Hiding Content Behind Registration Barriers
November 9, 2006
As SEO providers, sometimes we have to fight to convince clients to do what's best for their site in the search engines. One example comes to mind - bringing good content out from behind registration barriers.
Marketers often have a lot of fantastic site content developed over time. But when a prospect must register to access it, the search engine spiders can't access it either. Interestingly, fewer of your prospects are accessing it, too. In fact, about 94% of people who encounter a registration form in order to access content will leave and turn to a site where they can access the information they need more easily.
We understand that the contact information of those leads who do take the time to register is like gold. They've raised their hands, effectively saying, "I'm interested in your product". But what if you could hear from more of those 94% who are currently leaving your site when they encounter the registration form? It requires giving the control back to the customer. They keep their information private and decide when to contact you. And they like that.
Here's an example to think about. In the real estate industry, if you've ever searched for a realtor, you'll no doubt come across many sites with generic prepurchased content that sounds fantastic. But when you click through you get a form. They may offer you great incentives to fill out that form, like a book or other premium. But you want to just read that article, right then.
We have developed an approach where all the content is open to those who find it. The search engines love it. And so do the clients. Just imagine, which realtor would you want to contact, the one who offers tons of valuable advice right upfront, or the one that wants you to trust them with your contact information before giving you an inclination of their expertise?
Here's an example of our real estate knowledge center in action.
And, by the way, it's possible to make more information accessible without giving away everything. You can develop content such as FAQs and more in-depth resource descriptions, start a blog, archive your newsletters...
Marketers often have a lot of fantastic site content developed over time. But when a prospect must register to access it, the search engine spiders can't access it either. Interestingly, fewer of your prospects are accessing it, too. In fact, about 94% of people who encounter a registration form in order to access content will leave and turn to a site where they can access the information they need more easily.
We understand that the contact information of those leads who do take the time to register is like gold. They've raised their hands, effectively saying, "I'm interested in your product". But what if you could hear from more of those 94% who are currently leaving your site when they encounter the registration form? It requires giving the control back to the customer. They keep their information private and decide when to contact you. And they like that.
Here's an example to think about. In the real estate industry, if you've ever searched for a realtor, you'll no doubt come across many sites with generic prepurchased content that sounds fantastic. But when you click through you get a form. They may offer you great incentives to fill out that form, like a book or other premium. But you want to just read that article, right then.
We have developed an approach where all the content is open to those who find it. The search engines love it. And so do the clients. Just imagine, which realtor would you want to contact, the one who offers tons of valuable advice right upfront, or the one that wants you to trust them with your contact information before giving you an inclination of their expertise?
Here's an example of our real estate knowledge center in action.
And, by the way, it's possible to make more information accessible without giving away everything. You can develop content such as FAQs and more in-depth resource descriptions, start a blog, archive your newsletters...
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