Search Engine Optimisation and Conversion Rate Optimisation are two distinctive tools/strategies that shape how a website performs. They are visibly different and independent, however, they work towards a common goal, and if you apply them in the right configuration, these two elements can drive each other, generating benefits for your company. Nonetheless, if they are not applied correctly, they can also inhibit each other. Learn how those two aspects of web optimisation work independently and as a collective, and what drives them.

SEO is the method of optimising a website to improve content and match the factors of search engine algorithms. Its work focuses, among other things, on improving organic traffic and the visibility of the page in search results. The main SEO tools are then for example keywords or meta tags.

CRO, on the other hand, are processes that focus more on UX design, web performance (like Web Vitals Metrics) and A/B testing to increase conversion rates. This is done by testing different solutions on the website and observing user engagement performance. In a nutshell, CRO strategies are used to find effective ways to convince a hesitant users to take an action.

So imagine you’re launching a new advertising campaign designed to attract potential customers to your product or service. Relying only on catchy social media headlines won’t necessarily translate into conversions—unless you happen to go viral. By ignoring SEO you will reduce your organic traffic and limit your reach to what could otherwise be a much larger audience.

But even if the right customer finds your landing page, that doesn’t guarantee a purchase. In fact, we’ve observed many cases where usability tests revealed that visitors weren’t even sure how to complete the buying process. This is exactly where Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) makes a difference. Clear calls-to-action, intuitive navigation, and well-designed interfaces can significantly improve how users interact with your site and, ultimately, increase sales.

To better illustrate how aligning SEO with CRO drives stronger business results, let’s explore a few other examples.

Lead generation

The process of generating leads is a set of strategies based on encouraging and engaging users and thus creating a bond with them. In this situation, SEO and CRO become key elements that drive the building of this relationship. They contribute to the creation of lead magnets such as targeted popups or a high-quality landing page, in which SEO is supposed to attract the user's attention through its content and CRO is supposed to lead the user to take action. The collaboration built in this way is expected to lead to increased conversions and brand awareness.

Brand awareness

CRO and SEO strategies also work simultaneously to build awareness of your brand. This is done by creating a brand image and positioning with consistency achieved with the right tone of voice and a focus on messaging revolving around strategically chosen topics and keywords. Over time, these strategies will help you build a loyal base of returning visitors who already understand and trust your message, while Google and other search engines will learn to position your content in front of exactly the right audience.

Optimising website

Website optimisation covers a wide range of practices designed to improve engagement and elevate the overall user experience.

Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) focuses on increasing the percentage of visitors who take desired actions. This can be achieved by refining storytelling, enhancing usability, streamlining checkout processes, and integrating effective calls-to-action (CTAs). A well-known example comes from Jared Spool’s e-commerce case study, where a simple form redesign—replacing a “register” button with “continue” and adding supportive messaging—led to a 45% jump in sales, generating an additional $300 million in revenue.

To successfully merge SEO with CRO, the priority is to understand what truly engages users through methods such as user testing, heatmaps, and traffic analysis. This alignment creates a cycle where organic visibility attracts the right visitors and a well-optimised journey converts them into customers. With this foundation, we can now move on to explore more concrete strategies for improving both SEO and CRO.

Working together

When combining CRO and SEO strategies, it is important that their objectives are also linked: improvements in one area can directly enhance—or, if handled poorly, undermine—the other. You should base this cooperation on simultaneous success through the completion of different tasks. In addition, when solving a problem, it is important to ensure that the improvements you make to one strategy do not hamper the work of the other.

Effective partnership means not just performing parallel tasks, but continuously sharing findings and adjusting approaches. For instance, SEO analysis may reveal high-value keywords, shaping the content focus for landing pages, while CRO testing can uncover usability barriers, informing future page updates. Establishing a shared dashboard for KPIs, conducting regular joint review meetings, and documenting all site changes can help ensure synergy and avoid conflicts.

How to tie it together: A/B Testing

77% of companies that run regular SEO tests experience major growth in their organic conversion. Testing is a beneficial practice both in the context of SEO and CRO strategies. While for SEO, testing may concern various types of website content, in the case of CRO, elements such as CTA buttons or even site navigation are tested. However, you should be careful when conducting tests. The option that seems more beneficial for CRO efforts will not always have a positive impact on achieving SEO goals. Therefore, it is extremely important to monitor changes in both of these areas simultaneously.

A/B testing empowers marketers to both optimise for SEO rankings and conversion performance by making evidence-based tweaks that satisfy search engines and users, ensuring more traffic converts into revenue.

The integration of SEO and CRO represents a fundamental shift from viewing these as separate marketing functions to recognising them as complementary strategies that amplify each other's effectiveness. Teams adopting this mindset consistently outperform those with siloed operations, achieving sustainable growth through holistic optimisation.

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