As any experienced SEO knows, getting a page 1 listing in SERPs is just the beginning. It is possible to rank as #1 and get 50 visitors a day, while #3 for the same keyword can get 250 visitors a day. Term SERP conversion is used to measure how well a specific page listing converts keyword searches to actual visits. The required formula to calculate SERP conversion is:
SERP conversion = (real traffic from Search engines / predicted traffic from search engines) x 100 %
An average figure is somewhere around 50%, but I have seen sites with SERP conversion as low as 10-15% (these were pure spam). The goal should be somewhere around 70-85% or higher depending on your business area and competition. And what’s best – working for better SERP conversion is totally safe and easy to do, and in many cases is attached to good and ethical SEO policies.
The trick to enhance SERP conversion is to make a listing more attractive to human user. If you have ever wondered why Adwords and similar perform so well compared to traditional listings, this is the reason. They are visually more attractive and yes, they are usually contextually more attractive.
In order to utilize this piece of information on your SEO process, you should:
a) Focus on quality – make your title and meta/directory descriptions samples of top quality copywriting. Titles like "widget widgets" are easy to make, but they are about as attractive as a pair of white sport socks.
b)Target your audience - provide only the necessary and interesting pieces of information in title and meta/directory description. Only then when a user pays a visit to your page can you (subtly) start selling / promoting other suitable products and services.
c) Observe and test - time and patience are of the essence in here. The better work you do, the more increased traffic and sales you should expect.
As always, if you have any questions or tips on this subject, just leave comments.
Working for better SERP conversion – how to boost online sales
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The author's views are entirely his or her own (excluding the unlikely event of hypnosis) and may not always reflect the views of Moz.
I'd pay just to have the ability to instantly modify my DMOZ listing description right about now :)
I think the "safest" thing would be the usual "keyword | Company Name" on the TITLE. You get the SEO and branding benefit. Doesn't leave much room for marketing spins though..