Click Quick - 12 seconds to convert a prospect

According to Gord Hotchkiss of Inquiro, a search engine marketing firm, lab studies show that a scan of search results prior to the first click is just 12 seconds. Most people scan quickly 4-5 listings in that time. Simply put, there is not enough time to read the listing prior to clicking on the search result.

With only 2-3 seconds per listing, the most important element of your search result listing has to be the Page Title - the big blue heading over the text of your description. This page title is determined by the heading tag of each page on your web site. This is also the text that appears in the browser border above the address bar.

Be sure to include keyword phrase along with inspiring, benefit oriented words and your business name.

ie: <title> Inspiring yoga retreat, Quest for Balance, just north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada</title>

Once the click-through happens, Gord reports that deliberation is almost as limited on the landing page; with 10 to 14 seconds is spent determining if information on the page matches that provided in the short listing. In my estimation, the landing page Headline, Lead image and benefits must amplify the promise provided in the short listing. The most important element must be the lead photo!

Many websites mistakenly give far too much prominence to their logo.  The best investment you can make in getting your tourism presence off on the right foot is spending the time thinking about and planning your ideal photo for each page of your web site or blog posting.  Next, consider the Headline and Title!  Seven or so words could be all it takes to recruit your next guest.  After all, you’ve only got about 12 seconds.

Read more about Gord’s post on 12 seconds at Media Post