Shawn Massie

Today we have Shawn Massie, founder and CEO of Scratch Digital. Shawn runs digital marketing and SEO for companies with a background in digital strategy and brand growth. He’s helped many businesses grow their online presence and customer engagement. Shawn is all about strategy and results for his clients. In this episode we’ll chat with Shawn about CRO and how it can be used for SEO.

Table of Contents

• Who is Shawn Massie?
• What Shawn’s Working On
• Tactical and Strategic SEO and CRO Advice from Shawn
• Where Does Shawn See the Future Going in SEO and CRO?
• How to Get in Contact with Shawn
• Conclusion

Who is Shawn Massie?

Shawn Massie grew up in Los Angeles, California and moved to Arizona in the early 90s. As a kid he was interested in both art and science and wanted to be an architect or engineer. This combination of interests led him to study engineering in college. But a pivotal moment came when he shadowed an engineer working on a small actuator for airbags.

The Career Changing Moment

After learning the engineer had been working on the same small component for over 20 years, Shawn realized this wasn’t the career for him. This was the moment he changed his major to business and focused on digital marketing.

The Digital Marketing Transition

Shawn’s interest in coding which he developed through engineering and robotics programming led him to web development and software coding. As he built websites and programs he discovered SEO as a way to get visibility for his creations. This combination of skills and interests has been the foundation of his career in digital marketing and SEO.

What Shawn’s Working On

Shawn recently launched his own agency Scratch Digital with two close friends and former colleagues, Alex Diaz and Chris Jones. This allows Shawn to execute strategies and projects the way he wants to and have a more hands on approach to client work.

Why Scratch Digital

Shawn’s reason for starting Scratch Digital was two fold:

1. To spend more time with his 4 year old child
2. To have more control over the execution of strategies and projects

Quality Over Quantity

Larger agencies have account managers who manage 30+ clients. Shawn’s approach at Scratch Digital is to provide more personalized and in depth service. He believes in understanding each client’s unique needs and industry rather than a one size fits all approach.

Tactical and Strategic SEO and CRO Advice from Shawn

Understanding CRO and Its Importance for SEO

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is the process of testing and optimizing various elements of a website to improve the rate at which visitors take desired actions, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. Shawn emphasizes the importance of CRO in conjunction with SEO for several reasons:

1. Immediate Impact: Unlike SEO, which can take time to show results, CRO can provide quick wins and immediate improvements.
2. Complementary to SEO: By improving conversion rates, you get more value from the traffic that SEO brings in.
3. User Experience: CRO improvements often align with better user experience, which is increasingly important for SEO.

The CRO Process

Shawn outlines a comprehensive approach to CRO:

1. Understand the Business Goals: Start with the company’s top-line revenue and understand which products or services they want to focus on.
2. Analyze Traffic Sources: Determine which channels are driving traffic and conversions, with a focus on organic search.
3. Assess Resources: Understand what development resources are available for implementing changes.
4. Prioritize High-Impact Areas: Focus on areas of the site that are currently converting well or have the potential for significant improvement.
5. Implement and Test Changes: Use tools like VWO or Optimizely to run A/B tests and measure the impact of changes.

Tools for CRO and SEO Analysis

Shawn recommends several tools for effective CRO and SEO analysis:

• Search Console and third-party tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush for understanding visibility
• Heat mapping software like Hotjar or CrazyEgg for analyzing user behavior
• Analytics platforms like Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics for tracking conversions and revenue

Common CRO Opportunities

Shawn highlights two common areas for CRO improvement:

1. Connecting Editorial Content to Conversion: Many businesses invest heavily in blog content but fail to effectively lead readers to consideration or conversion pages.
2. Competitor Gap Analysis: Identifying page types or content that competitors have but your site is missing can reveal opportunities for both CRO and SEO improvements.

Mobile Optimization

For mobile CRO, Shawn emphasizes the importance of:

• Ensuring all content is visible and crawlable on mobile devices
• Prioritizing important information and calls-to-action in mobile layouts
• Comparing mobile navigation and content prioritization with successful competitors

Form Optimization

Shawn provides several tips for optimizing forms:

• Use progressive forms that ask for information in stages
• Limit initial fields to three or fewer
• Provide clear progress indicators for multi-step forms
• Explain why information is being collected and how it will be used
• Use pre-fill options where possible to reduce user effort

Where Does Shawn See the Future Going in SEO and CRO?

Shawn predicts several trends for the future of SEO and CRO:

Faster Content Digestion

With the rise of AI and decreasing attention spans, Shawn believes that content will need to be more quickly digestible. This could mean:

• Summaries at the top of articles
• Key information presented upfront, rather than buried in long-form content
• More emphasis on “CliffsNotes” versions of content

Self-Service and Interactivity

For conversion optimization, Shawn sees a trend towards more self-service options:

• Interactive demos that users can try immediately
• Less reliance on scheduled sales demos
• More emphasis on allowing users to explore and understand products on their own

AI Integration

While not elaborating extensively, Shawn acknowledges that AI will play a significant role in the future of SEO and CRO, particularly in how search engines present information and how users interact with content.

How to Get in Contact with Shawn

[Note: The transcript doesn’t provide direct contact information for Shawn. You may want to add his LinkedIn profile or website URL here if available.]

Conclusion

Shawn Massie’s insights into the intersection of CRO and SEO provide valuable guidance for businesses looking to improve their digital marketing efforts. His emphasis on understanding business goals, focusing on high-impact areas, and continuously testing and optimizing offers a roadmap for success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.

For business owners working with SEO agencies or consultants, Shawn offers this final piece of advice: Take the time to get to know the people working on your account. Ask probing questions to ensure they understand your business, industry, and the intricacies of SEO. This due diligence can help avoid disappointments and ensure you’re working with knowledgeable professionals who can truly drive results for your business.

As the digital marketing landscape continues to evolve, the integration of CRO and SEO will become increasingly important. By focusing on both visibility and conversion, businesses can maximize the value of their digital presence and drive meaningful growth.