Why Use Jekyll for Landing Pages
Jekyll’s static nature makes it a powerful tool for building SEO-optimized landing pages. Without dynamic scripts slowing things down, you can build high-converting, lightning-fast pages tailored for specific keywords or campaigns. When combined with proper metadata and structural design, your landing pages can outperform larger CMS-based pages in search rankings and user experience.
Planning Your Landing Page Content
Before writing code, outline your landing page strategy. Ask:
- What is the main keyword and search intent?
- What action do you want visitors to take?
- What problem are you solving, and how?
This helps shape your headlines, structure, and call-to-actions (CTAs) accordingly.
Step 1: Use a Custom Layout
Create a minimal layout like landing.html in the _layouts folder to remove navigation and distractions. Here’s an example layout:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>{{ page.title }}</title>
<meta name="description" content="{{ page.description }}">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/css/landing.css">
</head>
<body>
{{ content }}
</body>
</html>
Step 2: Create a Landing Page Markdown File
Inside your pages or root directory, create a new file like offer.md with front matter targeting the custom layout:
--- layout: landing title: "Premium SEO Services" description: "Get higher rankings with our proven SEO strategies designed for small businesses." permalink: /seo-services/ ---
Then continue with HTML-formatted content below the front matter. Keep it focused, persuasive, and structured.
Step 3: Optimize Headings and Content Structure
Structure your content with heading levels for easy readability:
Why Choose Our SEO Services
We help small websites compete and rank on Google using proven strategies.
What You’ll Get
- Keyword research tailored to your niche
- On-page optimization and content audit
- Backlink strategy with zero spam
Client Results
We helped a local electrician grow traffic by 300% within 4 months without ads.
Step 4: Add Schema Markup
Add JSON-LD structured data to improve how search engines understand your page:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Service",
"name": "Premium SEO Services",
"description": "Get higher rankings with our proven SEO strategies for small business owners.",
"provider": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "YourSiteName"
}
}
</script>
Step 5: Add a Clear CTA
Every landing page needs a goal. Use a prominent button or form:
Request Your Free SEO Audit
Or embed a simple form (via Netlify Forms, Formspree, etc) that doesn’t require a backend.
Step 6: Track with Lightweight Analytics
Add tracking for conversions with tools like Plausible or Fathom if you prefer privacy-focused analytics, or stick with Google Analytics for more detailed funnel tracking. Ensure it loads asynchronously.
Step 7: Test and Monitor SEO Performance
- Use Google Search Console to monitor impressions and rankings.
- Run Lighthouse audits to check performance and SEO metrics.
- Compress all images and inline critical CSS for optimal speed.
Conclusion
Jekyll is not just a blogging tool. When used right, it can become a lean, high-converting landing page machine. With complete control over layout, content, and SEO settings, you can outperform bloated CMS pages by focusing on speed, clarity, and intent-matching content. The next time you want to launch a product, offer a freebie, or test an idea, try building your landing page in Jekyll—it’s surprisingly effective.