Voices of Search Podcast: Episode Summary
Title: Why SEO Is More Than Driving Traffic...It's Driving Revenue
Host: Tyson Stockton, Previsible.io
Guest: Stefan Hederbrandt, CMO and Co-Founder of Dream Data
Release Date: April 3, 2025
Introduction
In this insightful episode of Voices of Search, host Tyson Stockton engages in an enlightening conversation with Stefan Hederbrandt, the CMO and co-founder of Dream Data. Building upon their previous discussion about aligning SEO with B2B revenue attribution, Tyson and Stefan delve deeper into the pivotal role SEO plays in driving not just traffic, but significant revenue for businesses. The dialogue emphasizes a strategic shift from traditional traffic-centric SEO approaches to those that prioritize revenue generation.
Aligning SEO with Revenue
Tyson opens the conversation by reflecting on their last discussion, noting the transition from identifying high-traffic pages to understanding the pathways that lead to revenue-generating actions.
Tyson Stockton [00:42]:
"Yesterday, Stefan and I talked about how to align SEO with B2B revenue attribution. And today we're continuing the conversation by discussing why SEO is more than driving traffic, it is driving revenue."
Stefan agrees, highlighting the importance of isolating sessions related to actual deals rather than blanket traffic analysis.
Stefan Hederbrandt [02:29]:
"Instead of looking at all the traffic that arrived to your website last year, you can focus and just look at what the accounts that actually end up buying your assigning contracts with you as a B2B company do."
(02:29)
Focusing on Quality Over Quantity Traffic
Stefan underscores that often, it's not the high-traffic URLs that drive significant revenue, but rather niche, low-traffic pages that align closely with the buyer’s decision-making process.
Stefan Hederbrandt [02:29]:
"There’s a bunch of very low traffic URLs that actually matters a lot for people that are actually deciding whether they should buy your product or not."
(02:29)
This perspective shifts the focus from sheer volume to the quality and intent behind the traffic, ensuring that SEO efforts are geared towards attracting potential customers who are more likely to convert.
Identifying High-Impact Pages
Stefan provides specific examples of the types of pages that can significantly influence revenue:
-
Alternative Pages:
Comparing less-known brands with established ones can capture traffic from users exploring their options.Stefan Hederbrandt [03:15]:
"Alternative pages, established brand and then alternative. Those pages are quite typically always good to get your company mentioned in because people know the category that they're looking for."
(03:15) -
Integration Pages:
Ensuring visibility in searches related to integrations with popular platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce) targets users deep in the decision process.Stefan Hederbrandt [04:02]:
"Integration pages, so making sure that you are listed up amongst when people are searching for integrations to specific products that could be like CRMs..."
(04:02) -
Community Pages:
Highlighting active user communities (e.g., Slack communities) can build trust and demonstrate active usage, appealing to prospective buyers.Stefan Hederbrandt [04:45]:
"Community pages on companies websites, meaning that do you have a Slack community? Are you able to display that other people are actually using your product?"
(04:45)
Shifting Organizational Focus
The conversation shifts to the challenges of aligning organizational priorities, particularly when executives are accustomed to traditional traffic metrics.
Tyson Stockton [07:18]:
"And maybe it's a little bit on ourselves for like conditioning some of these executives, but now you have people that are conditioned into asking for how is my traffic performing here? Why is overall Google traffic down."
(07:18)
Stefan suggests that SEOs need to adopt a business-centric mindset, focusing on customer acquisition rather than merely increasing visitor numbers.
Stefan Hederbrandt [07:56]:
"It’s about, as SEOs to think about, think about being a businessman rather than being an SEO. And meaning that let's like you wouldn't if it was your own business, you wouldn't just be optimizing for getting more visitors, you would be optimizing for getting more customers."
(07:56)
Leveraging Sales Data for SEO
Stefan emphasizes the value of integrating sales data, such as transcriptions from sales calls, to identify the specific language and terms used by buyers during their decision-making process.
Stefan Hederbrandt [08:22]:
"If your company has a call recording software, you know, go listen to those calls and study what are the words that they use when they have to express it. Because that's probably also the terms that you want to be ranking for in Google."
(08:22)
This approach ensures that SEO strategies are closely aligned with the actual needs and language of potential customers, enhancing relevance and conversion rates.
Measuring Impact: Statistical Significance
When discussing how to measure the effectiveness of SEO efforts, Stefan introduces a pragmatic approach that balances scientific rigor with business practicality.
Stefan Hederbrandt [10:43]:
"When I'm making decision in terms of business, I'm just looking for something that I'm. I think I can repeat. So that is kind of like the alternative article. One guy, like 20 people came through and two of those people that came through our comparison page ended up booking a demo call. That's like 10%."
(10:43)
He clarifies that while traditional statistical significance might require larger sample sizes, for business purposes, sufficient signals indicating positive or negative trends are adequate to inform SEO strategies.
Stefan Hederbrandt [12:01]:
"A rule of thumb is that if it's above your average conversion rate to something, then it's interesting. If it's below it's probably not super interesting because it says something about that the people that arrive here has relevance or not."
(12:01)
Strategic Recommendations
Summarizing their discussion, Stefan advises focusing SEO resources on strategies and pages that demonstrably impact revenue positively. This involves replicating successful tactics and reallocating efforts from underperforming areas to those that drive meaningful business outcomes.
Stefan Hederbrandt [13:34]:
"I mean in general I would go for whatever looks to be the most to have the biggest impact on revenue. So if you, if you run out of projects in that area, you can look at, you can try to understand what are the things that doesn't. But my general approach is trying to understand kind of what really works. And let's try to do more of that."
(13:34)
Conclusion
Tyson wraps up the episode by reinforcing the key takeaway: leveraging data-driven insights to prioritize SEO efforts that directly contribute to revenue growth. He underscores the importance of strategic focus and encourages listeners to adopt a revenue-centric approach to SEO.
Tyson Stockton [14:03]:
"We've really been banging the drum and hopefully everyone's too picking up on you need to be following the areas that are having the greatest business impact."
(14:03)
Listeners are encouraged to connect with Stefan Hederbrandt via LinkedIn and explore Dream Data’s offerings for enhanced marketing attribution and revenue analytics.
Key Takeaways
- Shift Focus from Traffic to Revenue: Prioritize SEO strategies that directly impact revenue rather than merely increasing site traffic.
- Identify High-Impact Pages: Focus on alternative pages, integration pages, and community pages that align with the buyer’s decision process.
- Leverage Sales Data: Utilize transcriptions from sales calls to identify and target the language and terms used by potential customers.
- Pragmatic Measurement: Use business-relevant signals to assess the effectiveness of SEO efforts, focusing on significant positive or negative trends.
- Strategic Resource Allocation: Allocate SEO resources to strategies and pages that demonstrate clear revenue impact, and reallocate from underperforming areas.
This episode offers valuable insights for SEO professionals and marketers looking to align their strategies with business revenue goals. By focusing on the quality and intent behind web traffic and leveraging sales data, organizations can transform their SEO efforts into powerful revenue-driving tools.