By MyMemo with SEO HOBBY EXPERT AI Knowledge Team

Introduction

Landing pages do a lot in digital marketing. They are the place where clicks turn to sales. People who are interested here do something next. This is also where the money you spend can bring you results, or not.

But here is the problem. Most landing pages are made for paid ads. They do not work well for people who come from Google search. These pages can help you get sales from ads. But they do not help much for getting free traffic from Google. So, you are paying for each person who visits your site. You do not get any people for free, over time. Learn more about balancing paid and organic search strategies for your landing pages.

I sat down with a skilled SEO expert and AI adviser to talk about how to fix this issue. During our talk, we went over many things. We talked about what people search for and the details of technical SEO. We also spoke about picking the best words for search and how to help people take action on a page. We did all this to solve one big challenge: how to help landing pages show up better in search, but still keep them good at getting people to do what you want on the page.

Here is that talk. It has been edited to make it more clear and easy to read.

Part One: The Fundamental Problem

Interviewer: Let's look at the main reason. Why do many landing pages not do well with SEO?

The short answer is that these pages were not made for organic search. Most landing pages are set up for paid ads. They expect that you already know the brand and the offer. The job of these pages is to make it easy for people to act on the offer.

That works for PPC. It doesn't work for Google.

When people see your page in search results, it might be the first time they see your brand. They want to know more about you. They need to feel sure about what you do. You have to help them see why they should care before they fill out a form or press a button.

A PPC landing page can feel harsh to people who visit. It tells them to "convert now" before it earns their trust. And Google takes note of this. The search tool checks if your page really answers what people want. A simple sales page with no real information will not rank well against pages that do offer good answers.

Interviewer: So, adding more keywords is not the only way to fix it?

Expert: No, that is not right. The key is to know what the person wants. You cannot work on a landing page for SEO the same way you treat a blog post. You cannot only add to the word count and hope it will go higher in search. You need to shape the page with what people are looking for.

Part Two: Search Intent Is Everything

Interviewer: Let's talk about intent. How do you find out what someone wants when they search?

Expert: First, look at the SERP. Type the keyword that you want to focus on in the search bar. Then, see what type of pages show up on top. Are they product pages? Are there guides that show differences between things? Are there list posts or how-to articles?

If the top results are all pages that show several choices and your page is just trying to sell, you will have a hard time. People looking for something want to look at different options and not just get someone trying to sell. Your page should fit what they want.

Interviewer: Can you give me a concrete example?

Expert: Sure. Let's say you are selling CRM software made for real estate agents. If you go for "best CRM for real estate agents," the top results will be about articles that compare several options. Your product page will not show up at the top unless you add real things people look for. That means you have to talk about features, pricing, what is good, and what is not about it.

If you use "book real estate CRM demo," the goal is to get people to do something. The person is set to act. A simple page with a clear button or link is what they like.

The mistake people make is going after the big keyword just because there is more traffic. Then they write a page that talks only to someone who is already sure about what they want. In the end, the page does not help anyone.

Interviewer: So, are you saying it's good to use smaller and more focused keywords?

Expert: Many times, yes. I would like to rank for a smaller commercial search where people buy, than go after a bigger search just for info with a page that does not feel right. The rate at which people buy means more than how much traffic you get.

Part Three: The Keyword Research Process

I start by getting to know the goal of the landing page. After that, I look at what the page offers and the main topic. Then I use tools like Google Keyword Planner and SEMrush to find the best keywords. I pick words that get a lot of searches, are easy to rank for, and that fit the page. I also look at what words the top pages use. I make a list of the main words and short words people use. Next, I put these words in the text on the page in a way that sounds natural. At the end, I read through it to make sure the page still makes sense and that it helps people find what they want.

SEO Expert: It starts with the product or what you sell. What problem does it fix? Who is it made for? What might someone write in Google when they look for that answer?

I then look for words that show someone wants to do business. There are some types:

Transactional keywords — "book consultation," "buy software," "get quote"
Commercial keywords — "best payroll software for startups," "vs other"
Local keywords — "emergency plumber in Austin"
Template or tool keywords — "landing page generator"

These work well for landing pages. This is because the person looking for them is ready to act.

Informational keywords like "what is landing page SEO" can be harder to use. They can be good if there is enough info on your page. But, most of the time, these work best in a guide or a blog post. Explore our detailed guide on keyword research for landing pages.

Interviewer: What about tools? How do you use them?

Expert: Tools help me spot patterns. I use keyword research tools to group keywords by what people want. These tools also help me find words I may not see at first. But I do not let the tool decide how I write the page. The last call comes from me. I look at the SERP and think about the goal for getting people to take action.

Interviewer: After you get the keyword, how do you connect it to the page?

Expert: The title tag must be clear and easy to click on. The H1 has to match what the page promises. The URL must be short and simple to read. The introduction should show that the page fits the search. Supporting sections should answer the doubts that keep people from taking action.

Secondary keywords help only when they make the page easier to read. If they make you add things that do not fit, leave them out. A simple page is always better than filling it with too many keywords.

Part Four: Structuring the Page for Both SEO and CRO

Interviewer: This can be hard. You have to balance SEO and make sure people want to buy or take action. How do you set up a page that handles both?

Expert: The cleanest structure I've found is:

Hero section — promise, audience, proof, CTA
Credibility block — logos, ratings, testimonials, customer counts
Problem and outcome — what the visitor is trying to solve
Offer details — what they get, how it works, who it's for
Objections — pricing, timing, differences, risk, requirements
Supporting SEO content — examples, use cases, process, FAQs
Final CTA — same action, now backed by enough context

The key thing is to keep the CTA high up on the page. You do not want it to be lost under SEO content. The promise and the action should go near the top. You can add more detailed sections under those.

Interviewer: So the SEO content is found below the fold?

Expert: Most of the time, yes. The hero and the CTA need to be seen right away. After that, the extra content tells people the answers to where, what, or how, in case they want to take action.

The best landing pages do not use long paragraphs just for SEO. They give the right information someone needs to buy. That could be a use-case table, a short look at options, an easy-to-read process, or comments from real people that show the product works.

Part Five: On-Page SEO Fundamentals

Interviewer: Let's talk about the key things for on-page SEO. What are the main basics that every landing page needs?

Expert: It is mostly about staying the same across the page. The title, H1, URL, text, media, and CTA need to all make the same promise. When I look over pages, I first try to see if there are any mixed messages. Most times, I check for that before I even search for missing keywords.

Here's the checklist I run through:

Title tag: Make it clear so people will want to click on it. Plain text that says what it really is, works better than trying to be clever. This is true when a person looks at more than one result that are close to each other.

Meta description: Think of it like an ad for the search result. You do not need to list every feature. Show the value and tell people what to expect.

Use one clear H1 that matches the page. Do not try to be clever if the title tag is direct.

URL: Keep the link short, easy to read, and clear. Do not change the URL after the page starts to get better in rankings.

Headings help answer questions that buyers ask. Do not use headings to say the keyword again.

Body copy: You need to add more detail, so the content can meet what people want. Pages with just a short slogan do not give search engines or visitors enough to read or understand.

FAQ data: Make sure FAQs match the real questions people have. Do not repeat a FAQ section if your site shows FAQs from metadata already.

Interviewer: What do you think about meta descriptions? Do they still help with ranking?

Expert: These do not directly change rankings, but they can change click-through rates. And click-through rates can also change rankings in other ways. A good meta description helps your result stand out in the SERP. I write a few versions and remove anything that sounds plain or promises more than what the page gives.

Part Six: Making Pages Useful for AI Search

Interviewer: AI search is big right now. How does it change the way landing page SEO works?

Expert: It is lower than what many people think. Google still says that being better for AI features in search is based on the main ways they rank sites. The core parts are the same and have not changed.

Now, your page needs to be simple for AI systems to read, pull information from, and sum up. A page with little content, a headline that is not clear, and only a form is hard for both search engines and AI to use.

Interviewer: So what should people add?

Expert: A few things, where they fit naturally:

A short TL;DR or key takeaways section near the top
Clear definitions for terms the page relies on
Tables that compare use cases, packages, or decision rules
Short steps that explain the process
Specific proof points instead of vague claims
Descriptive headings that still make things clear to people, even when read alone
Source-backed claims for technical or performance claims

This does not mean you have to make every page a list of words. It means the answer should be clear. If an AI system tries to sum up your page in three sentences, the page should help it get good info to use.

Part Seven: Images, Video, and Page Speed

Interviewer: Let's talk about images and design. How important do you think the look of a page is for SEO landing pages?

Expert: It's very important, but not in the way most people see it. Visuals are not just for show. The visuals need to help explain the offer, show the product works, or help people feel more sure about the product.

I do not feel sure about landing pages that use fancy designs with no real pictures. A screenshot or a sample would help the buyer know more and feel sure. It can answer what people want to know faster.

Interviewer: What about alt text?

Expert: Talk about the image using clear and simple words. Use the keyword if it really helps tell what is in the image. Bad alt text has too many keywords or does not fit the picture. That is worse than not trying to make it show up in search. It just adds words that do not help people or search engines.

Interviewer: What about page speed? A lot of landing pages can be slow.

Yes, they are. Landing pages often have tracking scripts, chat tools, animation code, heatmaps, forms, and big hero images. A lot of the slowdowns on the page come from these "small" things that nobody looks after anymore.

The fastest improvements come from:

Compressing hero images
Removing unused scripts
Delaying nonessential third-party widgets
Reducing redirect chains
Setting image width and height so layout does not jump
Using a CDN
Testing the real mobile page, not just desktop

Interviewer: What are the Core Web Vitals targets?

LCP needs to be 2.5 seconds or faster. INP should not go over 200 milliseconds. CLS has to be 0.1 or less. These are the goals set by Google. They are important for both SEO and to help people take action on your site. Check out our tips for optimizing Core Web Vitals on landing pages.

Part Eight: Internal Linking and Site Architecture

Interviewer: A lot of landing pages on a website do not have any other pages linking to them. How much of a problem do you think this is?

Expert: This is a big problem. If your landing page does not have links inside the site, Google may not find it or know what it is about. And visitors have no way to look at more pages on your site.

Internal links help both people and search engines know what your site is about. A landing page does not need a paragraph with all related blog posts. It needs a few links. These links just need to support the main idea around them.

Interviewer: How many links is too many?

Expert: I like to have fewer links on landing pages. Each link should help a person choose what to do next, or help Google see what the page does on the site. If a link does not do this, take it out.

Part Nine: Building Trust Before the CTA

Interviewer: You talked about trust signals before. Why do you think they are so important for SEO landing pages?

Organic visitors often look for more signs that they can trust you, compared to paid visitors. Many of them do not know your brand, so they are not sure what to expect. A lot of these people may also open several tabs to compare what they find. They can feel unsure if your page asks for their email very early.

It's normal to feel that way. The page needs to show why you should care.

Interviewer: What trust signals work best?

Expert: Simple ones:

A short customer review near the CTA
Client logos or well-known customers
Screenshots of the product or result
A clear note on what happens after you sign up
Info about pricing or "starting at" text
Security, privacy, or cancel rules
Real cases instead of unclear perks

The best proof is often clear and simple. It shows what will happen next, what the user gets, what the product looks like, what could hold it back, and why we can trust what is being said.

If your landing page says "save hours every week," you should show how this happens. If the page says "SEO-ready," be sure to explain what people get with that. If it says "free audit," let people know what they will get and how long it will take.

Part Ten: Long-Form Content on Landing Pages

Interviewer: Some people say that when you have longer content, your landing pages get a higher spot on search engines. But, there are also those who feel too much text can make people not take action. What do you think about this?

Expert: It can be good to have longer content, but only if the topic needs it. A long landing page should be worth its length with each paragraph.

The wrong way to do this is to put a plain 2,000-word SEO post on a sales page. The right way is to add the kinds of sections that people want before they feel ready to choose.

Interviewer: What sections work well?

Expert: Use cases, comparisons, step-by-step guides, examples, answers to doubts, and technical info. If a part does not help people choose, take it out.

Organic traffic only matters if the page gets people to take action. If you add more text that brings in leads that are not good, that is not a win for SEO. It is just more text to keep.

Part Eleven: Common Landing Page SEO Problems

Interviewer: When a landing page does not show up in search results, what is the first thing you look at?

Expert: I have a mental checklist:

Wrong intent — The page talks about something when people want a guide or a side-by-side look.
Thin content — There is a strong call-to-action, but it does not tell enough.
No internal links — The page is away from the rest of the site.
Accidental noindex — The page was made for paid visits, but never set up for search.
Weak title — The title does not match what people look for or make them click.
Slow mobile load — A big picture or scripts make the page load slow on phones.
No proof — The page says things but does not show facts or examples.
Duplicate pages — The same layout is used again with few changes.
CTA overload — Many calls-to-action are on the page. This makes everything less clear.

Interviewer: Which is the most common?

Expert: People often get it wrong. They build a sales page and try to get it to show up when someone wants information. This does not work most of the time.

Part Twelve: How to Rewrite an Existing Landing Page

Interviewer: If a person has a landing page that does not show up in search results, what steps should they take to rewrite it?

Expert: Don't begin with adding keywords. First, look at what the page is missing when you compare it to the search results page. A quick, poor rewrite happens when you keep the same weak idea and just put in more text that looks better for search.

Here's my workflow:

Pick the main search term you want the page to show up for.
Look at the top pages for this term and see what style they use.
Keep the best parts from the current page that help people sign up or buy.
Change the main text so what you offer matches the search term.
Put any proof, samples, questions, and extra info below the call-to-action.
Update the title tag, meta description, H1, URL, and text for images.
Add links inside the site from other pages.
Test how the page works on mobile and see Core Web Vitals.
Add the URL in Search Console.
Track how many people see it, click it, move up, and take action.

Interviewer: How do you measure success?

Expert: Do not look at only traffic when you check the rewrite. A landing page that gets more clicks but brings in weaker leads is not better. I want to see even a small jump in good demos, not just a big traffic rise from people who will not buy.

Track organic conversions, assisted conversions, how good forms are, how far people scroll, and the search words that show your site.

Part Thirteen: Examples by Page Type

Interviewer: Different landing pages call for different SEO approaches. Can you give some examples?

Expert: Sure.

SaaS feature page: Show the main thing the feature does and what problem it solves. Add pictures of how it works. Share why it is good. Show how it works with other tools. Give facts or proof. Compare it to doing the work by hand.

Local page: Focus on the work done and add the place's name. Put signs that show people trust you in the area. Show where you can help others, what people say about you, map info, and an easy phone call button.

Template page: Stay focused on the task you need to finish. You will see previews, good examples, fields you can edit, some use cases, and other templates that go with this one.

Lead magnet page: Talk about the user's problem and what can help with it. Tell people what they will get, who this page is for, show a few sample pages, and let them know their info is safe.

Ecommerce category page: Help people find products. Add filters. Write simple and clear product copy. Give buying tips. Add FAQs and links to other pages inside the site.

Interviewer: Do you have any tips when someone wants to make pages from the start?

A landing page generator can help you make the basic structure. The important thing is the next step. Make sure the text matches what people see on the SERP, remove common claims, and add proof that is special to your page. Think of the page the tool makes as a rough base, not the full plan.

Part Fourteen: The Final Checklist

Interviewer: Before we finish, give me your last list of things. What should someone ask before they put a landing page online?

Expert: Here's what I use:

Does the page focus on one clear idea for search?
Does the main part of the page get people to take action before they need to scroll down?
Is there enough extra text or info for people who just found the page from search?
Do the title, H1, link, start text, and button text all match each other?
Are pictures made smaller, helpful, and told about the right way?
Does the page load fast and show everything on a phone?
Do links inside the site feel right in the text and not just tossed into a "read more" part?
Are technical facts from good sources?
Are FAQs done in the right meta info if the site adds them by itself?
Is there a reason for other people to link to, talk about, or list this page?

Interviewer: That is a good list. Do you have any last things to add?

Expert: Landing page SEO is not about making sales pages go on and on. It is about making them simple. You have to make them clear and easy for people to read. That helps build trust and makes it easy for search engines to connect them with the right words people use when they search.

If the page does all this and still makes the CTA clear, you have found the right balance. It can do well in search and help people take action. This is the way I check things before I put them online. Read our strategy for building an effective internal linking structure.

Conclusion

Landing page SEO does not have to be a trade-off between showing up on Google and turning visitors into customers. If you do it well, these goals help each other. A page that answers what the person wants to know will get seen more on Google. A page that earns trust before asking someone to do something will turn more visitors into customers.

The main thing is to begin with a clear goal, not a set number for word count. Make the page to fit what people are looking for. Keep the call-to-action easy to see. Show proof to support what you say. Make sure the page links to other parts of your site. Discover more SEO best practices for high-converting landing pages in our knowledge base.

Do this often, and you will get landing pages that bring in their own visitors. You will not need to pay to get people to these pages.

This interview was done by the MyMemo AI Knowledge Team. If you want to learn more about SEO, content plan, and digital marketing, you can check out our knowledge base.

The Complete Guide to SEO for Landing Pages: An Interview with an SEO Expert