SEO Form Optimization Tips - #SEOpodcast 247

The hosts recommend as few fields as possible, noting roughly a 10 percent drop in form submissions per field added. For most businesses, name, phone, email, and a comments box is enough, with any extra questions saved for a follow-up call or a second form page.

According to the episode, the best converting placement is the upper right-hand corner of the page, above the fold. A client who moved their form lower saw daily submissions drop from five or six to about two, and recovered once the form was moved back up.

The hosts suggest avoiding standard CAPTCHA because it acts like an extra field that makes forms intimidating. They recommend either a branded CAPTCHA, where the challenge text reinforces your brand, or a honeypot field, which stops spam without adding friction for real visitors.

The episode advises using compelling, action-oriented words consistent with your call to action, such as get a free quote or apply now, rather than generic words like submit. The button wording should match the action words already used in the page title to keep messaging consistent.