How to tweak your b-to-b lead generation site to get more (qualified) Google traffic

73% of clicks on Google search results are on the organic (non-paid) listings. That doesn't mean your paid AdWords ads aren't worth running (unless your campaign metrics are tanking.)

It does mean if your site doesn't turn up in organic listings, you're missing a large chunk of traffic. Key tips from the Summit:

* Optimize your site for "problem terms" instead of just solutions. Business execs tend to search using their pain point or problem they need solved in the search terms. Marketers tend to optimize based on the solution they offer. The disconnect means they won't find each other.
* Never waste a text hotlink either on your site or on others linking to you by using generic copywriting such as "Read on," "Home", or "Click here." Search spiders read the words in links to decide how to rank your site. So those words should include the terms you want to be found under.
* If you have lots of sites linking to yours -- such as value-added resellers, independent sales reps, other divisions, etc -- don't just give them a graphical link such as your logo. Ask them to include a text-link including your top search keyword. It's far, far more valuable.
* If a page on your site has an URL that's longer than 60 characters, it's highly unlikely to ever show up in search engine results. Plus, use keywords in your page URLs instead of numbers or other gobbledegook that means a lot to your Web department but not to a search engine spider looking for search terms to rank the page under.
* Post a static HTML Web page for each of your area sales reps. This works especially well if you have loads of them. Your main site gets link back from the reps' pages, and the reps may get email from qualified prospects.

And be sure to include a happy headshot of that rep on the page. Research data presented at the Summit from print ads, email newsletters, and Web designers, all showed that a photo of a real (non-clip-arty) human being looking at the viewer works best as creative.

Lastly, when it comes to paid search, you'll need to consider two things to improve your landing page conversion rates beyond the standard 6%:

* Programming your landing page headlines to include the search term the visitor just came from is fairly quick and easy (one speaker said less than $500.) Headlines that include exact search terms convert far better than anything else -- so why aren't you doing this now?
* Consider creating different landing pages (and offers) for search terms at each stage of the sales cycle. Someone searching for cost data on financial software is at a very different stage than someone searching for "Sarbanes Oxley Info".

These are just a few of the best tips we garnered at the Summit. (Summing up two full days of intensive seminars is tough.) We'd like to leave you with this one quote, again from Mac MacIntosh, "If your sales leads are truly good, sales will follow up."
Guaranteed.