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NL How ABM, SEO and CRO work together for better leads
What's happening on your website?
“I am curious what all those people are doing on our website. Can we see where they are clicking to?” and “What a shame it is that we hardly get any requests from the website while there are so many visitors.”
These statements, taken from an email I received in January 2024, sum up a frustration that many companies experience. Although there is often a lot of investment in search engine optimization (SEO) to attract more traffic, this rarely translates into requests or conversions. This got me thinking: how can you make a website not only findable, but also effective?
Why SEO Alone Is Not Enough
SEO is a powerful way to generate organic traffic, but it often requires a long-term approach. Did you know that according to SEO.ai 64% of small businesses have a local SEO strategy? Yet, on average, it takes 6-12 months for SEO to show visible results. With the speed at which technology and AI are developing, it’s time to approach SEO differently – as part of a bigger picture.
What is account-based marketing (ABM)?
Account-based marketing (ABM) is a strategy that focuses on specific, high-value accounts rather than a broad audience. With ABM, you target your marketing messages directly to decision makers within those accounts, also known as decision-making units (DMUs).
The key elements of ABM:
- Directed focus: only accounts that are truly relevant to your business.
- Personalization: campaigns tailored to specific needs and challenges.
- Cooperation: marketing and sales work seamlessly together.
How ABM lays the foundation
In my approach, I use ABM to identify decision makers within relevant companies. I then design funnels to personally address this target group via email and LinkedIn. This not only produces quality leads, but also provides valuable insights:
- Direct contact with decision makers.
- Understanding the challenges of your target group.
- Information to refine your content strategy.
- Better conversion opportunities thanks to targeted communication.
These insights provide a solid foundation for moving forward with other strategies.
From ABM to SEO: Creating Inbound Leads
Once ABM has generated leads and you have insight into the needs of your target group, you can start working on SEO in a targeted manner. The data from ABM helps to create content that specifically responds to what your ideal customer needs. No generic content, but valuable information that converts.
How I approach this:
- Relevant content creation: blogs, white papers and landing pages that answer the questions of your target group.
- Smart keyword optimization: Use keywords that match the specific needs of your target audience.
- Targeted traffic: attract visitors who not only click, but also stay and convert.
CRO: Converting visitors into customers
With ABM and SEO as a foundation, it is time for conversion optimization (CRO). CRO focuses on increasing the percentage of visitors who take an action, such as a purchase or a quote request.
Did you know that the average conversion rate is only 2.35%? This means that there is often a lot of untapped potential.
Effective CRO methods:
- A/B testing: Test different versions of calls to action and landing pages.
- Heatmap analysis: Understand how visitors use your website and where they drop off.
- Personalized landing pages: Use insights from ABM and SEO to create pages that match the needs of specific accounts.
A full-service online lead generation strategy
Why this approach works
ABM is always the foundation of a successful marketing strategy. Through targeted outreach, it not only provides a steady stream of leads, but also important insights into your target group. You then use this data to optimize SEO and CRO and gradually get more value from your marketing efforts.
- ABM (Top-Funnel): ABM is used to identify specific, valuable accounts and create awareness. Through targeted outreach and personalized campaigns, decision makers within those accounts are contacted.
- SEO (Mid-Funnel): SEO builds on the insights from ABM by optimizing content and increasing visibility. It focuses on strengthening the engagement of the target audience that has already shown interest, so that they can find more information and become further convinced.
- CRO (Bottom-Funnel): CRO closes the deal. This is the stage where visitors are converted into customers through landing pages, A/B testing, and personalized experiences that meet their needs. This is where behavior is converted into actions, such as a purchase or a contact request.
A look at the numbers
The image below shows how ABM, SEO, and CRO work together to create a sustainable lead flow. ABM, as a top-funnel strategy, ensures a steady flow of valuable leads through targeted outreach. Then build SEO and CRO continue on this basis. SEO increases engagement by attracting more relevant visitors (mid-funnel) and ensures exponential growth in organic traffic. CRO then convert this growth into concrete actions and conversions, resulting in an exponential increase in valuable leads (bottom funnel).
As the graph shows, ABM remains consistent in generating leads, while SEO and CRO together drive exponential growth in lead generation. This approach highlights the power of an integrated strategy that leverages each layer of the funnel.
Conclusion
This full-service online strategy combines the power of ABM, SEO, and CRO to strengthen every aspect of your marketing. ABM provides direct insights and relationships, SEO increases your reach, and CRO ensures maximum conversions. Together, these strategies form a scalable approach that continues to improve and help your business grow.
Would you like to discover how this approach works for your organization? Contact Us and start with a strategy that really makes a difference.
