Gated content sucks!
Something gated has you to complete a form, sharing your contact information, before receiving content. This supposedly generates a qualified lead. Since this content is inaccessible by search engines, it’s essentially nonindexed.
The big assumption here is that those who download assets show a high level of interest in a product or service.
I’d argue they exist within the earliest buying cycle stage. Gated content only blocks the progression. Enrolling them in an email autoresponder or getting an unwarranted sales call.
Gated content should be deep to provide value, yet it’s precisely this content that can otherwise do well within search engines. Know too that PDFs used for whitepapers can rank for unique keywords. A landing or preview page, with a nice image and a bulleted list of key benefits, will tank organically.
If someone wants your product or service, they’ll buy so long as you make it accessible. Prospects may delay without urgency, so try a popup offer at the top or bottom of the webpage, never full-screen, to gently push them forward. Do this while they consume your ungated content.