Traffic vs. Conversions: Which SEO Metric Should You Prioritize?

So, you’re a marketing professional or a business owner looking to tap your website’s hidden potential through SEO. You have invested significant time and resources in your SEO strategies and campaigns altogether. But the results haven’t lived up to your expectations. 

• Your visitors leave without taking any meaningful action.
• Your conversion rates remain stagnant despite the high traffic volume.
• You may wonder: Is traffic really the metric to prioritize, or should you shift your focus to conversions?

This is a dilemma that every marketer faces. The focus just keeps wobbling, and intrusive thoughts take over one’s decision-making ability. 

While traffic brings visibility and viewers for potential purchasing opportunities, conversion measures if those purchasing opportunities have succeeded, directly impacting revenue. 

Deciding which metric comes first can make or break your search engine optimization plan.

So, if you’re ready to find an end to the debate of traffic vs conversions, here is the Table of Contents we will go through. 

Here’s what we’ll explore:

• What are traffic and conversions in SEO?
• The role of traffic in SEO success.
• The significance of conversions in driving business outcomes.
• Factors to consider when prioritizing SEO metrics.
• A balanced approach to integrating traffic and conversions. 

By the end of this blog, you’ll clearly understand how to strike the right balance between traffic and conversions to maximize your SEO performance. So, let’s dive right in and make an informed decision. 

Use cases of traffic and conversions to boost your website’s SEO 

Traffic and conversions are two sides of the same coin. They complement each other. It’s hard to pick one out of the two to build your website’s SEO success. 

What do we call traffic? 

Website traffic is the number of visitors who come to your site. , which gets directly into the heart of your digital presence. This data clearly indicates how many people stop by your website pages. They may be interested in your service, product, or content. 

Here are the types of website traffic you should be aware of: 

• Organic traffic: where users find your website through search engines without clicking on ads. 
• Direct traffic: where users find you by typing your website’s URL into their browser. 
• Referral traffic: where users land on your website by clicking on a link on another website. 
• Paid traffic: which is generated from advertisements such as Google Ads or social media campaigns. 

But how will you measure traffic? 

Well, there are three key metrics to it – 

• Sessions: The total number of visits to your website, including visits from repeat users. 
• Users: The total number of unique visitors to your website. 
• Pageviews: The total number of web pages the users visit on your website. 

What qualifies as a conversion in SEO? 

Conversions are actions taken by visitors on your website that align with your business objectives. In SEO, a conversion occurs when a user completes a desired action. Conversions are a direct indicator of how effectively your website meets its goals. 

Here are some examples of conversions in SEO. 

• Purchases that lead to transactions. 
• Sign-ups to newsletters, trials, account creation, etc. 
• Downloading an ebook, guide, or an app. 

While traffic measures interest, conversions measure results. 

What role does Traffic play in your SEO success? 

Here is what quality traffic brings to the table. 

• It drives visibility and brand awareness. More traffic means more opportunities for engagement and building a loyal customer base. 
• Traffic leads to conversions. You can nurture your leads through targeted content, offers, and CTAs. 
• Traffic sets the benchmark for SEO performance. By learning how users find your website, you can determine which pages perform best and whether your strategies are effective. 

But that raises another important question: how will you learn that you have quality traffic? 

Here are the metrics you should track. 

• Bounce rate 
• Average session duration 
• Pages visited per session. 

Now, let’s talk about how conversions help in your website’s SEO. 

What is the role of conversions in SEO? 

The truth is: It doesn’t matter how good you are. It doesn’t matter how many people show up at your door. It doesn’t matter how many people appreciate you. If they don’t buy from you, you will always be left with second thoughts of not being good enough. 

Similarly, the crux of a successful business is in transactions. The final stage where a customer pays you for your services or products, subscribes to your newsletter, downloads your ebook, and more. That’s when you know that it was all worth it. The action speaks louder than words, eh? Yes. 

It’s true that the traffic that arrives on your website is the one that converts. It’s like picking the good vegetables out of a bunch. However, the rate of conversion according to industry best standards is anywhere between 3-4%. So, the picking gets tougher when there are too many random veggies with the vendor. Implying you need to find the right audience. One that is actually looking for your products or services. 

So, bringing traffic to your website requires a different approach. And converting them into loyal customers requires a different one as well. 

So what is with conversions and ROI, you may ask? 

Let me clarify: Conversions are critical for evaluating ROI. Your website directly affects revenue generation by converting visitors into paying customers or qualified leads. Higher conversion rates equate to a greater return on investment in your SEO efforts, ensuring that every dollar spent on traffic leads to measurable results. 

As I said above, to add to that example, if you convert 4% of your website traffic instead of the previous 2%, you will double your revenue without worrying about traffic. So, optimizing your conversions is a cost-effective strategy that only asks for your efforts. 

But then again, how will you optimize your conversions? 

Here are three quick and easy ways to boost your conversion rates. 

1. Learn about your user’s intent and play around with CTAs accordingly. When users find exactly what they are looking for, they are more likely to stick to that specific website, and eventually, conversions will be blissful. 
2. Ensure that your landing pages are well-optimized. You need to keep it visually appealing and easy to communicate. Also, write clear and concise copy with encouraging CTAs. 
3. Make the best use of the right optimization tools like Google Analytics for metrics, Hotjar for heatmaps and session recordings, Optimizely for A/B testing, and more. 

Now, let’s discuss how we can strike a chord between traffic and conversions. 

A balanced approach: Integrating traffic and conversions 

Here are a few ways through which you can create a balance by driving high-quality traffic and optimizing your website for more conversions. 

Traffic	Conversions
Traffic is the foundation for conversions.	Conversions define the success rate of your efforts.
Not all traffic is created equal. High-quality traffic is the one genuinely interested in what you offer.	Quality traffic leads to more conversions.
Traffic optimization involves strategies like long-tail keywords, local SEO, and content marketing.	Conversion optimization involves elements like landing pages, user experience, and A/B testing.
To attract quality traffic, you must target niche audiences with	To attract traffic that converts, you must focus on personalization and targeting buyer personas.

Actionable tips to optimize both traffic and conversions 

Here are a few pro tips that will help you optimize both traffic and conversions and strike a balance. 

• Create compelling content and optimize it to balance visibility and gain engagement. 
• Improve your website’s speed and functionality to enhance traffic and retention. 
• Use data-driven analytics to identify any gaps and opportunities that might help you in both metrics. 

Wrapping up 

Traffic and conversions are not competing priorities—they complement each other. High-quality traffic lays the groundwork for conversions, while conversion optimization ensures you make the most of your traffic. 

Treat traffic and conversions as part of a holistic strategy. Use analytics to evaluate your performance regularly and adapt your approach to evolving audience needs. Time to create your action plan. 

Here are some more reads that will help you be more informed if you’d like to consider. 

Related articles you may find useful 

The Strategic Shift: Why Revenue Should Be Considered as a Secondary KPI for Your SEO Campaign 

The Ultimate Guide to SEO KPIs with Mavlers