Six Common Mistakes People Make When Writing Landing Pages

Landing pages are often the first thing a visitor sees when entering your website, and it’s important to make sure the copy you present encourages them to stay on the site (and even go on to convert). See below some of the most common mistakes people make when writing a landing page for their domain.

How to optimise your landing pages

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when looking to optimise the content on your website’s landing pages:

They don’t think about it from an SEO perspective.
Google uses the content of your landing page in order to give context and decide which keywords to rank your website for. If you want to be appearing in searches for your chosen keywords, then you need to be including them in the copy of your landing page. Headings and page titles carry more weight in the algorithm for Google’s keyword ranking, so make sure these are clear, relevant and concise variants of your desired search terms.

…Or they think about it from too much of an SEO perspective.
Overusing your keywords in a page, simply to get Google to rank it more highly, is known as keyword stuffing. Not only can it be penalised by the search engine giant, but it also gives a poorer reading experience for your users, as your sentences won’t flow. Try and write as naturally as possible around topics that are relevant to your search terms, without including the same phrase over and over again.

They don’t write enough copy.
Your landing page should include all the necessary information that your customers need when considering a purchase. You need to give your audience enough information to persuade and drive them to a conversion. If you’re struggling to think of content, try writing a list of common FAQ’s related to your services, and then use each one of these for a heading to split up the content on your pages.

They don’t put any calls-to-action.
Your landing page should always provide your consumers with a call-to-action to drive them to the next stage. This can be a form, or a button, or even just instructions within the copy that links internally to the next stage. A call-to-action should give your audience a direct instruction with a sense of urgency, for example: ‘Book now’, ‘enquire today’, ‘start your journey here’ or ‘find out more today.’ The more call-to-actions on your page the better, as your audience may respond differently to alternative types of visual cues.

They don’t proofread the landing page.
Publishing a page immediately after writing leaves you open to including mistakes, or missing vital pieces of content. Try and get several members of your team to read through your draft, and hold off on publishing it until the next day to have fresh eyes going over the content. Make sure to test all the links too if you’ve included internal or external links in your copy.

They don’t have the user in mind.
When writing your landing page you should always keep your audience in mind and write from their perspective. Your industry may be highly technical and use specific terminology, but remember that many of your customers won’t understand this, or even search for your services using these terms. Write using simple and clear explanations to make sure your content is user-friendly and easily digestible. Choosing not to do this can put off potential customers and be a barrier to converting.

Need more help writing content for your landing pages? Get in touch today with our friendly team for help and advice on copywriting best practice for your website.