The role of search engine optimization (SEO) goes beyond making your website visible on Google and Bing. It also improves your performance in every stage of marketing.

This post shows how SEO is essential to the success of your marketing funnel and how you can use it to increase conversions.

What Is a Marketing Funnel?

The marketing funnel is a concept that describes the path that a potential customer takes from becoming aware of a brand or product to eventually making a purchase. It has three distinct stages:

• Awareness: The lead is exposed to the brand or product for the first time. It might happen through an advertisement, social media post, or search engine query.
• Consideration: The prospect begins to research the product and compare it to similar ones on the market.
• Decision: The potential customer either makes a purchase or chooses not to buy the product based on their findings during the consideration phase.

While the marketing funnel helps explain the customer journey, not all leads make it to the bottom of the marketing funnel. Leads may drop off at each stage of the funnel for many reasons. 

For example, at the awareness stage, some may not be interested in the product or may not know that they need it. In the consideration stage, some leads may get overwhelmed by too many options or may not have enough information to decide. Potential customers may be concerned about price, may not be ready to buy, or may have decided to go with a competitor.

Still, for Digital Authority Partners, understanding marketing stages matters in conversions because:

• They provide a clear path for customers to follow from awareness to purchase.
• These illustrations help you better understand your target market and their needs.
• They give you insights into where your marketing efforts need improvement.
• The funnel shows you which of your marketing strategies are working.

The Connection Between SEO and Marketing Funnels

SEO is the process of enhancing a website so its pages appear on search engines when target users type a related query. It’s easy to believe that this digital marketing strategy only works in the awareness stage. But it doesn’t.

In reality, SEO is broad, covering many aspects that include on-page optimization, technical SEO, link building, and content marketing. All these are applicable in all stages of the marketing funnel, and we see this for many products, including this Spotify service. 

The uber-popular music playlist has just decided to sell live tickets directly to its users. So when you’re listening to your favorite artist on Spotify, you might see an ad that reads, “See them live in concert.”

How does this match the funnel phases?

• When someone clicks on that call to action (CTA), they reach a landing page with more information about the concert. If they’re still interested, they can buy tickets right there. In this case, Spotify is using SEO in the awareness and consideration stages.

• Spotify is also using marketing funnel techniques in its design. For example, the ad uses FOMO, or the fear of missing out, to get users to click. And once they’re on the landing page, there’s a CTA that allows users to buy tickets without having to leave the site. It’s a smooth user experience that keeps potential customers engaged.

SEO can also increase customer retention, helping shorten the stages leads go through. How? By providing users with relevant and targeted content that speaks to their needs at each stage of the marketing funnel.

Spotify, for example, could use its user data to target those who have attended concerts before and are likely to do so again. The company might then show these users ads for upcoming shows in their area.

On the other hand, Spotify could also use content marketing to provide valuable information to leads throughout the funnel. It could write a blog post about the best live music venues in a city. Or it could create a playlist of songs by an artist that’s going on tour.

Content Marketing Tips to Support Each Stage of the Funnel

Content plays a huge role in improving marketing conversion rates. It helps you get found by the right people, build trust, and establish your brand as an authority. To make sure it is effective, here are three content marketing tips:

1. Match the Content with the Phase

The right content can help you close more deals by taking potential customers through each marketing stage. Here are some ideas:

Awareness Stage

• Write blog posts that address common problems your target market faces.
• Create social media posts and ads that introduce your product or service. These include Twitter posts, Facebook ads, and LinkedIn Sponsored Content.
• Ensure your website is informative and that it contains the keywords your target market is searching for.

Consideration Stage

• Write helpful comparison blog posts that pit your product against a competitor.
• Create social media posts and ads that show the value of your product or service. Examples are Facebook carousel ads, Instagram stories, and Snapchat filters.
• Develop helpful guides, e-books, webinars, and other resources that show how customers can use the product.
• Optimize your strategies for conversions so visitors take the next step. You can try A/B testing to see what works.

Decision Stage

• Write blog posts that include customer testimonials and case studies.
• Create social media posts and ads that feature special offers or discounts.
• Develop helpful resources, such as buyer’s guides and product manuals.
• Ensure your website has a strong CTA so visitors know what to do next.

2. Pick the Right Keywords According to the Customer Journey

Your SEO keywords should be based on what stage of the marketing funnel your target market is in. Using the Spotify example above, here’s a brief guide:

• Awareness Stage: Buyers are just beginning their research, so they’re likely to use general informational keywords, such as “live music venues near me.”
• Consideration Stage: Now that leads are more aware of their options, they’ll start using key phrases or terms that are more specific to their needs. A good example is “best live music venues in Seattle.”
• Decision Stage: Music lovers are now ready to purchase, so they’ll use keywords that indicate they’re close to a decision, like “live music venue tickets for sale.”

3. Track Your Leads and Content Performance

You’ll never know if your SEO strategies are working unless you analyze two things: content performance and leads.

• Does your content push prospects deeper into the funnel?
• Which type of content do your leads prefer?
• Which ones drive the most traffic?
• Who are your leads, and how much time do they spend on every stage?

To get the answers to these questions, you need a comprehensive marketing stack that includes customer relationship management (CRM) software, an SEO platform, and analytics tools. With the right data, you can fine-tune your SEO and marketing funnel strategy so you attract more leads and convert them into paying customers.

Final Words

Both SEO and marketing funnels are essential in driving conversions. By understanding how they work together, you can create a strategy that covers all the bases and helps you close more deals.

However, managing them can be tricky and challenging. Because of this, many businesses now work with SEO agencies. These experts can help create and implement an effective SEO and marketing funnel strategy tailored to your business goals.