About This Episode
As a business leader, you’ve probably had a moment where you’ve thought, “We need better SEO.” It’s a common thought, especially when your competitors seem to be everywhere online, but you’re struggling to get the right leads. Even if your business is doing pretty well, you can’t quite seem to crack the code on “SEO” and this frustration is amplified. You want more leads, better quality leads, and the big players in your industry seem to dominate search results and drive up your costs.
But let’s stop for a moment and rethink this idea of “needing better SEO.” Do you even know what SEO really means or what it will actually do for your business? This is exactly what Alex Winter and Connor DeLaney tackled in the latest episode of Endless Customers, and if you’ve ever thought SEO was the cure to your lead-generation woes, it’s time to think again.
The Real Problem
Alex kicked off the episode by hitting a major misconception head-on. Most business owners throw around the term SEO without fully understanding what it entails—or what it can actually accomplish.
“I think there’s a misconception here,” Alex said. “People believe SEO will automatically bring in more leads, but it’s not that simple.”
Let’s break it down. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) isn’t a magic switch you flip to suddenly flood your website with high-quality leads. It’s a tool, yes, but like any tool, it only works as well as the overall system in which it operates.
When you say “I need better SEO,” what you’re really saying is “I need better leads.” And SEO might be one part of the equation, but it’s not the whole solution.
What Does SEO Really Mean?
Connor echoed a sentiment that often gets overlooked in business conversations:
“SEO means so much, and yet nothing, at the same time.”
It’s true. SEO is a broad term that can include everything from keyword optimization to backlinks, mobile-friendliness, and even site speed. But when a business owner says they need better SEO, they’re often referring to wanting more visibility in search results and, ultimately, more clicks.
That’s a start. But clicks don’t pay the bills—customers do. And not every click leads to a qualified customer.
For example, if a potential customer searches “in-ground pools,” they’ll get a variety of results. But if they narrow that search to “best in-ground pools in Mystic, CT,” they’re much more likely to land on a website that can actually help them. SEO can get people to your website, but it’s conversion rate optimization (CRO) that helps them take the next step—whether that’s scheduling a call or buying a product.
So, SEO isn’t just about being found. It’s about being found by the right people, and that’s where many businesses go wrong.
Focusing on Conversion, Not Just Traffic
What most businesses miss is the fact that SEO is just the beginning of the journey. Connor shared that SEO should primarily be focused on getting people from search engines to your website. But once they arrive, what happens next?
“If your website looks like crap and doesn’t tell people where to go, no one’s going to take action on it,” Connor pointed out.
And that’s where Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) becomes crucial. CRO is about guiding the visitor through the next steps—whether that’s scheduling a demo, filling out a form, or purchasing a product. Too many companies stop at SEO, thinking their job is done once traffic lands on their website. The truth is, that’s when the real work begins.
Connor highlighted a real-world example: “A team I worked with was getting 80-100 leads a month, but 60 of them were not a good fit for their business. They were spending time disqualifying people rather than selling to qualified leads.”
It’s a fundamental shift in thinking. Rather than focusing solely on SEO to bring in more leads, think about optimizing the leads you already have. Quality over quantity. And that’s what CRO does—it turns visitors into customers, not just clicks.
What Guiding the Customer Journey and Converting Looks Like
So, what does this look like in practice?
Your website should have clear calls to action (CTAs). Connor explained that you need to give visitors two choices: a primary CTA and a secondary CTA.
The primary CTA is the business driver: schedule a call, book a consultation, or start a free trial. It’s the action you want the visitor to take if they’re ready to engage with your business directly.
But not everyone who visits your site is ready for that step, and that’s where the secondary CTA comes in. These CTAs are more about nurturing leads who aren’t quite ready to talk to someone yet but still want to learn more. Things like download our guide or try our pricing calculator are examples of secondary CTAs that keep people engaged with your brand, even if they aren’t ready to buy.
Stop Wasting Time on Low-Quality Leads
Another common mistake businesses make is thinking that more leads are always better. The reality? Sometimes, more leads just mean more wasted time.
Connor illustrated this with a baseball analogy. He compared leads to getting to first base in a baseball game. In an ideal world, you want as many leads as possible to make it to second, third, and eventually home (aka closing the sale). But in reality, not all leads are worth bringing to first base.
“I’d rather have 40 good-fit leads that go from first to home, rather than 80 that don’t get past first,” Connor said.
This is where CRO can make all the difference. It helps you filter out low-quality leads before they even hit your sales team, freeing up time to focus on the ones that are most likely to convert.
It’s About the Entire Journey, Not Just the Start
At the end of the day, SEO is just the first step in a larger customer journey. Yes, it’s important to be found online, but what really matters is what happens after someone clicks on your link. If your website doesn’t clearly guide visitors, provide value, and move them toward a decision, all the SEO in the world won’t help you.
Connor summarized it perfectly: “You control your website—you can’t control search algorithms. If you want to maximize your business’s success, focus on optimizing the experience once visitors land on your site.”
So, do you need better SEO? Maybe. But before you invest more time and money into optimizing search rankings, ask yourself this: Is my website converting the traffic I already have?
If the answer is no, you might have a conversion problem, not an SEO problem.
Connect with Connor
Connor Delaney is a Lead Sales Consultant at IMPACT who helps businesses understand how they can create the growth they have always dreamed of.
Learn more about Connor
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Keep Learning
Watch: Four Essential Elements of a High-Converting Website
Learn: Attract Better Leads: What You’re Doing Wrong and How to Fix It
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