If you asked most business owners about the role of landing pages, odds they would class them as an important –– if not the most important –– component of the marketing/sales process. Indeed, landing pages traditionally have bridged the gap between the initial interest that marketing and advertising content generates, and the ultimate goal of a sales conversion through a form fill. In other words, consumers usually encounter landing pages after reading a blog post or ad, but before they decide to do business with a company. However, landing pages can offer progressive businesses more than a pivot point between marketing and sales efforts. Indeed, a growing trend in digital marketing has seen the landing page become a destination in and of itself, instead of merely functioning as a way station between marketing content and a sales pitch. Still, why does landing page SEO matter? And is this new way of thinking about landing pages the right way to go for your business?
Landing Pages: Detailed vs. Concise
Once upon a time, there was no debate regarding this practice. It was previously regarded that landing pages should be kept brief and simply encourage a lead to download a content offer to access more information. Now however, more and more businesses are beefing up their landing pages with intel that would normally be reserved for a blog post, e-Book, or case study. Why? Two reasons: 1) to boost visitor engagement, and 2) increase online presence. Not only do serious consumers appreciate websites that provide them with valuable resources, but search engines are also beginning to reward websites with long, information-dense content that helps the consumer. So rather than forcing a lead to read through several blogs, download a content offer, or visit multiple web pages, the long-form landing page instead provides all of that information up front. The reasoning behind this shift in philosophy goes back to the idea that the better your on-site content is, the more likely leads will be to engage with you.
SEO Ranking Opportunities
The other major advantage detailed landing pages (a.k.a. Pillar pages) bring to the table is the ability to explore multiple SEO routes. As is, most businesses will link to their landing pages from blogs and web pages fairly often; with detailed landing pages though, businesses get to establish a link network by using a lengthy landing pages to build internal links throughout their site. Plus they have a better opportunity to get backlinks from other authoritative websites because their content is so detailed and helpful. Furthermore, when a company decides to utilize heavy content on their landing pages, they create opportunities to rank for multiple keywords. So rather than zeroing in on one phrase in particular, long landing pages instead can optimize five, six, or seven keywords that all relate to the larger topic at hand.
Why Does Landing Page SEO Matter?
For businesses that take the trouble to create content-rich landing pages, the benefits of good SEO practice on that page is obvious. You want leads clicking on your page, and you want them to be able to find it easily through search engines when they’re looking for what you offer. In fact, the concept of the detailed landing page relies on businesses taking the extra step to bolster their online presence. Otherwise, you lose a major advantage of the pillar page: the one-stop-shop element. Rather than forcing customers to navigate their way through your site to find a landing page, companies that use SEO best practices on their landing pages provide leads with specific information catered to their searches.
The Bottom Line
While SEO for landing pages isn’t a new concept, the idea of long-form content in a pillar page is relatively new. And we know trying to transition from old marketing ideals to new concepts can be a tricky prospect for even the most successful companies. Contact the Leap Clixx team today if you want to get more from your online content. We’ll let you know up front what marketing plays are viable, and which ones won’t likely help your business achieve its goals. Plus, to learn what we can do for your SEO strategy across the board (and not just landing pages) download our free eBook here: {{cta(‘bf8c3e7a-1490-4eb8-bf69-808f6dc59330′,’justifycenter’)}}
