SEO for Revenue Workshop | Content Marketing World | October 2024

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At Content Marketing World 2024, Dale Bertrand, founder of Fire&Spark, shared a surprising story: our agency turned down a half-million-dollar web project for a mortgage company. 

The reason? Their proposed strategy was out of sync with the future of search. 

The project would have focused on building a library of educational content, even though this content doesn’t attract ready-to-convert users. While informational blog content was an SEO strategy staple years ago, recent changes to search are forcing companies to go beyond this particular content tactic.

Today, generative AI and tools like Google’s AI Overviews are rewriting the rules of content marketing. Users are no longer sifting through long articles to find information—they’re looking for direct answers to their specific questions. 

During Dale’s session, he unpacked why old-school SEO content no longer works and explored what businesses should do to stay ahead in this new era of search.

The Future of SEO in the Age of Generative AI

While the mortgage company’s goal of creating an educational content hub sounds impressive, it ignored two critical considerations:

1. They overlooked conversion metrics: The company’s goals were entirely around traffic and visibility. However, informational traffic converts at a much lower rate, meaning the educational hub may attract visitors without demonstrating tangible business growth.

2. They were not accounting for the future of search. Generative AI search tools are changing how users consume information. SEO strategies must adapt to the reality that more users are turning to generative AI for answers, reducing their reliance on websites. By only focusing on top-funnel traffic, the company was investing in a traffic segment that could soon become obsolete.

While educational content still has its place in an SEO content strategy, it is no longer enough to drive meaningful results. Businesses that do not adapt risk creating content that does not align with search trends and fails to drive meaningful conversions. 

Dale’s talk emphasized how tools like Google’s AI Overviews drive these shifting search trends. These tools allow users to ask specific, nuanced questions and receive answers directly in the search results. This creates a whole new search experience, one that’s more similar to asking a friend or expert for advice than typing a generic query into a search bar.

Here’s what it means for businesses:

• Awareness-stage users rely on Google more than websites. Instead of browsing multiple sites, users get initial answers directly from search results.
• Web traffic is becoming more qualified. By the time users click through to a website, they’ve often already been pre-educated by AI-generated summaries or overviews. This means the traffic businesses do receive is higher quality and more likely to convert.
• AI Overview traffic is additive. Despite many marketers’ fears, AI Overviews don’t necessarily decrease website traffic. Instead, they create new opportunities for additive traffic—helping users find precise answers to questions that might not have been well-served in traditional search results.

The big takeaway? Businesses must shift their focus away from informational traffic and rankings and toward driving meaningful conversions and engagement.

Adapt to Search Changes With SEO for Revenue 

The mortgage company’s outdated strategy underscores a broader issue: many businesses are still optimizing for metrics like keyword rankings and traffic volume instead of aligning SEO with user intent and valuable business outcomes. 

A revenue-focused SEO approach emphasizes customer acquisition over traffic volume, measuring success through conversions and sales. This shift helps attract more high-intent customers by creating content that addresses their needs rather than simply targeting high search volume keywords.

To implement a successful SEO for Revenue strategy, Dale recommends the following 4 steps:

1. Ask Smarter Questions

To craft a revenue-focused SEO strategy, marketers must shift their focus away from rankings and traffic. This shift requires asking different questions when building an SEO strategy.

Old SEO questions: What are the highest-volume keywords? How will we track rankings? Is organic traffic increasing?

New SEO questions: What questions do our best customers ask? What are the highest-intent searches? How will we track organic revenue?

2. Fix Keyword Research with Intent-Driven Prioritization

Keyword research must evolve to focus on search intent rather than search volume. Dale emphasized the importance of understanding what users are really looking for and tailoring content accordingly. This involves:

• Identifying search intents: Are your users looking for general information, comparing options, or ready to make a purchase? Identify 5-10 actionable search intents of your best customers by conducting thorough customer research.
• Filtering keywords by intent: Prioritize keywords aligned with your target search intents. 
• Choosing the right content formats: Determine the most effective content formats to meet your target search intents. For example, a user comparing mortgage rates may prefer an interactive tool or a comparison chart over a long-form blog post.

This intent-driven approach ensures that your content resonates with users and guides them toward conversion.

3. Focus on Mid-Funnel Content

Dale highlighted the importance of moving beyond broad, top-of-funnel educational content. Instead, businesses should prioritize mid-funnel content that targets users with higher conversion intent. Examples include:

• Data-driven comparisons: Provide factual comparison data to help users weigh the pros and cons of different options.

• Niche buying guides: Provide tailored advice for specific user needs.

• Interactive tools: Enable users to calculate costs or compare features.

• Videos: Engage users with visual explanations and walkthroughs.

For the mortgage company, this could mean tools for estimating monthly payments, video tutorials on loan options, or side-by-side comparisons of mortgage products. These resources not only educate but also nudge users closer to taking action.

4. Align CTAs With Search Intent

A common mistake Dale discussed is using mismatched calls-to-action (CTAs). For example, asking a user in the research phase to “Apply Now” is likely to deter them. Instead, businesses should tailor CTAs to match where the user is in their journey:

• Awareness stage: Offer free guides or email subscriptions.
• Consideration stage: Provide tools like calculators or detailed comparisons.
• Decision stage: Use strong CTAs like “Get a Quote” or “Schedule a Consultation.”

This alignment addresses users’ needs and boosts the likelihood of conversions.

Conclusion

At Content Marketing World 2024, Dale’s session made it clear: businesses can’t afford to rely on outdated SEO strategies. Generative AI and AI Overviews are transforming how users find and interact with content, and businesses must adapt to stay competitive.

The path forward involves:

1. Shifting focus from rankings to revenue.
2. Redefining keyword research around user intent.
3. Prioritizing mid-funnel content with higher conversion potential.
4. Aligning CTAs with the user journey.

For businesses like the mortgage company—and any organization looking to future-proof its strategy—this new approach ensures that SEO efforts drive real business outcomes in an ever-evolving search landscape.

Let Fire&Spark help you adapt to evolving search trends…

1. Schedule an SEO strategy session: Talk to a strategist at Fire&Spark about your organic customer acquisition campaigns and how to optimize for search intent, rather than keywords. Schedule a strategy session.

Dive deeper into our SEO for Revenue methodology: Fire&Spark’s SEO for Revenue Guide explains how to update your SEO strategies to optimize for sales and conversions, not just rankings and traffic. This mindset shift is crucial for adapting to changing search trends. Download the free guide.