SEO split testing is essential to improve the effectiveness of SEO strategies.
By conducting split tests on different elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, page layouts, or keywords, marketers can gather data-driven insights to make informed decisions and drive better organic search performance.
But coming up with testing ideas that provide meaningful insights can be a challenge, especially when you've been testing for an extended period and creativity runs dry.
To simplify the decision-making process, we’ve compiled a list of over 400 SEO split testing ideas per each of the 13 industries included.
But in this piece, we’ll focus on effective split testing methods for finance sites.
Once you’ve decided which aspects to test, check out our post on The Right Way to Do SEO Split Testing to ensure your test is run successfully.
On-page elements refer to various components present on a webpage that you have direct control over. Here are some split testing tactics for different on-page elements of financial sites.
Reformat lists using HowTo schema markup.
Without HowTo markup:
With HowTo markup:
Make content mobile-friendly.
Creating organized, mobile-friendly pages increases Google’s likelihood of displaying headings or related links in the SERP. In this example, Google shows links in the SERP to pages listed in a “Popular Next Steps” section at the bottom of the page.
If you provide more customer support than competing financial companies, highlight that in your meta descriptions.
To demonstrate widespread adoption and reliability, test adding the number of users to your meta descriptions (especially if the number exceeds one million).
If a keyword has a synonymous phrase, use both in the meta description to increase click-through rate and attract a broader audience.
When offering a download in multiple document types, list the available options to allow visitors to choose their preferred format.
If a set time period provides a consumer benefit, emphasize the duration and reinforce the advantage it provides in titles.
Highlight searchers' objectives in titles to address user needs and help them find relevant solutions to their specific goals.
Replace empty or generic alt text with descriptive text specifically optimized for image ranking opportunities.
Empty Alt Text:
Descriptive Alt Text:
If a page isn’t performing well, replace any unfriendly messaging with a more inviting call-to-action (CTA) that encourages user engagement.
Engaging CTA Example:
To ensure accuracy and clarity, correct any instances of incorrect spelling, punctuation, or capitalization in H1s
Instance of Incorrect Spelling:
Schema refers to structured data markup that helps search engines understand the content and context of a webpage. It enables rich and informative search results, such as featured snippets, knowledge graphs, and other enhanced search features.
Below are several split testing tactics specifically tailored for various types of schema frequently employed on financial websites.
Article Schema Test: If your articles don’t have schema markup, add the basics and observe if it improves performance. Alternatively, if you already have minimal schema markup, adding more fields may help enhance performance.
Breadcrumb List Schema Test: Modify the item name in the breadcrumb list (a navigation feature consisting of hierarchical links that indicate the user's location within a website's structure) to enhance user navigation and search engine understanding.
Organization Schema Test: Use the alternateName property for well-known organization name variations or abbreviations to improve visibility, relevance, and user understanding.
Product Schema Test: include the AggregateRating schema if the product review page evaluates a set of products from different institutions.
Internal linking is the practice of connecting different pages within a website using hyperlinks, helping to establish website structure, improve navigation, and enhance the overall user experience.
Here are some split testing tactics designed for optimizing internal linking strategies on financial websites.
Anchor Text Test: Analyze internal anchor text for optimization opportunities (e.g. consolidating or diversifying it), aligning it strategically with SEO goals to enhance website performance.
Generic anchor text optimization opportunity:
Detailed anchor text:
Breadcrumbs Test: Incorporate additions or replacements to breadcrumb links and/or anchor text strategically in order to enhance the ranking of parent or grandparent categories.
Test for Adding Links: Add links within the body of the page to relevant categories, articles, or products to foster better navigation, user engagement, and search engine optimization.
With these SEO split testing methods at your disposal, you can gain data-driven insights to optimize your finance website's SEO performance and achieve greater visibility in search results.
For even more testing ideas for finance and 12 other industries, don't forget to download our free SEO split testing template with over 1,400 total testing ideas!