In an era where efficiency is key, many businesses question the time and resources spent on technical SEO audits.
However, cutting corners in this critical area can lead to incomplete insights and missed opportunities.
Let’s dive into why technical SEO deserves a firm investment in both human effort and time, starting with the often-overlooked challenge of crawl time.
Crawl time: The primary hindrance
Reducing human resource time in your SEO or digital marketing department by cutting technical SEO may be unwise.
Why?
The primary factor behind the time taken for audits is crawl time.
With today’s complex web architectures, this is inevitable.
Ecommerce websites, in particular, have rapidly expanding footprints with countless product and blog pages.
Each product often includes multiple images, increasing the number of on-site addresses exponentially.
Employers and clients frequently ask:
“Why do these audits take so long? Can’t you just focus on the top issues and save time?”
The answer is both “yes” and “no.”
While focusing on top issues can slightly reduce the time spent on commentary and data visualization, most of the time taken in technical SEO audits is crawl time.
The impact on overall audit accuracy remains negligible because the crawl itself – rather than data analysis – dominates the timeline.
While some argue crawl time is machine time and should not affect human effort, this is only partially true.
Platforms like Semrush or Ahrefs can streamline crawling if properly set up, monitored, and funded to handle all web properties continuously.
However, exporting, pivoting, and analyzing data still require significant manual effort.
Technical SEO experts can rarely rely on platform-generated reports without further refinement.
For instance, most SEO crawlers struggle with identifying true duplicate content.
Often, what is flagged as duplicate turns out to be parameter URLs, which Google ignores for indexing.
Similarly, failed canonical tag implementations can falsely appear as duplicate content.
Using tools like Screaming Frog adds another layer of complexity.
While highly cost-effective and powerful, it outputs raw spreadsheets requiring manual analysis. Its issues tab is rarely accurate without further data filtering.
As a client-side tool, Screaming Frog also requires the user’s machine to remain active during crawls.
If employees are using personal machines, they may be reluctant to leave them running overnight without proper compensation.
Additionally, the tool does not automatically adjust crawl rates, necessitating human supervision to avoid unintentional DDoS-like behavior.
While crawl time is primarily machine-driven, human oversight and intervention are often required.
Assuming that reducing crawl time will significantly shorten technical SEO audits can lead to inaccurate results and neglected insights.
HTML tag mutuality, particularly with hreflang tags, demonstrates why reducing crawl time is inadvisable if you want accurate technical SEO insights.
As SEO has evolved, mutually dependent HTML tags, like hreflang tags, have become increasingly common.
Hreflang tags define relationships between pages in different languages and must always be reciprocal.
If one page links to another with a hreflang tag, but the destination URL does not return the same tag, the relationship is invalid and ignored by Google.
Even non-mutual tags, such as canonical tags, often reference external addresses that also need to be crawled.
Crawling only one section of a site (e.g., one language variant) leaves you unable to verify whether hreflang tags point back as required.
This can result in unflagged errors that are critical for site performance but remain undetected due to partial crawl data.
Similarly, canonical tags, though not requiring mutuality, can also pose challenges.
If a canonical tag points to a page outside your crawl sample, you cannot confirm whether it references a valid address.
Here is a diagram of how canonical tags and hreflang tags should interface:
The diagram above is an updated and more detailed version of a simpler one I’ve used for years. It was originally published on BSS Commerce in 2019. You can find the earlier version here.
These issues illustrate how incomplete crawl data can hinder a thorough technical SEO audit.
Partial data forces you to rely on assumptions rather than concrete evidence, making it unwise to reduce crawl time to expedite audits.
Producing accurate crawl data has required significant effort since the early days of the web, long before HTML tag mutuality became common.
Pages have always linked to others using the <A> tag.
If your crawl sample includes links pointing to addresses outside of it, you cannot verify whether those links function correctly without crawling the destination pages.
Some cloud crawling platforms address this by checking the status codes of external or redirected pages without analyzing their full HTML.
While this can help in certain cases, it often defers deeper issues that remain unexamined.
There is no substitute for investing the necessary time in technical SEO.
While incomplete crawl samples or unattended crawls might seem like a way to reduce audit production time, they often create more issues than they solve.
Cutting corners can lead to overlooked problems, so it’s crucial to give your audits – and the experts conducting them – the time they require.
This doesn’t even account for the manual checks SEO professionals perform in addition to crawling, data handling, formatting, and analysis.
These combined efforts make it clear that the time spent on technical SEO is justified.
Avoid excessive pruning or shortcuts in this discipline.
If you must work with partial crawl data, ensure at least 70% crawl completion – 50% at an absolute minimum.
Anything less risks compromising the accuracy of your audit.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/How-canonical-tags-and-hreflang-tags-should-interface-QGClQN.png?fit=1600%2C1588&ssl=115881600http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-28 14:00:002025-01-28 14:00:00Technical SEO: Don’t rush the process
1. Failing to secure the ‘right’ buy-in for SEO initiatives
When you get buy-in from the rightpeople in your organization, you can rest assured the SEO program will have more resources and prioritization.
This is not just about the CMO seeing the value in SEO, either. SEO must be seen as a strategic business initiative all the way to the top.
Case in point: An enterprise client of my SEO agency knew that their SEO program would only be successful if every department with a stake in the website’s success were on board.
The company chairman called a meeting to discuss the value of SEO.
This is not common but was necessary for this project. Every key team got behind the SEO program, and the company experienced massive results.
So, what are some of the common challenges when securing buy-in? One of the biggest is a lack of understanding of SEO’s value.
The C-suite is working hard on their own initiatives and areas of expertise. They may not fully grasp how SEO contributes to business growth and revenue.
This is where you come in.
Show them the data, like how people are searching for the things your organization provides.
Explain to them how SEO supports the customer journey in many different ways.
Demonstrate how SEO can support company goals.
Illustrate how SEO drives revenue and its long-term ROI compared to initiatives like digital advertising.
Address common misconceptions about SEO as a non-essential or supplementary activity.
Pilot a small project or address the “quick wins” and give tangible results.
Propose an SEO plan that can be executed with current resources, but that could be scaled later.
Assign an SEO champion within each department to advocate for best practices and drive implementation across teams.
Having SEO conversations can be an eye-opener for leadership. And it may be just the thing they need to take notice of SEO as an essential marketing program.
Once you get buy-in from the right groups, you can break down those business silos that can slow progress in an enterprise organization.
3. Ineffective hiring and onboarding of an SEO agency
When companies are ready to partner with SEO agencies, they must hire and onboard effectively for the best chance at a productive partnership.
Missteps here can lead to misaligned goals, wasted resources and subpar performance. So what to do?
When hiring an SEO agency, be sure to:
Properly vet the agency.
Evaluate the agency’s company ethics and level of expertise.
Figure out if the services offered are actually what you require to succeed.
Make sure the agency’s processes mesh well with your company culture.
Watch out for any red flags that signal a poor-quality agency.
The onboarding process is just as important as the hiring process. Here are some important things to consider as you forge a new partnership with an SEO agency:
Make sure they know your business: Share detailed insights into your company’s history, products, services and market positioning.
Define roles and responsibilities: Clearly outline the tasks and expectations for both your team and the agency.
Establish regular communication channels: Set up consistent meetings and reporting to keep things aligned.
Set realistic expectations: Agree on achievable timelines and outcomes.
4. Overlooking the value of maintaining high-quality content
Enterprise companies usually need volumes of content for their SEO programs to compete in the search results.
With the sometimes overwhelming amount of content needed, it can be easy to lose sight of quality while trying to hit targets.
With multiple teams and departments contributing content, enterprises also struggle with inconsistency in quality, tone and SEO best practices.
Here are some tips for high-quality enterprise SEO content:
Establish centralized guidelines and quality control
Managing content at the enterprise level requires consistency and collaboration:
Create a centralized content quality framework for all departments. Include standards for tone, formatting, SEO best practices and E-E-A-T.
Provide cross-departmental training to establish a baseline understanding of SEO principles for all contributors.
Consider a dedicated quality control person in each department to review and approve all content before publication.
Prioritize search intent
Focus on creating content that addresses the needs of your target audience first. Decide how you will maintain this quality while scaling content as needed.
Meeting search intent will result in higher engagement and better rankings than producing high volumes of generic content.
Use tools to monitor and optimize performance
Use analytics to measure content performance and identify gaps. Regularly refresh top-performing, outdated or underperforming content to maintain relevance and effectiveness.
While AI tools can be valuable for scaling production, human oversight is key.
Have a system in place to uphold quality when using AI-generated content. Make sure it meets your brand’s standards and complies with Google’s quality guidelines.
Enterprise websites can be massive, creating unique challenges for technical SEO. Unfortunately, these challenges compound at scale.
Even the best SEO strategies can fail if technical SEO isn’t handled well.
But technical SEO at the enterprise level isn’t just about fixing bugs; it’s about creating sustainable processes.
Prioritize processes and cross-departmental responsibilities
Enterprise websites need workflows for technical SEO issues. Start by creating clear systems that outline how to identify, prioritiz, and resolve issues.
Assign ownership to specific teams, such as IT or web development, to ensure a quick response when challenges arise.
Finally, educate teams about the importance of technical SEO and their responsibilities.
For example, content creators should structure new pages with proper tags and metadata, while developers should ensure site changes are vetted for SEO implications.
When all departments work together, technical SEO becomes a seamless part of the workflow.
Use automation and tools to manage complexity
With massive websites and multiple teams, automation and tools are helpful for enterprise SEO.
Here are some tips:
Centralize and align your toolset: As much as possible, streamline your SEO tools into a unified system that integrates with the platforms you use.
Focus on scalable tools: Invest in tools that can grow with your website’s needs.
Automate the repetition: Use automation for predictable, time-intensive technical SEO tasks.
Monitor, refine, repeat: Regularly audit tool performance and workflows to ensure tools are aligned with your SEO goals as they evolve.
Plan for long-term maintenance
As your website grows, so will its technical challenges. A proactive approach will sustain SEO performance:
Schedule technical audits before major initiatives.
Stay ahead of the curve by aligning site initiatives with emerging search engine changes.
Make sure SEO is built into any major update to a website.
Avoiding common SEO mistakes is the path to enterprise success
Success at the enterprise level is defined by adopting the right mindset and workflows. This means creating a culture that prioritizes SEO as a strategic initiative and embedding it into every department that has a stake in the website.
With a clear vision, a commitment to improvements and the right processes, your enterprise can stand out in the search results and achieve sustained search growth.
https://i0.wp.com/dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/The-top-5-strategic-SEO-mistakes-enterprises-make-and-how-to-avoid-them-800x450-c5aDGE.png?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1450800http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-28 13:00:002025-01-28 13:00:00The top 5 strategic SEO mistakes enterprises make (and how to avoid them)
Valentine’s Day is an interesting shopping event for ecommerce stores. Customers are looking for gifts that help express their love for one another, with flowers, jewelry, and other interesting options. It’s a great opportunity to attract and convert online shoppers. Here are some SEO tips to help make the most of your Valentine’s Day sale!
As with most sales, you need to plan ahead. Begin planning your Valentine’s Day SEO strategy as early as possible. Ideally, you’d start several months in advance. Research keywords related to Valentine’s Day and your industry to see what comes up. When the sale comes, you’ll be inspired and have new ways to promote your products. If you set up gift guide pages, do so in advance so search engines have enough time to index your pages. This increases your chance to rank when the shopping rush begins.
Create a landing page specifically for your Valentine’s Day sale. Use it to highlight your best deals and popular items that make great gifts. Keep the URL simple and undated so that you can update and reuse it yearly. This approach helps you build SEO value over time while keeping backlinks intact. It also makes your seasonal campaigns easier to manage in the future.
It doesn’t have to be just jewelry or flowers; there are plenty of interesting gift options, like tea
Optimize your product pages
Your product pages will probably see the most traffic and conversions, so be sure to optimize them. Use proper related keywords in the places where they make sense, but don’t overdo it. For example, instead of “Rose bouquet,” try “Classic rose bouquet for Valentine’s Day.” Yoast SEO for Shopify or WooCommerce SEO can help you do this.
Consider conveying that your products are made with a good heart without relying on traditional red heart symbolism. This could involve creative descriptions, imagery, or design elements that convey a sense of warmth, kindness, and generosity without being overtly literal.
As always, add high-quality images to your sales pages with descriptive alt-text, such as “red roses for Valentine’s Day delivery.” This will make your product pages more accessible and understandable for search engines. If you sell jewelry, create specific pages with phrases like “Valentine’s Day jewelry sale.”
When you have options to deliver your product, include the final delivery date in your communication to build trust and ensure customers receive their items on time.
Lego published a great gift guide on its site, including great images and content
Create gift guides and seasonal content
Content marketing drives traffic to your site. Good content can help shoppers find the perfect gift. For SEO purposes, Valentine’s Day gift guides can serve well. Make guides like “Top 10 gifts for her” or “Romantic ideas for Valentine’s Day.” In these guides, link to the proper product pages to make it easy for shoppers to buy the listed products.
Keywords like “Unique Valentine’s Day gift” or “Valentine’s Day flower delivery” work well in blog content. There are plenty of relevant content ideas. For instance, you could create themed infographics or videos to share on social media.
Focus on local SEO for delivery or pick-up
Is your business locally oriented, and do you offer local delivery or in-store pick-up? Optimize your sales for local searches! Edit your Google Business Profile and add details about your Valentine’s Day sales, opening hours, and local delivery options. Don’t forget to use location-specific keywords in your content.
Build a bond with your customers and encourage them to leave reviews. Positive reviews are an important part of building your local business. Use local SEO properly to attract customers needing last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts or same-day delivery.
Use social media and influencers
Social media is a great tool for promoting your Valentine’s Day deals. Remember to post appealing images of your products, such as flower arrangements, gift boxes, or jewelry. Depending on your business, Instagram and Facebook are especially good for showcasing your Valentine’s gifts. You might even try TikTok if you’re good at video content. TikTok even published a guide to help you with your Valentine’s Day sale.
Remember to think about influencers who like your brand. Influencers can create authentic content to drive traffic to your site. Be sure to include special offers to make them actionable.
Use user-generated content
Social media is also a great place to encourage customers to share their Valentine’s Day experiences with your products. Ask them to post photos of the gifts they purchased, the stories of how they were received, or even a review of the experience of buying from your store. You could even create a branded hashtag and promote it in your social media and email campaigns.
As your website is the focal point, remember to add these posts to it. User-generated content helps build trust and acts as social proof. It’s great for potential customers to see that other customers have had an excellent experience with your business. Seeing happy customers share photos of their Valentine’s Day flower arrangements or jewelry gifts can help others do the same. In addition, you are creating a human connection with your customers.
Run exclusive Valentine’s Day promotions
It’s not just about inspiring customers to want to buy but also about getting them to buy it. Special offers help shoppers complete that last step. Create urgency with limited-time deals, such as “20% off Valentine’s Day gifts for 48 hours.” You can also offer free shipping or discounts on bundles for couples.
Don’t forget to use your email newsletters to announce these promotions. Write subject lines like “Valentine’s Day sale — Shop the perfect gift now” to grab attention and get clicks to your site.
For a jewelry store, this is always a busy time, so it needs to come prepared
Add festive details to your website
A subtle way to get shoppers in the mood for Valentine’s Day is to add small festive design elements to your store. For example, you can update banners, landing pages, and CTA buttons with a subtle Valentine’s theme, such as hearts or pink and red color schemes. But be sure to keep it subtle.
You can directly link your Valentine’s Day landing page or related content from your website’s header navigation during the sale to improve your SEO. Many ecommerce stores use dynamic navigation to feature seasonal categories like “New In,” “Back to School,” or “Holiday Deals.” Adding a Valentine’s section makes it easy for shoppers to find your offers quickly.
Offer last-minute shopping options
Some people like to shop at the last moment, so please also cater to them. You can always offer digital gift cards and same-day delivery services. Highlight these offers prominently on your website with phrases like “Still looking? Get it today!” or “Instant Valentine’s Day gifts.”
PPC ads like “last-minute Valentine’s Day gifts” in search or on social media help target people needing an urgent solution. It’s a quick and easy solution to get sales from customers running out of time.
You won’t be the only one looking for last-minute Valentine’s gifts!
Track and adjust your strategy
Last but not least, monitor the campaign’s performance. Use analytics and internet marketing tools to track keyword rankings, traffic, and conversions. Find out which products or pages perform well and adjust your strategy where needed. For example, if certain keywords like “Valentine’s Day exclusive jewelry sale” drive traffic, create more content around those topics.
Keep an eye on your competitors, too. If they offer something unique, consider how you might adapt your approach.
That’s it for Valentine’s Day SEO
Planning and great content are the most important things to make your Valentine’s Day sale successful. A targeted campaign can attract more shoppers to your store. Optimize your product pages, create engaging content, and promote your offers via social media and email campaigns. Now, you’ll be ready to turn the season of love into a successful sales season.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-28 11:56:442025-01-28 11:56:4410 SEO tips for your Valentine’s Day sale
As a reminder, here’s a screenshot of HubSpot’s organic traffic drop, based on Semrush data:
Among the endless reactions and perspectives, two former HubSpot employees shared five good reminders about SEO strategy.
1. SEO takes time
Pruning content and focusing on E-E-A-T were among the many obvious remedies SEOs pointed out following the news of HubSpot’s apparent organic traffic decline.
Well, these aren’t simple tweaks for a brand the size of HubSpot. They’re massive undertakings, according to this LinkedIn post by Bianca Anderson, HubSpot’s former SEO strategist (who is now manager, organic growth for hims and hers):
“When HubSpot began optimizing for EEAT, it required overhauling processes in a way that significantly slowed the output of net-new content AND optimizations. Additionally, pruning a blog at HubSpot’s scale, with thousands of articles, is no small task and takes extensive effort to execute effectively (and SMARTLY).
“…fixing this kind of thing isn’t an overnight process. It’s not as simple as mass redirects. This type of work can take YEARS to properly execute.”
This may feel like an obvious observation for many of you reading, but Anderson made an important point about how volatile Google’s algorithm has been lately:
“Algorithm updates over the past two years have been unprecedented in their volatility (I know we all know this, but just want to emphasize) — it’s been an onslaught. Major brands like HubSpot and WordStream, are feeling these changes deeply.”
3. There is no shared definition of ‘content quality’
Google is not the sole arbiter of quality, according to this LinkedIn post by Braden Becker, former principal growth marketing manager at HubSpot (who is now the global SEO lead for Faire):
“I believe their quality standards are vastly more sophisticated than they were when I was working on the HubSpot Blog, and the company is surely paying a little for that. But just because Google makes a grand decision on a big website doesn’t mean the victim objectively deserved it.”
Becker highlighted another key point about quality:
“There’s a difference between ‘quality’ and ‘the most helpful answer’ to a given search term. I think Google consistently focuses on the latter, despite not always being clear about that.”
“You try to do what’s right for the business at the time. What worked, we kept doing. And what didn’t work, we stopped doing.”
Anderson added:
“From what I’ve seen, TOFU (top-of-funnel) non-ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) targeting content seems to be the most impacted. Is this partly the result of a wide-scale strategic de-prioritization? Maybe. I don’t know.
“What I do know is this: HubSpot has been actively working on this long before these traffic declines became more publicly known.”
Traffic and revenue are not the same thing, as Anderson pointed out:
“Traffic is cool, but it should rarely be a leading metric of success (especially now). Conversions or other core KPIs that drive business matter far more.”
Bottom line. Peter Rota, senior technical SEO manager, HUB International, made several great points in this LinkedIn post. Of note:
We can only see a portion of what happened – we don’t have Google Analytics or Google Search Console data.
We don’t know how many of these keywords brought meaningful visitors.
We don’t know whether any of this lost traffic impacted their sales/revenue. We might get more insight Feb. 12 – that’s the date when HubSpot is expected to release its Q4 results.
Rota added:
“In SEO, you can literally do everything right, and one day, Google could be like know what, we’re changing things. No site is truly ‘white hat,’ and everyone thinks they’re doing amazing SEO until you get hit.
“We all have access to the same public data, but the reality is that the SEOs who are working/ worked at HubSpot only know the true story of what happened.
“So, stop giving advice, stop thinking you know better. They literally wrote the book on inbound marketing and have taught many of us SEO or we’ve learned something from them.”
Want more buyers and sellers from Google without relying on Zillow or Redfin?
Or more leads for listings that support your cold-calling and door-knocking efforts?
Then, become skilled at real estate SEO.
SEO is about ranking your site in search engine results pages (SERPs). This will attract qualified buyers and sellers to your agency.
Just look at Campion & Company, a small real estate agency in Boston. They outrank Zillow for high-value property searches like “Burrage Mansion.”
And that’s just one keyword.
This agency ranks for 19K different search terms on Google—all driving potential buyers directly to their listings.
All thanks to SEO.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to conduct keyword research for high-intent terms, create lead-generating content, and dominate the local SERPs.
But first, let’s take a closer look at the benefits of SEO.
Why Is SEO Important for Real Estate Sites?
Real estate SEO helps your listings show up in search results when people look for homes online.
This includes Google Maps when people search for things like “realtor” in your area.
Why does this matter?
According to a study by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 100% of Americans who bought a house in 2024 used the internet to search for a home.
And more than half (52%) of recent buyers found the home they ultimately purchased online.
SEO lets you reach these buyers when they’re actively looking to buy.
But it’s also a cost-effective way of capturing online demand.
For example, the cost-per-click of a Google ad for the keyphrase “real estate companies in West Palm Beach Florida” is $5.67.
But SEO can get your business to appear directly under those ads without spending a dime.
This puts you in direct control of lead generation. Which means no more relying on expensive ads or third-party directory sites.
Sounds ideal, right?
Now that you’ve seen what real estate SEO can do for your business, let’s start with the most important first step:
Conducting a quick technical audit to see if Google can actually find your website.
(Because if it can’t, other SEO strategies don’t matter.)
Step 1: Make Sure Google Can Find Your Property Listings
The best way to check if Google knows your site exists?
This will tell you which pages from your site are in Google’s index, which aren’t, and why.
Some red flags to watch out for:
Your indexed pages WAY outnumber your actual pages (this usually means Google’s finding pages it shouldn’t)
Google’s only indexed a fraction of your pages (meaning potential clients can’t find most of your listings and services)
Important pages show up under “Error,’” “Valid with warnings,” or “Excluded”
Not sure why Google isn’t indexing your pages?
The “Why pages aren’t indexed” report is your friend here.
It’ll tell you exactly what’s wrong—like a redirect error or improper canonical tags—and how to fix it.
If you have unindexed pages, you can manually request indexing.
This is super helpful for new listings you want to appear ASAP.
Pro tip: Don’t have the time or desire to handle SEO issues? Delegate them to a pro. A skilled website manager can tackle indexing issues, implement fixes fast, and keep your site climbing the rankings—while you focus on closing deals.
Step 2: Find Keywords That Drive Leads
To increase leads, you need to show up on Google for the terms homebuyers search for in your area.
But it’ll take a strategic plan to beat the big real estate directory sites.
For example, here’s what the search results look like for “Raleigh homes.”
Directory sites dominate the SERPs, including Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin.
Enter a neighborhood into the search bar and click “Search.”
The tool will return a list of keywords and important metrics for each one.
This includes:
Search volume: The average number of monthly searches for a specific keyword in Google
Keyword difficulty (KD): A score from 0-100 that estimates how hard it would be to rank on the first page of Google for that keyword
Search intent: The primary purpose or goal behind a user’s search query—informational (learn), commercial (compare/buy), navigational (find site), or transactional (take action)
While the list will typically include some long-tail keywords already, you can add filters to narrow it even further.
Here’s how:
Select the “KD %” filter and type “0-50” in the custom range.
Then, click the “Intent” filter and select “Transactional” and “Commercial.”
Filtering this list for “Commercial” and “Transactional” will limit the list to terms people search when they’re looking to buy a home.
Now, you have a list of long-tail keywords you can use to optimize your property page.
For example, “boylan heights raleigh homes for sale” receives 40 searches a month and has a keyword difficulty score of 3, meaning it should be super easy to rank for.
It also has transactional intent, which tells you these searchers are ready to buy.
Even better?
The SERP for this keyword is a mix of directory sites and local realtors, so you know you’ve got a shot at ranking.
Now that you’ve got your target keywords, it’s time to use them strategically on your property pages.
Step 3: Optimize Your Property Pages for Conversions
It should describe the page’s contents and include the main keyword.
It doesn’t have to be the exact keyphrase—you can use a variation of your target keyword in your H1 like We Know Boise Real Estate did.
H2s are the main subheadings that go underneath your H1 to organize your content and make it easy for readers to find what they’re looking for.
Include the location name in some of your page’s H2’s as well:
This makes it crystal clear to search engines exactly what this page is about, which increases your chances of ranking.
Just ensure your page headings read naturally and avoid keyword stuffing.
Include Internal Links
Internal linking connects your location pages together, helping you rank higher in search results.
It also keeps website visitors engaged longer as they explore other pages on your site.
For example, We Know Boise’s Barber Valley page includes hyperlinks to every other neighborhood in East Boise:
When you click a neighborhood, it takes you to a dedicated page on We Know Boise’s site for that location.
This lets Google understand the relationship between these pages on your site.
Which will help you rank for your target keywords—and ultimately land more leads.
Pro tip: Don’t gate your content. Requiring visitors to provide personal details to view property listings can negatively impact your SEO efforts. Many potential clients will hit the “back” button and head to one of your competitor’s sites instead, reducing your chances of ranking.
Create Detailed Listing Pages That Convert Browsers into Buyers
The more information you provide on your property pages, the more likely visitors are to book a viewing.
It also helps with lead qualification, as they’ll know upfront if the listing is likely to be a fit.
Include:
A detailed description of the property
A description of the local amenities
High-quality images of the entire property
A map showing the property’s location
Look at the big directory sites for inspiration when creating your listings.
For example, Trulia includes high-quality images and essential information like address and price prominently at the top of the listing.
They follow this up with a “Local Information” section that includes a map, description of the area, and information on local restaurants, shopping, and schools.
Next, comes the “Home Highlights” at a glance, such as the HOA fee, price per square foot, and how long the property has been listed.
Then, an expandable drop-down menu with even more details like the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and more:
Trulia also showcases what locals say about the area to give prospective buyers an inside look into the area:
Notably, they also include an interactive mortgage calculator set to the home’s listed price.
Doing something similar will help you get more leads from your property pages.
Step 4: Dominate Local Search Results with Your Google Business Profile
Search “[your location] real estate agents” in Google.
The top organic result is almost certain to be a Google Local Pack—a SERP feature that appears for location-specific searches—featuring three local realtors:
It goes without saying that you should prioritize landing in one of those three spots through your real estate SEO strategy.
This is especially vital for a local realtor since the rest of the organic results are likely to be dominated by directory sites:
Here’s how to optimize your site to appear in the Local Pack for your area:
Enter your business name, category, location, and contact information
Verify your business by the method offered to you by Google (usually by a phone call or a postcard sent to your business’s address)
Fill Out and Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Once your Google Business Profile is verified, fill it out with as much information as possible—including all the areas you have listings:
Add plenty of high-quality photos of your team, current listings, and properties sold.
Do this regularly to show Google you’re a legitimate business worthy of ranking at the top of the Local Pack.
Plus, it’ll help sell your company to potential clients—and agents who might be looking for a new agency.
You also have the option of writing a brief description of your business, which will appear under the heading “From [your business’s name]’:
Include target keywords in this section.
Things like:
[Your area] real estate
[Your area] homes for sale
[Your area] real estate agent
[Your area] realtor
Encourage and Respond to Customer Reviews
It’s good practice to ask all your customers to leave you a review on Google.
After all, 35% of people say a real estate agent’s reputation is the most important factor when they’re choosing a realtor to sell their home, according to NAR’s study.
Plus, the more positive reviews you receive on Google, the more likely you are to appear in the Local Pack for relevant searches.
Your business’s overall rating and review highlights will appear on your Google Business listing:
As a best practice, respond to every review you receive on Google.
This includes the positive ones:
And the not-so-positive ones:
This will show potential clients that you care what people have to say about your business and respond to their feedback.
It’s also another signal to Google that you’re a well-run business that deserves to sit at the top of its local results.
Get as Many NAP Citations as You Can
NAP (name, address, and phone number) citations are a huge deal when it comes to local SEO.
The more websites that list your company’s NAP correctly, the more confident Google is that those details are correct—and that you’re a legitimate business worth sending searchers to.
But manually adding and updating citations isn’t a good use of anyone’s time.
Instead, use a tool like Semrush’s Listing Management, which automates the process.
By connecting your Google Business Profile, the tool will automatically distribute your details to vital directories for your industry.
Search your business to find out how many correct NAP citations it has online:
The tool will show you where your NAP details are listed incorrectly—or not at all to help you improve and expand your presence.
Use Google Posts to Advertise Property Listings
Google Posts are updates that appear at the bottom of your Google Business Profile.
They’re the perfect place for you to advertise your latest listings.
Plus, Google is less likely to display your Business Profile at the top of local search results if it’s inactive. Which means making a Google Post about each of your new listings will help you rank in the Local Pack.
Create a Google Post by clicking “Add update” in your dashboard:
Step 5: Start a Blog to Establish Your Agency as an Industry Leader
Rank for more keywords and strengthen your site’s authority by creating a blog.
Write High-Quality Blog Content
Blog content can drive highly relevant traffic to your site.
The key is finding topics homebuyers are actively searching for online.
Search for your service area in the tool, such as “Cambridge MA.”
You’ll see an Overview report with keyword data.
Click “View all keywords” under the “Questions” report.
Now, you’ll see a list of questions people ask Google about this area.
Including the search volume for each term, intent, and keyword difficulty.
Review the list to find questions that would make great blog post topics.
Ensure they’re relevant and aim for low difficulty and moderate search volume.
For example, “What is there to do in cambridge ma” gets 320 searches per month and has a low keyword difficulty score of 20.
This means it should be fairly easy to rank for, which is especially important if you have a new site or one that lacks authority.
Create Neighborhood Guides
Neighborhood guides are a tried-and-true way to rank in the SERPs. (Note: these can work well as site pages or blog content.)
For example, Trulia created a neighborhood guide for every neighborhood where they have listings.
That subfolder drives 611.2K visits to the Trulia site each month.
And it has 11K backlinks:
These pages work.
And your content marketing strategy should revolve around them.
But how can you compete with Trulia, Zillow, and Redfin’s neighborhood pages?
With high-quality, comprehensive content that highlights your local expertise.
For example, New Orleans real estate agency Crescent City Living has a neighborhood guide that outranks all the directory sites for “Seventh Ward New Orleans”:
How’d they do it?
Well, compare Crescent City Living’s guide to Trulia’s, and you’ll see significant differences:
Crescent Living’s page was clearly written by someone who knows the area.
It describes Seventh Ward’s colorful Creole cottages and beloved Marching 100 band.
http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png00http://dubadosolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/dubado-logo-1.png2025-01-23 12:01:282025-01-23 12:01:286 Steps to Win at Real Estate SEO
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is one of the most effective paid channels helping businesses increase visibility and build awareness.
If you’d like to learn about the state of PPC in 2025, find the latest data on PPC usage, most used ad platforms, and PPC benchmarks, we’ve curated a list of 24 essential PPC statistics to help you answer these questions.
General PPC Statistics
Among surveyed pay-per-click (PPC) marketers, Google (98%), Facebook (76%) and Instagram (70%) are the most widely used advertising platforms (Statista)
Here’s a full breakdown:
Digital Advertising Platform
Share of PPC Professionals
Google (excluding YouTube)
98%
Facebook
76%
Instagram
70%
Microsoft (Bing)
67%
YouTube
67%
LinkedIn
48%
TikTok
31%
Pinterest
24%
Amazon
17%
X (Twitter)
15%
Reddit
11%
Apple Search
11%
Snapchat
9%
Quora
4%
Yandex
2%
Baidu
1%
Yahoo! Japan
1%
Other
6%
Among PPC practitioners with a monthly budget between $50K and $500K, Google, Facebook, and YouTube are the top 3 most used advertising platforms (PPCsurvey)
Here are the exact numbers:
Ad Platform
Adoption ($50K – $500K PPC budget)
Google (excluding YouTube)
99%
Facebook
79%
YouTube
75%
Instagram
74%
Microsoft (Bing)
73%
LinkedIn
46%
TikTok
28%
Pinterest
20%
Amazon
15%
X (Twitter)
11%
Reddit
10%
Apple Search
7%
Snapchat
6%
Quora
4%
Yandex
1%
Baidu
1%
Yahoo! Japan
1%
Other
8%
73% of B2C marketers stated their organization used PPC advertising in the last 12 months (Content Marketing Institute)
64% of B2B marketing professionals say they used PPC advertising at their organization in the past year, which is only behind the usage rate of social media advertising at 73% (Content Marketing Institute)
93% of marketers say pay-per-click (PPC) as a marketing channel is “effective” or “highly effective”, making it the 2nd most effective channel after content marketing (96%) (eMarketer)
Only 10% of surveyed marketing professionals identify PPC as a primary focus for their budget allocation (eMarketer)
Among surveyed marketing specialists worldwide, 49% claim it became harder managing PPC campaigns today than 2 years ago (PPCsurvey)
Among in-house teams, the average monthly PPC spend is $950,000, while freelancers usually manage an ad budget of around $575,000 per month (PPCsurvey)
Here are the exact numbers:
Monthly PPC spend
In-house
Freelancer
More than $3M
5%
3%
Between $500K and $3M
14%
10%
Between $50K and $500K
41%
38%
Between $5K and $50K
29%
33%
Under $5K
11%
16%
According to surveyed B2B marketers, PPC advertising ranks as the most effective paid channel for content marketing activities, with 61% of respondents citing it as effective, followed by social media advertising (49%), and sponsorships (48%) (Content Marketing Institute)
Search Ads Statistics
Paid search spending in the US is estimated to reach $124.59 billion in 2024, showing an 11.1% year-over-year increase (eMarketer)
The average cost-per-click for advertisements on Google ads stood at $1.16 (eMarketer)
The average cost per click for search ads across multiple industries on Amazon was $1.50 (eMarketer)
The average benchmark bounce rate for paid search is 43.9% (Contentsquare)
The average click-through rate for Google search ads is 3.17%, based on data collected from multiple industries (WordStream)
On average, paid search campaigns are reported to generate a conversion rate of 2.55% (Contentsquare)
Paid search accounts for 29.7% of total media ad spending in the US (eMarketer)
Analysis of over 43 billion website visits found that paid search accounts for 23% of traffic share, behind direct (27.6%) and organic search (26.7%) (Contentsquare)
The share of new visitor traffic attributed to paid search is 27.6%, which is more than any other marketing channel (Contentsquare)
Paid search accounts for 39.5% market share of digital advertising, more than any other advertising format (display, video or audio) (IAB)
In the US, Google dominates the search advertising market, accounting for 50.5% of the total search ad spending (eMarketer)
Amazon’s share of the overall search ad spending in the US is 22.3% (eMarketer)
75.78% of Google’s revenue came from advertising in Q1-Q3 2024 (Alphabet)
AI Use for PPC Statistics
75% of PPC professionals say they use generative AI at least “sometimes” for writing ads. Other common use cases include keyword research (60%) and writing emails (52%) (PPCsurvey)
Here are the exact numbers:
Use Case
Share of PPC Professionals Who Use AI at Least “Sometimes”
Writing ads
75%
Keyword research
60%
Writing emails
52%
Audience research/analysis
48%
Writing/editing scripts
45%
Landing page optimization
41%
Generating insights and suggestions
41%
Strategy
38%
Campaign creation
38%
Reporting
31%
Among PPC professionals that use AI at least “sometimes” for writing emails, 71% claim they’re satisfied with results generated by AI (PPCsurvey)
Use Case
Share of PPC Professionals Satisfied with AI Results
It provides data and insights that will help you target the right keywords for your audience.
More data isn’t always better.
So, focus on the key metrics: search volume, keyword difficulty, and search intent.
Search Volume: The average monthly searches for a keyword
Keyword Difficulty (KD%): A measure of how hard it is to rank for a keyword. It’s based on the link profiles of the top 10 ranking pages.
Search Intent: The purpose behind a user’s search query. It’s categorized as transactional, informational, commercial, or navigational.
Stick to these essentials to guide your keyword strategy effectively.
Define Commercial Opportunities
The commercial value of a keyword varies for each business.
What may be a high-value commercial keyword for a competitor might not be for you.
For example, let’s say you have top-rated resorts in Mexico. You might see “all-inclusive resorts in Mexico” as a valuable keyword.
Now, imagine you manage one outdated, overpriced resort there. Your chance to profit from this keyword is likely much weaker.
When evaluating a commercial opportunity, ask: Will this page convert visitors?
Categorize each keyword into the following:
0. Not Likely: We don’t offer anything related to the user’s intent
1. Unlikely: We offer something related to the user’s intent, but it doesn’t directly address the user’s needs
2. Potential: We offer a solution that could meet the user’s intent
3. Likely: We provide the best solution for the user’s intent
This approach helps focus your efforts on the most commercially valuable keywords.
Pro tip: Before using a keyword, check its intent. Analyze the top-ranking content in the search results. A keyword like “Mexico vs. Ecuador” might seem perfect for a travel site selling flights to both. However, a quick Google search may reveal that the user intent is related to soccer, not travel.
By knowing what users want, you can avoid irrelevant keywords. This will ensure your content matches user intent.
It also increases your chances of ranking and converting.
Step 3: Create a Keyword Map
Once you’ve gathered your keywords, the next step is to build an SEO keyword map.
Here’s how:
List existing pages: Use an SEO spider tool like Screaming Frog. It will list all existing pages.
Filter irrelevant pages: Remove any pages that won’t serve as SEO landing pages. Focus only on those that have the potential to drive organic traffic.
Pair pages with keywords: Use Google Search Console (GSC) to find queries that generate the most clicks for each page.
Assign target keywords: Assign one keyword from your research to each relevant page.
Avoid keyword cannibalization: Target each keyword with only one page. This prevents competition between your own pages for the same search query.
SEO for travel websites often involves optimizing destination-specific and service-related keywords.
These efforts help drive organic traffic to your site.
By mapping keywords to pages, you’ll have a clear strategy. It’ll help you optimize existing content and find gaps for new content.
Step 4: Form a Content Strategy
With your keyword research and keyword map in place, it’s time to create an SEO content strategy.
To maximize organic revenue, prioritize content targeting bottom-of-the-funnel keywords.
These are high-intent keywords where users are closest to making a booking decision.
By focusing on this stage first, you’ll drive more immediate conversions and revenue.
Target Commercial Keywords
In your keyword sheet, filter for keywords with commercial scores of two or three.
This filter will give you keywords with high commercial intent. They’ll match what you offer.
Think “Cancun resorts,” “flights to Hawaii,” “Las Vegas hotels,” or “Punta Cana excursions.”
For each keyword:
If a landing page is ranking, optimize its content to boost performance
If none of your pages are ranking, decide whether to create a new landing page or optimize an existing one
Finally, create a timeline and roadmap for implementing these optimizations.
This helps ensure steady progress toward your content goals.
Build Topical Authority
After covering your commercial keywords, it’s time to move up to the middle of the funnel.
Focus on keywords like “things to do in Miami,” “best time to visit Japan,” and “best beaches in Puerto Rico.”
These keywords are primarily informational and have lower conversion rates.
Cluster these topics to help search engines understand your content.
You’ll signal to search engines that your site is a trusted travel resource.
Blog pages often cover these topics best. But you can use landing pages if they fit your strategy.
Create a Topic Map
Up to this point, your SEO content strategy has been based on keyword data.
Now, it’s time to explore new topic ideas by leveraging topic maps.
To do this, use an AI tool like Claude or Chat GPT to uncover relevant topics for specific destinations.
Here’s an example of a prompt you can use:
“Please provide a table listing the key topics related to travel in Mexico. The table should have three columns: categories, subcategories, and subtopics. Each subtopic should have its own row.”
Then, copy your topic map to a sheet. Use a ChatGPT plugin like Whimsical Diagrams to visualize it.
Use the following prompt: “Generate a mind map from this table: {paste table}.”
Repeat this process for each destination you serve.
Add any new topics to your content roadmap.
Cover a wide range of content that appeals to search engines and your audience.
This approach fills gaps in your strategy. It keeps your content fresh and competitive.
Tap Into the Travel Content Loop
The travel experience is cyclical.
Here’s how the journey typically unfolds:
Inspiration: “That’s beautiful, where is that place?”
Education: “Tell me more about this place”
Booking: “Let’s go there”
Inspiration again: After the trip, the traveler dreams of new adventures. This sparks the loop once more.
Travelers constantly seek beauty, adventure, and new connections.
Your content strategy should reflect this ongoing loop.
To build a successful travel content strategy off the back of this loop, think beyond SEO. This is especially true for inspiration, where social media is vital.
SEO is about fulfilling a need for information.
So, focus on education and answering users’ specific questions.
Inspiration, however, often comes to people when they’re not actively searching for it.
That’s why inspirational content must be:
Visual and destination-focused
Pushed to users, igniting wanderlust
Once the audience is captivated by a destination, they might seek more information. That’s where SEO comes in to guide them further down the funnel.
When planning content, ensure synergy between inspirational and informational content.
For example, let’s say you publish an SEO-optimized article like “The Best Time to Visit Costa Rica.”
Coordinate with your social media team to release visual, inspirational content.
This integrated approach keeps your audience engaged at every stage of their journey. Whether they’re exploring on social media or searching for information online.
Step 5: Establish a Content Creation Process
Your content strategy is ready.
Now it’s time to establish a streamlined content creation process.
Here’s how that might look:
Keyword selection: Choose primary and secondary keywords based on your content calendar
Writer briefing: Provide clear, detailed briefs for high-quality content
Write: Focus on comprehensive, unique content that goes beyond top-ranking pages
Edit: Align with the brand’s tone and ensure scannability
Optimize: Fine-tune for SEO—headings, body content, internal links, and meta
Add photography: Use images that follow guidelines and enhance user experience
Publish and promote: Share across social, email, and other channels to maximize reach
Translate: Expand reach by targeting non-English keywords
Pro tip: After headlines, image captions are the most read by users. Add a commercial message or a call to action to your image captions. It will help boost engagement.
To AI or Not AI?
When it comes to your content creation process, a key question is how much of it should involve AI.
The answer depends on your goals.
One thing is certain—it’s tough to stand out in a sea of mass-produced AI content by just publishing more AI content.
Craftsmanship and authenticity are what make content truly stand out.
“To beat AI, become more human.” – Wesley van der Hoop, PPC + SEO at Unique Vacations Ltd.
For example, let’s say you’re writing about “the best restaurants in Amsterdam.”
Instead of simply copying the list from TripAdvisor, go beyond the surface:
Experience the destination firsthand
Talk to locals and uncover hidden gems that aren’t widely covered
Engage with restaurant owners. Try their signature dishes. Share deeper insights than current online articles.
AI should play the role of an assistant, not the solution.
That said, AI can still assist in the content creation process.
It can help create content briefs, structure the content, and suggest data points.
This lets writers focus on the human elements. They can craft unique, authentic content that AI cannot replicate.
In this hybrid approach, AI handles repetitive tasks.
Meanwhile, your team focuses on insights, experiences, and personal connections.
Step 6: Set Up Tracking and Measuring
Begin by measuring your current performance to understand where you stand.
Define and track both macro and micro conversions. Use your travel site’s analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics 4).
For most travel websites, the macro conversion will be bookings and revenue.
Micro conversions may include actions like account creation or requests for more information.
They can also involve newsletter sign-ups, brochure requests, and travel guide downloads.
Once tracking is set up, integrate SEO tools like Google Search Console (GSC).
Use a rank tracker to gain deeper insights into what’s happening on the SERPs.
Finally, create easy-to-understand dashboards that blend different data sources. They let you track progress and show results to stakeholders at performance meetings.
Step 7: Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Local SEO is essential for improving visibility.
It’s particularly important for attractions, restaurants, bars, and accommodations at popular destinations.
Google can struggle to determine which of your pages to prioritize.
It can also lead to crawling, indexing issues, and loss of link equity.
In severe cases, it can also trigger manual penalties.
The seven most common types of duplicate content on travel websites are:
Destination descriptions: Frequently reused descriptions of popular travel destinations across multiple accommodation pages
URLs with filtering parameters: Filtering options (e.g., “?sort=price”) generate different URLs. These may show similar content.
Pagination: Ensure paginated lists of destinations or accommodations are distinct or canonicalized
URLs with UTM parameters: Parameters like “?utm_source=social-media” track traffic. But they can also create duplicate content issues.
Split URL tests: A/B testing may create duplicate content. It does this by generating alternative versions of the same page.
Dynamic URLs with session IDs: When indexed, they can cause duplicate content issues
M-dot URLs: They’re rare today. But if used, link them to their desktop versions.
Use Semrush’s Site Audit tool to identify duplicate content. Mitigate it by implementing canonical tags.
Use Structured Data
Structured data helps search engines better understand and display your content.
For travel websites, this can lead to rich results like pricing and star ratings.
These features can help boost click-through rates.
Structured data can also improve your site’s rankings.
How?
By providing search engines with clearer context for your content.
Pro tip: To further enhance SEO, implement structured data using the LocalBusiness schema. This helps search engines understand and validate your business information. It includes key details like category, location, and operating hours. Properly structured data can positively impact your rankings in local searches.
Step 9: Optimize UX with a Mobile-First Approach
Users have been living in a mobile-first world for some time, and Google was quick to follow.
Travelers may book on desktop. But they often make the decision to book on mobile.
Focus on quick load times and ensure strong Core Web Vitals performance.
Search engines like Google favor fast-loading content.
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Search engines want to show users the most accurate, up-to-date information possible, which may lead to changing the order of search results.
For example, “best restaurants near me,” results change as you move locations, new restaurants open in your area, or customer reviews change.
Also, changes to ranking algorithms may reorder search results drastically.
When Google updates its algorithms, it usually offers guidance to site owners in its Search Central Blog.
Presenting the Best Answers
Search engines show more than simple links.
They display special SERP features to present answers quickly and enhance the user’s experience.
For example, a user searching for “sugar cookies” may be looking for recipes, nutritional facts, or a list of ingredients.
Google returns varied results to satisfy all of these potential intents.
But a user searching for “buy sugar cookies” has transactional intent.
Google returns product results to make it easier for users to locate key information about the product.
SERP features can make the search experience more enjoyable for users.
Common types include:
Popular Products: A list of products with key information like price, reviews, and shipping information
Organization: A knowledge panel with key information about a business like founders, history, social media profiles, and more
Local Business: A knowledge panel featuring key information about a local business like address, phone number, and hours of operation
FAQs: A list of questions and answers about a topic
Paid search results may also appear at the top of the SERPs.
To qualify, sites need to set up Google Ads campaigns and bid for specific keywords.
AI Overviews, featured snippets, and People Also Ask boxes often appear for informational searches.
Like this:
These features deliver quick answers and can increase visibility for pages that earn these placements.
Turn Your Search Engine Knowledge into Rankings
While many factors could be at play, understanding how search engines work is an essential first step to helping your content rank higher for the keywords that matter most to your audience.
Armed with this knowledge, you can boost your site’s visibility and get your pages in front of the right people.
The next critical step?
Making sure your website’s technical foundation helps search engines efficiently crawl, index, and rank your content.
Check out our technical SEO guide to optimize your site for better search visibility.
A new “Used since” column reveals when assets were added to Google Ads accounts, giving advertisers crucial historical context for managing their creative assets.
The addition of this timestamp feature addresses a common pain point for digital marketers who inherit or audit accounts, as they previously had no easy way to determine how long specific assets had been in use.
Details. The new column appears at the asset level within Google Ads accounts, providing a clear date stamp for when each creative element was implemented.
Why we care. Understanding the timeline of asset implementation helps you track performance over time and maintain fresh, relevant creative content.
First seen. This update was first seen on PPC News Feed.
What’s next. This feature could signal Google’s broader commitment to increasing transparency and giving advertisers more tools for historical analysis of their accounts.
Bottom line. For agencies and in-house teams managing multiple accounts or transitioning between account managers, this feature streamlines the process of understanding asset history and planning creative refreshes.
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No matter how perfectly crafted your PPC ads are, their success hinges on what happens after the click.
In 2025, optimizing your forms and follow-up processes is the key to turning traffic into high-quality leads and ensuring your campaigns deliver real results.
Why optimizing forms and follow-ups is essential
Google’s mantra, “Focus on the user, and all else will follow,” rings especially true in lead generation.
While PPC marketers often focus on perfecting ad copy, audience targeting, and bidding strategies, many overlook a crucial element: the post-click experience.
No matter how strong your campaigns are, they won’t deliver their full potential if your forms and follow-up processes aren’t optimized.
Refining these touchpoints will be key to attracting higher-quality leads and boosting your campaign results this year.
With optimized forms and strategic follow-ups, every click from your PPC campaign delivers value.
Whether you’re collecting leads through forms or other tools like chatbots or call tracking, the goal remains the same: guide future customers smoothly through your lead-gen funnel.
Here are the five key methods to perfect in 2025:
1. Crafting PPC forms for maximum conversions
The era of a one-size-fits-all approach is over.
Forms must be tailored to the specific needs of each industry, customer segment, and sales process to effectively serve both the user experience and the sales team’s ability to close deals.
It’s common knowledge that every additional field in a form introduces potential friction. Reducing the number of fields can significantly boost conversions.
However, simplicity must be balanced with the data necessary to qualify a prospect.
Different industries and businesses require varying levels of personalization.
Real estate or local services
The “sweet spot” for most industries is between 3 to 5 fields. However, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule. Simplified forms may overlook key insights needed to move leads down the funnel.
A/B testing a basic form (name, email, ZIP code) against a more detailed one (asking about intent and timeline) can help determine whether complexity improves or hinders conversions.
Another approach is using a multi-step funnel, where initial engagement leads to deeper qualification questions.
B2B SaaS or high-ticket services
These industries require more nuanced testing.
If a single landing page form doesn’t deliver quality leads, try multi-step forms to gather detailed information over time without overwhelming users.
Pest control service
A single-field form asking for a ZIP code to generate instant quotes works well, as users in urgent situations prioritize speed and simplicity over additional questions.
Education SaaS campaign
For an ebook offer like “How to double campaign ROI with automated email workflows,” a form asking only for a name and email maximizes conversions.
The user is in the early stages of the funnel, so simplicity reduces friction and captures basic contact info for future nurturing.
Higher education
Universities may require more flexibility in how they present questions.
Multi-step forms, broken into smaller sections on different landing pages (e.g., Step 1: Contact Information, Step 2: Program Interest), can help guide users without overwhelming them.
In addition, dynamic forms that adapt based on user input can also enhance engagement and personalization.
For example, tailoring follow-up questions when users select “Undergraduate” or “MBA” ensures that the form remains relevant to their needs, providing a more customized experience.
Finally, A/B testing different landing page strategies (i.e., comparing multi-step forms to single-step forms) helps determine which approach works best for your audience.
Platforms like Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, and LinkedIn Ads offer built-in experimentation tools to make testing easier.
By leveraging these tools, marketers can refine their forms and landing pages to create a seamless, user-friendly experience that drives higher conversion rates.
Personalization is no longer a “nice-to-have” in CRO; it’s an expectation.
AI tools allow businesses to automate follow-ups by using the data collected from forms to deliver highly targeted actions, moving leads from marketing-qualified to sales-qualified.
Below are best practices for AI-powered follow-ups.
Instant responses
Outside of ensuring your webpage speed is optimized, try implementing AI-driven chatbots or automated emails to engage with leads immediately after form submission.
This prompt engagement can significantly enhance user experience and conversion rates.
Multi-channel outreach
Combine email automation with SMS or social media follow-ups to increase touchpoints and meet leads where they are most active.
This diversified approach can improve engagement rates and lead to nurturing effectiveness.
Hyper-personalization
Use AI to analyze user behaviors, preferences, and contexts.
This enables the delivery of highly personalized content and offers by leveraging tools such as heatmaps, live user tracking, and funnel analysis.
Behavior-based sequencing
If a user doesn’t engage with the first follow-up, AI can trigger tailored messages based on their behavior.
Use multi-channel outreach with AI automation to email follow-ups with SMS.
3. Beyond forms: Lead gen strategies without traditional forms
Not all lead gen businesses rely solely on forms.
Many companies operate in industries where forms aren’t the primary conversion tool.
Here’s how to optimize other lead collection methods:
Click-to-call campaigns: They are typically best for service-based businesses with clear “call now” CTAs in the ads and landing pages that use call tracking numbers to analyze ad performance.
Chatbots and conversational ads: Chatbots could be a supplemental move for ecommerce where a user may have quick questions in real time before making a purchase.
Paid social ads: Industries like education or business consulting, where simplicity is valued, can benefit from social ads on Meta or LinkedIn. These platforms allow users to submit their information without leaving the site, reducing lead friction. For international leads, click-to-WhatsApp messaging can minimize friction further.
While optimizing your forms and follow-ups is crucial, ongoing analysis of your campaigns is equally important.
This helps refine A/B testing strategies and continuously improve lead quality through:
Offline conversion tracking: Integrate CRM data into Google Ads to identify campaigns and keywords generating high-quality leads.
Qualifying fields: Add fields like budget or timeline to filter unqualified leads.
A/B testing: Test variations of form fields, layouts, and CTAs to improve conversion rates without sacrificing lead quality.
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