Where is the first step of your website’s conversion/buy now process? There are several answers:

• The Ad that brings visitors to my site
• The landing page
• The squeeze page
• The buy now button/page
• Off site articles
• Inbound links
• The search engine results
The last answer is the one that I focus on when doing keyword research, but few SEO professionals explain the importance of the search page. The search page plays a different roll depending on the different search engines. Google sends the most traffic, but the conversion rates are lower. Inktomi and looksmart deliver good conversion rates. Some SEO professionals see as high as 50% better results from Inktomi than Google.

There could be a few factors involved, but let’s look at the search page itself. The search page can be manipulated to perform. The biggest problem with Google is that it is often misleading. It produces searches that favor paid advertisers, no matter what Google says.

Example: The surfer is looking for information on repairing chipped paint on your car, and the first two pages are companies selling paint repair kits. MSN on the other hand will provide a few dozen websites that discuss how to fix the paint, and then they will sell the product.

The Secret To Success On Google Could Be In The Title

The #1 aspect of the title should be to attract potential clients/buyers. Search engines should come second. Look at the following titles and question which ones you would click.

• Mike’s Paint Repair Kit: How To Fix A Scratch For Under $20
• Fix A Paint Scratch With Products In Your Home: Advice From Mike’s Repair Kit
• Learn How To Fix Paint Scratches In 10 Minutes.
• ABC Auto Repair Company
• XXX paint repair product

Strengthen Your Sales by Solving Problems

Stop selling. I don’t know how many times’ I’ve seen this word of advice on the net. No one cares about you, your business, or your product. All they care about is their problem, what they need, and what they want. Offer to help them solve problems, on the search page, and you’ll see a dramatic increase in the click through ratios.
This way you can be among your competitors’ and build credibility (by association) but at the same time, solve a client’s problem. Doing this starts the conversion process on the search page. Ask for the sale before clients reach your website. Ask them to take affirmative action on the search page and click to your website.