CRO (conversation rate optimization) is the process of optimizing sponsored ads, landing pages and website design for conversion rate to get a boost. It’s easily the most vital part of any pay-per-click (PPC) campaign. Done the right way, it will be a great help in turning traffic into leads and sales.

Although it is separate from traditional search engine optimization (SEO), as it focuses solely on maximizing the amount of traffic that converts into a sale or other conversion event, it is still essential to increasing a sales funnel and increasing a brand’s overall turnover.

Macro & Micro Conversions

Defining KPIs is easily the first step to a successful conversion optimization (CRO) campaign. CRO KPIs can be broadly divided into macro and micro goals, depending on the actions you want your users to take. 

Macro Goals 

These are broad, overarching goals (like getting the user to buy a product). Websites usually focus on optimizing these more than most, categorized like this:

  • Inquiry Conversions (Getting a telephone inquiry, contact form completion, etc)
  • Lead Acquisition Conversions (Application form completion, member sign up, etc)
  • Revenue-based Conversions – (Paid subscription sign up, order completion, etc)

They’re the main objective of any CRO campaign, but it should be noted that fixating on a single metric alone won’t immediately mean a successful endeavour. A user can take plenty of actions on your website that can be less important than macro conversions. However, they can still be helpful towards achieving the end goal.

Micro goals

These are more specific (like getting the user to sign up for a newsletter). Conversions usually fall under the following categories:

  • Engagement-based conversions (Number of page views, time spent on the site over a certain amount, frequency of visiting above target, etc)
  • Interaction-based conversions (Watching a promotional video, signing up for an email newsletter, adding a product to a cart, requesting a call back, etc)
  • Navigation-based conversions (Viewing a product or service page, entering the checkout process, etc)

These are basically the customer journey’s stages, which eventually lead to a transaction’s macro conversion.

CRO and UX Are Not the Same

CRO is a term often used interchangeably with UX (an acronym for the user experience). However, they are not the same in terms of disciplines. Successful UX design meant for the user’s experience on the website to improve. That way, they go on a journey that’s enjoyable, seamless and intuitive. In order to do this, these sites need to make calls to action obvious, attractive, and easy to complete.

CRO is Vital For Google Ads

Raising your Google Ads Quality Score by using CRO techniques on your search ads also lowers the cost per click (CPC) you pay to get the same number of clicks. This increases spend efficiency, allowing you to spend the same amount of money for more clicks.

Conclusion

Conversion rate optimization or CRO is the most important aspect of PPC advertising. It’s akin to the next level or next step after SEO is established. It should be noted, however, that CRO is not the same as UX.

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