes that effort actually pay off.
The Role Of Clicks and Conversions In SEO
Most people think of SEO as a way to get more organic traffic, but what happens after someone lands on your site matters just as much.
Google doesn’t just look at how many people visit your page. It looks at what they do once they’re there.
If visitors:
- stay longer
- click around
- take action
Google sees that as a sign your page is useful and relevant, which can help you rank higher over time.
But if visitors:
- land on your site and leave right away
- scroll for a second but don’t engage
- click back to Google to try another result
that tells Google your page wasn’t helpful or didn’t match what they were looking for.
So while most SEO advice focuses on getting more traffic, focusing on what happens once visitors arrive can actually improve your rankings.
What This Means for You:
- A page that gets clicks and conversions is sending stronger signals to Google than one that just collects visitors.
- When your website is designed for action, you don’t need as much traffic to hit your goals.
- If you’re already working on SEO, improving conversions makes every visitor count more.
Instead of thinking of SEO and CRO as separate strategies, think of them as two sides of the same coin.
One gets people to your site. The other makes sure they do something once they’re there.
What Is a Call-to-Action (CTA)?
A call-to-action isn’t just a button on your website.
It’s the combination of elements that guide your visitor toward taking the next step. This includes the button itself, the text leading up to it, and the surrounding design elements.
Think of the CTA as a conversation: the text before the button sets the stage, addressing the visitor’s needs or concerns; the button provides a clear, actionable step; and the surrounding design ensures the CTA stands out without overwhelming the page.
For example, instead of a standalone button that says “Submit,” you might have a preceding sentence like “Ready to improve your SEO rankings?” followed by a button that says “Get My Free SEO Guide.”
This extra context provides clarity and motivation, making it more likely that someone will engage.
What Makes People Take Action?
Most people assume “having a call-to-action” is enough. Just stick a button on the page, and people will click, right?
Not exactly.
People don’t click when they’re unsure, distracted, or overwhelmed.
They don’t click when they don’t trust what they’re seeing. They don’t click when they’re not sure what happens next.
A click is a decision.
Visitors take action when they feel confident about what they’re getting and why it matters to them.
Before someone clicks, they’re asking themselves:
- Do I trust this business? If the site feels unclear or too salesy, hesitation sets in.
- What happens when I click? A vague call-to-action (CTA) like “Learn More” doesn’t give them a compelling reason to click.
- Do I actually want what’s being offered? If the CTA doesn’t match what they came to your site for, they’ll ignore it.
If your page doesn’t answer these questions, your CTA won’t get clicked.
Before adding another “Sign Up” or “Get Started” button to your site, ask yourself:
- Does my page answer the right questions before asking someone to click
- Does my CTA tell them exactly what they’re getting?
- Does my website make it easy for them to say yes?
When people feel certain about their next step, clicking is a no brainer.
The “One Job Per Page” Rule
When everything is a priority, nothing is a priority.
If your page is asking visitors to download a freebie, book a call, join a Facebook group, read another blog post, and follow you on Instagram all at once, guess what happens?
They leave without clicking anything.
Too many options lead to decision paralysis. Instead of making a choice, people hesitate, get overwhelmed, and move on.
This is why every page on your site should have one clear job (except for your homepage, that’s another story).
Here’s how that looks in practice:
- A blog post → encourages an opt-in (not a direct sale)
- A service page → drives visitors to book a consultation
- A sales page → leads to a purchase
- A checkout page → focuses on completing the order
A strong page guides visitors toward one next step, not ten different ones.
If you’re wondering why people aren’t clicking on your CTAs, take a step back and ask:
- Does my page have a single, obvious next step?
- Am I distracting visitors with too many choices?
- Is the action I’m asking them to take aligned with what they came for?
When your page has one job, your visitors don’t have to think. And when they don’t have to think, they take action.
Where Most People Get Conversion Optimization Wrong (And How to Fix It)
Most people think conversion rate optimization is just about adding more CTAs, making buttons bigger, or testing different colors. But none of that matters if the foundation is broken.
Here’s where people go wrong:
1. Weak, vague CTA copy
A CTA like “Click Here” or “Submit” doesn’t tell visitors what to expect. It’s like handing someone a blank sign and hoping they follow it.
Why It’s a Problem:
- Lacks clarity: Visitors may be unsure about what will happen after clicking.
- Misses urgency: Doesn’t motivate immediate action.
- Fails to convey value: Doesn’t explain the benefit of taking the action.
How to Fix It:
- Be Specific: Use clear, descriptive language that tells visitors exactly what they will get.
- Instead of “Submit”
- Use “Get Your Free Consultation”
- Highlight Benefits: Emphasize what the visitor gains by clicking.
- Instead of “Learn More”
- Use “Discover How to Improve Your SEO Rankings”
- Create Urgency: Incorporate time-sensitive language when appropriate.
- Example: “Sign Up Today to Receive a 10% Discount”
Guest Expert Tip: High-Converting Button Copy Tips
—courtesy of Sam Burmeister, Copywriter and founder of Nomad Copy
The biggest thing to remember with buttons is to make them actionable. As in, write VERBS.
Good examples are ‘Grab it now!’ or ‘Download it here’. These are far better than ‘Here’ or ‘[Name of your thing]’.
However, to take it a step further, consider this: your audience doesn’t want to buy your thing. They want to buy your transformation.
This means that you should speak to what happens as a result of buying or using what you’re selling.
So, instead of the ‘good’ examples above, consider buttons that say something like, ‘Become a better ____ today’ or ‘Start your ___ journey’.
2. Burying CTAs where no one sees them
Placing your main CTA at the bottom of a long page or hiding it among other elements is like whispering in a crowded room—most won’t hear it.
Why It’s a Problem:
- Low visibility: Visitors may not scroll far enough to see the CTA.
- Distraction: Competing elements can divert attention away from the CTA.
How to Fix It:
- Strategic Placement: Position CTAs where visitors naturally focus, such as:
- Above the fold (visible without scrolling)
- At the end of sections or articles
- Within the content where relevant
- Design for Attention: Use contrasting colors and whitespace to make CTAs stand out.
- Repeat CTAs: For longer pages, include multiple CTAs to capture interest at different points.
3. Assuming People Will Take Action Without a Reason
Even with a clear and visible CTA, visitors won’t act unless they understand the value and relevance of the offer. Assuming they’ll click without providing context or addressing their needs leads to inaction.
Why It’s a Problem:
- Lack of context: Visitors don’t see how the offer applies to them.
- Unaddressed concerns: Potential objections or questions remain unanswered.
- Missing connection: The offer doesn’t align with the visitor’s intent or needs.
How to Fix It:
- Provide Context: Explain how the offer solves a problem or fulfills a need.
- Example: “Struggling with low website traffic? Our SEO guide offers actionable steps to increase visibility.”
- Address Objections: Preemptively answer common questions or concerns.
- Example: “No prior experience needed—our step-by-step guide walks you through the process.”
- Align with Intent: Ensure the offer matches what the visitor is seeking.
- Example: If the visitor is reading about content marketing, offer a related resource like a content calendar template.
Why Some CTAs Are Completely Pointless (And What To Do Instead)
Not all CTAs are created equal. A lot of them won’t do anything for your business because they don’t give people a reason to act.
Here are the most common pointless CTAs I see when I complete website audits:
1. “CLICK HERE’
Click here for what? A button like this doesn’t tell visitors what happens next, so most will ignore it.
Better: Make it specific. Instead of “Click Here,” say “Download Your Postpartum Recovery Plan” or “See Website Copy Packages.”
2. “SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER”
No one wakes up thinking, “I hope I find a great newsletter to sign up for today.” Unless there’s a clear incentive, most people will scroll right past.
Better: Lead with the value. Instead of “Sign Up for Our Newsletter,” say “Get Weekly Pelvic Health Tips” or “Join 1,000 Coaches Learning to Write Better Sales Pages”.
3. “SUBMIT”
Submit what? Your email? Your health history? Your soul? This is one of the most common, lazy CTA mistakes.
Better: Make it action-driven. Instead of “Submit,” use “Send Me My Core Strength Plan” or “Get My Homepage Audit.”
Bonus: You can sneak your SEO keyword into your button copy.
4. “FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA”
Why send people away from your website? This isn’t a conversion, it’s an exit.
If you’re going to send people to your socials, place this CTA in the footer so you aren’t tempting people to leave before they’ve consumed your content.
5. POP-UPS THAT APPEAR BEFORE VISITORS EVEN ENGAGE
If someone lands on your page and the first thing they see is a pop-up, you’re interrupting them before they even know what your site is about.
Better: Let people engage first. Set pop-ups to trigger after they’ve scrolled or spent time on the page, not the second they arrive.
Before you add another CTA to your site, ask yourself:
- Does it clearly tell people what they’re getting?
- Would I actually click this if I were in their shoes?
If your CTA isn’t clear, compelling, and aligned with what visitors actually want, it’s just taking up space.
How to Track Conversion Rate (Without Paying for Extra Software)
If you’re not tracking conversion rates… you’re investing a lot of effort in hope.
Your conversion rate tells you if your website is actually working for you.
It’s the one metric that shows whether visitors are just passing through or actually taking action.
How to calculate conversion rate
Here’s a very basic formula for calculating conversion rates of specific pages:
(Number of conversions ÷ Total visitors) × 100 = Conversion Rate
Example: If 50 out of 1,000 visitors book a consultation, your conversion rate is 5%.
How To Track Conversions (For Free)
Platforms like Leadpages and other landing page builders are tempting because they track conversion rates automatically.
But you don’t need them. You can track conversions on any website using Google Analytics.
Here’s why that matters:
Instead of paying for a separate tool, you keep your landing pages on your own site.
Visitors stay on your domain, which strengthens your SEO instead of sending traffic to a third-party platform.
You get the same conversion data without the extra cost.
Yes, setting this up takes a little technical work, but once it’s done, you’ll always know if your website is doing its job.
If you want to set this up yourself, check out my Set It and Track It Google Analytics mini-course (coming soon!). Or, if you’d rather skip the hassle, I can set it up for you.
TL:DR: Simple Ways To Improve Your SEO Conversions
SEO brings people to your site. CRO makes sure they actually do something once they’re there.
If your website isn’t getting enough traffic, that’s an SEO problem. But if you’re getting traffic and still not seeing results, the problem isn’t visibility—it’s what happens after someone lands on your page.
That’s why SEO and CRO should always work together.
More visitors won’t help if your site isn’t built to convert them.
And I will hazard to guess your small business doesn’t have resources to waste on vanity metrics.
To recap, here are six low-lift, high-impact changes even the most tech-averse business owner can make to get more conversions from your SEO traffic:
- Keep it simple. One CTA per page (except the home page).
- Check your CTA copy. If your main CTA says “Submit” or “Learn More,” rewrite it so it’s clear and action-driven. Give your readers a reason to click.
- Move your most important CTA where people actually see it. A button at the bottom of a long page isn’t doing much.
- Present your CTA several times. Perhaps you’ve heard the saying, once is never?
- Check your mobile experience. If your CTA is hard to tap or the text is too small to read, you’re losing clicks.
- Track your conversion rates. If you don’t know how many visitors are turning into leads or customers, you won’t know what to improve.
➡️ If your website isn’t getting enough traffic, focus on SEO.
➡️ If it’s getting visitors but not conversions, start with CRO.
Either way, the goal isn’t just traffic. It’s traffic that works for you.
Want More of the Right People on Your Website? Here’s How.
Your ideal clients are already searching for what you offer. The SEO Kickstart Kit shows you exactly how to get your business in front of them, without complicated strategies or guesswork.
If you want more traffic from people who are actually ready to work with you, start here.
