Gated content
GAY-ted KON-tent
Content that requires the visitor to provide contact information (usually an email) before they can access it.
Gated content sits behind a form. Want to read the whitepaper? Enter your email. Want to watch the webinar recording? Fill out the form. The exchange: your content for their contact information.
Gating works for lead generation. It captures contact information that the sales team can follow up on. Every gated download is a potential lead. For companies that need lead volume, gating is an effective mechanism.
The debate between gated and ungated content is one of the most contentious in B2B marketing. Gating reduces reach (fewer people see the content) but increases leads. Ungating increases reach but generates fewer trackable leads. The answer depends on your business model. If you need leads for a sales team, gate high-value content. If you are building brand awareness, ungate everything.
Examples
Gating a research report.
The company publishes an annual industry report based on original survey data. The report is gated. 5,000 downloads in the first month. 3,000 match the ICP. 200 become MQLs. The report is the single largest lead source for Q1.
Gating kills reach.
A technical guide is gated. 500 downloads. The team ungates it as an experiment. 15,000 views in a month. Organic search traffic to the page grows 10x. Direct leads drop, but demo requests from the site increase 30% because the content built trust without asking for anything.
A selective gating strategy.
Blog posts: ungated (ToFu, maximize reach). Webinar recordings: ungated (MoFu, build trust). Research reports: gated (MoFu/BoFu, high value justifies the exchange). ROI calculators: gated (BoFu, high intent signals). The team gates only content worth the exchange.
In practice
Read more on the blog
Frequently asked questions
Should you gate or ungate content?
Gate content when the value justifies the exchange (research reports, tools, templates) and when you need lead volume for a sales team. Ungate content when you prioritize reach, SEO, and brand building (blog posts, documentation, tutorials). Most companies do both.
What is a good gated content conversion rate?
Landing page to download: 20-40% is typical for well-targeted traffic. Below 15% means the content value is not compelling enough or the form has too many fields. Above 40% means the content is highly relevant to the traffic source.
Related terms
Content available without requiring contact information. Maximizes reach and trust at the cost of direct lead capture.
A person or company that has shown interest in your product. The starting point of every sales pipeline.
The marketing function that creates awareness and interest in your product. Fills the top and middle of the funnel with qualified prospects.
Creating and distributing valuable content to attract, engage, and convert your target audience. Education as a marketing strategy.
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