Calculated Copywriting: Leveraging analytics data to optimize content

Battle-tested optimization experts know that while you can test many elements of a landing page, the most influential areas are usually content related with the headline, value proposition and call to action.

Writing for optimized experiences can be a daunting task. The copy needs to be short and sweet but also contain enough that it helps overcome any anxiety a visitor might have. The ultimate goal of copy writing for testing is to increase clarity and provide clear actions that align to visitor intent.

The best way to accomplish this is to really listen to the site visitors. Sometimes an analyst might have access to industry reports or user research, which can be incredibly useful. But the analyst can start by looking at the web analytics for the answers.

I have found that by looking at organic search terms, on-site search, and the most engaging content of a site, I can tell a lot about what the visitor expects. Remember that the next step for the visitor is not necessarily the next step in the salesfunnel.

Let’s look at an example. Suppose we have a B2B site where the primary goal is lead generation. The business wants visitors to request a quote, so the call-to-action button reads “Request a Free Quote”. That simple copy seems like the obvious answer, so how can we optimize that?

If we look at the analytics and find that a large percentage of the visitors who convert on this experience do an on-site search for “rates” or visit the Rates page first, this tells us that before a visitor is comfortable requesting a quote, he or she wants to know what the rates are. In this example, this could lead to a test of new CTA copy that reads “Unbeatable Rates”.

The Day2 team recently ran a test where we increase the lead conversion rate by over 200% by simply looking to the analytics and letting the visitor data guide our pen.

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