Alright, let’s talk about it. If you’re a local business owner, you’ve probably heard a million times you need “landing pages.” And then some agency person (like us, maybe) throws the word “microsite” at you.
So what’s the deal? Are they the same thing? And more importantly, which one is actually gonna get you high-quality local leads that turn into paying customers?
It’s confusing because they both seem similar. But they’re really not.
First, What’s a Landing Page?
Think of a landing page as a single, standalone web page. Its one and only job is to get a visitor to do one specific thing. That’s it.
- Fill out a form.
- Call a number.
- Buy a specific product.
You typically drive paid traffic (like Google Ads or Facebook Ads) to a landing page. It’s super focused. There are no other links to your main website, no “About Us” page, no blog. It’s a dead end, in a good way. The visitor either converts or they leave.
The good: Great for very specific, short-term campaigns. The bad: They’re kinda thin. They don’t do much for your long-term SEO and they don’t build a ton of trust on their own.
Okay, So What’s a Microsite?
A microsite is exactly what it sounds like: a mini-website.
It’s not just one page. It’s usually a small cluster of pages—maybe 3 to 5—all focused on one specific niche, service, or location.
Let’s say you’re a roofer in Dallas. Your main website covers everything you do. A microsite might be “dallascommercialroofing.com” (just an example). It would have a homepage, a page on “TPO Roofing,” a page on “Roof Repair,” and a “Contact” page.
It’s still separate from your main site, but it’s a destination. It’s a dedicated resource.
The Real Question: Which One Gets High-Quality Local Leads?
This is where the difference really matters.
Landing pages are great for getting a lot of leads, fast. You run an ad for “20% Off Roof Repair,” send them to a page, and grab their info. It works. But are they high-quality? Maybe. They’re often just shopping for the best price.
A microsite plays a different game.
When you’re trying to attract local leads, you’re trying to build trust and authority. A microsite does this way better.
It Dominates a Niche: A microsite focused on “Springfield Emergency Plumbing” looks like the expert on that one topic. It’s not just a single page; it’s a whole (mini) site dedicated to it. This builds instant trust with a potential customer who has a very specific, urgent problem.
It’s an SEO Powerhouse: Google loves this. Instead of one page, you’re giving Google 3-5 pages of rich, relevant content about a specific service in a specific town. This makes it way easier to rank organically for those “near me” searches. The person who finds you on Google is almost always a higher-quality lead than someone who just clicked an ad.
It Warms Up the Lead: A visitor might land on your microsite’s homepage, click over to your “Services” page to confirm you handle their issue, and then go to the “Contact” page. By the time they call you, they’re not just a cold lead. They’re sold. They’ve already convinced themselves you’re the right person for the job.
Our Take
So, which one do you need?
Honestly, it’s not really an either/or situation. They do different jobs.
Use landing pages for your focused, paid ad campaigns. Quick wins. Use a microsite when you want to own a specific local service or neighborhood for the long haul.
Here at Microsite Partner, you can probably guess which one we think is the most powerful, underused tool for local businesses. A landing page is like a flyer you hand out. A microsite is like opening a dedicated local office.
Which one do you think gets better customers?
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