Are your landing pages optimized? In an article on Search Engine Journal, tips for landing page optimization (LPO) are provided by experts who track landing page optimization do's and don'ts every day in order to boost conversions. If your landing page -- the page people land on when they visit your website -- isn't great, then why would people read the content there or click around to learn more? They won't.Think of it this way -- have you ever walked into a store or restaurant, scanned the place, and immediately turned around and walked back out? First impressions matter online just as much as they matter in brick-and-mortar locations. That's why landing page optimization is so important. You don't want people to leave your website or blog before they have a chance to learn what you're all about.Some of the tips provided in the Search Engine Journal article include the following:

• Relevancy: Make landing pages contextually relevant based on who views them and where they're coming from.
• Trends: Leverage short-term trends. For example, badges are converting very well currently, so add them to your landing page when it's relevant to do so.
• Message: Content that uses the "Tax Free" message is currently converting very well. If you sell your products tax free, be sure to hype it!
• Usability: Usability always trumps design. If your website is difficult to navigate, visitors will click away. Don't sacrifice usability for design. Instead, design should enhance usability.
• Benchmark: Be sure to benchmark sites that are optimizing landing pages very well like Amazon.
• Testing: Experiment and test your landing page to learn how to best optimize it.
• Video: The hot topic in landing page optimization these days is video because it can be so effective in attracting, keeping and converting visitors. Search Engine Journal offers a useful YouTube Video Optimization from A to Z Guide that you can check out to learn more about improving your videos.

Each of the tips listed above can improve your landing page optimization, increase time on your site, and boost conversions. Apply these principles to your website and your blog and be sure to integrate your efforts for the best results.Track your results using Google Analytics or your preferred analytics tool and remember, landing page optimization isn't a one time thing. The web, audiences, and your business are constantly changing. Therefore, you need to continually monitor your landing pages and be prepared to make the necessary changes to ensure they're as engaging and interesting as possible for your target audiences.Image: stock.xchng