Optimize Your Landing Page's Headline to Boost Conversions

So you've finally zeroed in on a specific set of keywords that are driving
searchers to your site.

Maybe you've even started a pay-per-click campaign and crafted a high-ranking
ad that's raking in the clicks.

Well don't get too comfy—the battle's just begun.

Because once a prospect clicks through and sees your landing page, you need to
be sure every element is working overtime to keep them glued to your
offering.

And the most important element? Your landing page's headline.

Tell Them Where They've Landed

When someone clicks through to your landing page, they're far from sold. A
visitor will back-click if they don't immediately see that they're in
the right place.

And your headline bears the burden of proving it to them.

Despite this essential task, a surprising number of landing pages keep readers
guessing with headlines that don't align with whatever drove the traffic there
in the first place.

So to make sure your headline does what others don't, use these proven
strategies:

1. Create a headline that mimics your PPC ad. If you're driving traffic
   to your landing page through Google AdWords or another pay-per-click
   provider, you already know that encouraging clicks isn't easy. So once
   you've caught a prospect's attention, keep that momentum going by using the
   same language that got them there.
2. Incorporate search terms in your headline. Whether you're using the
   pay-per-click route or relying on simple organic searches to drive traffic
   to your home page, you already know something valuable about your
   customer—you know exactly what they're after. So maintain that
   connection by making sure your strongest keywords appear in your headline.

To add some perspective, let's assume someone is searching for "fat-loss tips"
to feel better about their holiday indulgences.

The highest-ranking PPC ad for that phrase might read "Free Fat-Loss Tips for
a Fit New Year!" Clearly, there's a direct relationship between the search
terms and the ad.

But if the ad then led to a landing page whose headline didn't use the
exact phrase "fat-loss tips," many visitors would back-click and find another
page that catered to their search.

By maintaining a relationship between your keywords, your ad text and your
landing page headline, you'll capitalize on what you already know about your
prospects—and you'll keep them interested in your offering.

Now that you know how to tweak your headline, it's time to optimize your body
text.

So next week we'll dispel some common myths about what converts, and we'll
show you what to test in order to learn what works best for your offering.

Want to learn more about content optimization? Download our free Instant Content Optimization guide for nine proven strategies you can apply today. Want to optimize your website or a client's? Claim your complimentary content optimization analysis and learn where you're leaking traffic, leads and sales.