Generating traffic to your content is great, but the ultimate goal for any marketer should be conversions. Conversions are the actions you want your visitors to take, such as signing up for an email list, downloading a resource, or making a purchase. While many marketers excel at driving traffic to their blogs, turning that traffic into tangible business outcomes can be challenging. In this guide, I’ll share insights on how to create content that not only attracts visitors but also converts them, aligning with your business objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs).
Understanding High Converting Content
High-converting content is designed with the specific purpose of getting readers to take desired actions. This can include blog posts, ebooks, white papers, and more. The goal is to convert readers by encouraging them to perform actions such as signing up for newsletters, downloading content, or scheduling consultations. A conversion can take various forms depending on your business strategy—it might be a demo request, product sign-up, or even a simple email subscription. How you define a successful conversion rate can vary greatly. For some businesses, a 0.5% conversion rate might be good, while others might aim for 5%. Factors like the conversion funnel’s optimization, product price, and target audience play significant roles in determining these rates. Generally, converting more than 1% of readers into a product-related offer is a strong indicator of effective content. For content offers like ebooks or email signups, aiming for a 1-5% conversion rate is a good benchmark.
1. Topic Selection Is Crucial
The foundation of high-converting content starts with selecting the right topics. This process begins by understanding your audience’s pain points and the buyer’s journey. Only after gaining this understanding can you choose topics that directly address these issues and naturally incorporate your product or solution. While keyword research is important, it should serve as a tool to identify and address pain points rather than the starting point. Consider the buyer’s journey in a broad sense. For instance, if you sell content marketing services, compare topics like “What is content marketing” (high search volume but low purchase intent) to “Content marketing agencies” (lower search volume but higher purchase intent). Prioritizing topics based on their search intent and relevance to your audience’s needs is crucial. Keywords with higher intent often align with the language your customers use to describe their pain points. Proxy metrics, like longer-tail keywords with higher cost-per-click (CPC), can also indicate lucrative terms worth targeting. Observing what affiliate marketers in your niche are writing about can provide insights, as they focus on driving sales rather than just traffic.
2. Integrate Your Product Naturally
A common oversight in content marketing is failing to mention the product within the content. Many content creators avoid this for fear of appearing too salesy. However, integrating your product into your content can be done effectively and naturally without disrupting the reader’s experience. This approach, known as “product-led content,” involves weaving your product into the narrative at appropriate points. For example, in a blog post about “how to build an email list,” you can mention your company’s email marketing software as a valuable tool for the task. Some content types, like “Best X Tools” lists, are inherently product-focused. Even in top-of-the-funnel content, you can find natural opportunities to introduce your product while providing value to the reader. Companies like Ahrefs excel at this by seamlessly integrating their product into educational content.
3. Craft Compelling Headlines
Your headline is your first impression and one of the most critical elements of your content. A strong headline grabs attention, communicates the value of your offer, and encourages clicks. This is especially important for search engine optimization (SEO), where your headline must align with the search intent of your target keyword and compete for click-through rates on search engine results pages (SERPs). Effective headlines are crucial on social media platforms as well, where capturing attention quickly is vital. Your headline needs to break through the noise of countless other pieces of content. For SEO, the formula is straightforward: include the keyword, add a unique twist, but avoid being too clever. For example, this post targets “high converting content.” Potential headlines could be:
- How to Create High Converting Content in 9 Steps
- High Converting Content: The Ultimate Guide
- What is High Converting Content? + 9 Tips & Examples
Creating headlines for social media is more nuanced and requires a creative touch. It can be helpful to brainstorm multiple headline options and select the most compelling one. Upworthy’s Mischa Vaughn mentioned that they would write 25 headlines per blog post before choosing the final one.
4. Focus on Benefits in Your Copy
Readers are primarily interested in how your product or service will benefit them. Emphasizing benefits over features is a core principle in copywriting. This means highlighting the positive outcomes and future states that your readers can achieve with your product. Using copywriting frameworks like PAS (Problem-Agitate-Solution) and AIDA (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action) can help structure your content to focus on benefits. For instance, in a post about “how to build an email newsletter,” avoid spending too much time on the technical details of your form builder. Instead, focus on how it can help readers grow their subscriber list and engage their audience more effectively.
5. Keep It Concise
When it comes to web content, brevity is key. Aim to communicate your message as clearly and concisely as possible. Short sentences and paragraphs improve readability and help maintain the reader’s attention. Write for readers who are scanning rather than reading in-depth initially. Use bullet points, subheadings, and clear structure to make your content easy to skim. The goal is to provide value quickly and make it easy for readers to find the information they need. This principle applies across all types of content, from blog posts and social media to SEO content and email marketing.
6. Use Visuals
Visual elements significantly enhance the appeal and effectiveness of your content. Articles with images receive 94% more views than those without. Including images, videos, charts, and other visuals can make your content more engaging and easier to digest. Create your own visuals using tools like Canva to maintain originality and relevance. For tutorial-based content, incorporating annotated screenshots or Loom videos can add immense value and clarity. Visuals help break up the text and keep readers engaged, especially when dealing with complex topics.
7. Effective Calls to Action (CTAs)
Calls to action are essential for guiding readers towards the desired outcome. CTAs should be clear, direct, and strategically placed throughout your content. Multiple CTAs can be used to reinforce the same offer. Consider including:
- A text CTA in the introduction
- A popup overlay or slide-in CTA
- A bottom-of-the-page CTA
Ensure your CTAs are prominent and compelling, making it easy for readers to take the next step. Consistency in CTAs helps avoid confusion and directs readers towards the primary action you want them to take.
8. Optimize Forms for Conversions
Forms are crucial for capturing leads and driving conversions. Optimize your forms by keeping them short and easy to find. Use strong CTAs to encourage form submissions. In some cases, adding friction by including more fields can help qualify leads better, ensuring you engage with serious prospects. For instance, if your goal is to attract high-quality leads, a longer form with additional fields can help filter out unqualified leads.
9. Ensure Mobile-Friendliness
With more than half of web traffic coming from mobile devices, ensuring your site is mobile-friendly is non-negotiable. A mobile-optimized site provides a better user experience and helps retain potential leads and customers. Numerous resources are available to help you make your site mobile-friendly, so there’s no excuse to overlook this critical aspect.
Conclusion
Creating high-converting content doesn’t have to be overly complex or time-consuming if you focus on the right elements. By following the tips outlined in this guide, you can create content that not only attracts traffic but also drives meaningful conversions. Align your content strategy with your business goals, interweave your product naturally into your content, and prioritize clarity and engagement. Whether you’re crafting headlines, writing benefit-focused copy, or incorporating visuals, every element should contribute to a seamless and compelling reader experience. By maintaining a consistent approach and optimizing for conversions, your content marketing efforts can significantly impact your business growth and success.
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