Conversion Optimization: Measuring Usability In The User Experience (UX) – Part 1 – martech.org

Identify traffic-stealing competitors
Find untapped opportunities
Create outperforming content
mt logo
MarTech » Customer experience » Conversion Optimization: Measuring Usability In The User Experience (UX) – Part 1
Here is the scenario: I am speaking at a conference about the 7 Facets of the User/Searcher Experience. Whenever I can, I try to provide case studies and usability test results to help illustrate each facet.
Inevitably, there is somebody in the audience that stereotypes search engine optimization (SEO) professionals. What could an SEO possibly know about the user experience? From my perspective, usability is at the top of my UX list. Findability is intricately intertwined with usability. People can’t use what they can’t find.
Through field studies and multiple usability tests, I learned that some users refused or were unable to accomplish specific tasks on a smartphone. In general, these tasks had one of the following issues associated with them:
I actually observed users trying to complete complex tasks on their smartphones. I saw their frustration. I heard the cursing. The main roadblock was clear: the screen was too small.
Do you notice what I am focusing on in this scenario? I am focusing on task completion, because website usability isn’t about one’s personal opinion. Website usability is not about a “coolness” or “wow” factor. It’s not about forcing your personal beliefs or design preferences onto users. It’s about task completion.
In my article, 4 Things Online Marketers Should Know About User Experience (UX), I showed the following elements of website usability:

Let’s go over each of these usability items.
At the core of website usability is effectiveness: do specific users (i.e., users who fit a specific persona or profile) complete the task?  For conversion optimization, it is a simple measurement. Either users complete the task or they don’t.  We call this the completion rate.
If users abandon the task, what were the reasons for abandonment? Usability professionals also measure the accuracy and completeness of users’ completing their tasks. Not only do we identify roadblocks, we also identify where roadblocks occurred during the interface evaluation.
So for conversion optimization, we (1) identify roadblocks, and (2) determine the frequency of abandonment at various roadblocks.
In the scenario I mentioned previously, the main roadblock was very straightforward: the screen size was too small. 100% of users outright said the screen was too small, and some of them did not even attempt the task. They skipped it.
If a user does complete their desired task, how quickly and easily did they complete it? Usability professionals are looking at roadblocks encountered in this situation, too. Users might have completed the task, but the way they completed it was not very efficient.
Here is an example: we often observe users looking for a specific word or image on a page. SEOs call these keywords. Usability expert Jared Spool calls them trigger words.
If users are unable to locate desired content on a page, they might try alternative means to find that content. They might use a site search. They might go straight to a site map or a site index. They might go to a Customer Support or Help section. Or they quickly view navigation and click the category that seems to lead them to their desired content.
We have to be very careful not to impose our personal opinions onto users. For example, some users prefer to search. These users typically go straight to a site search instead of navigating the site.
Some usability professionals might view site search usage as a failure of navigation labels, when in reality, some users genuinely prefer to search. To them, searching is less time-consuming than browsing.
For conversion optimization, efficiency is tricky to measure. At the fundamental level, we measure:
When examining the time it takes for users to complete a task, it’s important to break this time town into two distinct categories:
Does this sound like a lot of work? It is; but, I find that I am a better at my many jobs because of usability test results. I always learn something new with each usability study.
For Part 2, we will go over the next two components of website usability: learnability and memorability.
Contributing authors are invited to create content for MarTech and are chosen for their expertise and contribution to the martech community. Our contributors work under the oversight of the editorial staff and contributions are checked for quality and relevance to our readers. MarTech is owned by Semrush. Contributor was not asked to make any direct or indirect mentions of Semrush. The opinions they express are their own.
Related stories
New on MarTech
About the author
Related topics
Fuel up with free marketing insights.
See terms.
Get ready for four exclusive 2026 MarTech events designed to inspire, inform, and an empower you in an AI-powered age.
Online: March 4, 2026
Online: May 6, 2026
Online: September 2, 2026
Online: November 4, 2026
Learn actionable SEO, PPC, and AI tactics that can help you drive more traffic, leads, and revenue.
Online: SMX Master Classes – Apr. 13-17
Boston: SMX Advanced – Jun. 3-5
Online: SMX Next – Nov. 18
Free 14 day Semrush trial
Get 55+ tools to gain insights and grow your audience.
Measuring AI Answers: How 3rd-Party Sites Influence Who Gets Cited
Tackling Privacy and Personalization: Fireside Chat with PwC and the NFL
Your Pipeline Is Lying to You: How AI Reveals the Revenue You’re Missing
The GEO Imperative: Why Brands Must Optimize for AI Discovery
The Event Experience Equation: Small Tweaks That Drive Big Pipeline Impact
Customer Data Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide
Marketing Automation Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide
Agentic AI, Decoded: A Practical Guide for Marketers
Email Marketing Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide
Identity Resolution Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide
Moving AI From Pilots Into Production
Fuel up with free marketing insights.
Topics
Our events
About
Follow us
© 2026 MarTech.org is a Trademark of Semrush Inc.
Third Door Media is a business-to-business media company. It is the publisher of MarTech and the producer of the MarTech Conference. Third Door Media offers marketing solutions that help vendors connect with an engaged audience of B2C and B2B marketers. The company headquarters is 800 Boylston Street, Suite 2475, Boston, MA USA 02199.

source