Generate lots more value from content you’ve already produced by optimising it for conversion in HubSpot.
In 2021, HubSpot more than doubled the number of monthly leads generated by old, existing content by going back and optimising it for conversion.
For any business with a large library of blog content reporting low conversion rates, this approach to conversion rate optimisation (CRO) can be a cost-effective way of getting more value out of your existing content and driving up the impact that your marketing is having on lead generation and the sales pipeline.
There are lots of different ways you can optimise blog content for conversion. HubSpot’s approach was keyword-based. Read on to find out how you can achieve the same.
Step 1: Review current blog conversion rates
Follow the process for ‘How to report on your blog performance in HubSpot’ to review your blog performance. Identify your top-viewed blog posts.
Step 2: Identify top-viewed blog posts with lowest conversion rates
Create a list of the top-viewed blog posts with the lowest conversion rates. These are the posts with the greatest opportunity for optimisation.
Step 3: Conduct a basic CRO audit on each of the selected blog posts
Review each blog post identified for basic CRO components/CRO best practices.
- Does it contain a text-based CTA near the beginning of the post, for example after the introduction? This can be used to catch the reader who doesn’t make it to the end of the post.
- Does it contain an image-based CTA at the end of the post? A visual CTA such as an image or a button will catch the reader’s attention and give them a clear “next step”.
- Does the post contain CTAs through the body text at appropriate places? It’s sometimes appropriate to include CTAs throughout a post, for example if you are referencing a downloadable asset or a related gated read.
- If the post already contains CTAs, how do they read? Short, impactful CTAs are the definition of a call to action. Make sure they use verbs (“doing” words) to drive action.
Step 4: Revisit your topic clusters to identify which keywords each post is targeting
In the main portal menu, go to Marketing > Website > SEO and click on “Topics” in the submenu to be taken to your list of SEO topic clusters.
Visit each post in the relevant cluster to identify which keyword you were optimising it around when you wrote it.
Step 5: Incorporate target keywords into your CRO
Optimise your posts based on your findings from step 3, making sure to incorporate each post’s target keyword into the CTA copy as you do so. This will improve the relatability and the engagement of your CTAs by matching them with the exact words or phrases your readers are using to find the posts.
Author: Dr. Thomas Brown
Principal Copywriter
