How to Get into the Head of Your Customer on Google
So they choose you!
With your business’ marketing and even sales online, it’s imperative you figure out how people find you. So let’s take a closer look at search queries.
Have you ever thought about how people use search tools? No doubt you search online yourself, which is a great starting point, but keep in mind that not everyone thinks like you do. Learning how your online customer is searching and playing to those habits will improve the visibility of your website in search results as well as click-throughs.
Experts break down search queries into various types, but the three main ones are as navigation, for information, and to make a purchase. Here are very brief summaries of what defines each and what it means for marketing purposes.
Navigational Search
Technically, the “search” bar is separate from the “address” bar. The idea is that you would type a URL into the address bar and go straight to the website as opposed to typing in a couple of terms and see a bunch of possible results. Most folks, however, use these boxes interchangeably and often don’t know or don’t use the full Uniform Resource Locator (URL) when they want to go to a website. For instance, “Facebook” has been a top keyword in Google search. Why? Because it’s a quick way for folks to get to their Facebook pages.
Your clients are also probably typing your business name into the search bar in order to navigate to your website. To help them find you quickly, your website should be the number one source for your brand name. Surprisingly, not everyone is! Using your name in your URL helps tremendously, but there are other SEO techniques that can help as well.
Transactional Search
When people are ready to buy, you need to be right there, ready to sell. The competition can be fierce, which means your SEO has to be at least as good as your nearest challengers or you won’t even be an also-ran. It’s important to be hyper-specific about what you are selling and try to anticipate your customer’s queries.
Brand names, model numbers, colors, and so on help connect you to the right customers. Also important are terms like “near me” and other geographical identifiers. In addition to physical items, searches that end in transactions also include those for service businesses, coaching or classes, appointment making, and so on.
Informational Search
Since the World Wide Web was designed to share information, of course people go online to get questions answered or learn something new. But that doesn’t mean you can’t sell them something while they’re learning. Folks might be curious how to change their oil, but may be easily swayed by a convenient oil change coupon!
To get in front of these searchers for the opportunity to win them over, carefully choose terms that answer the questions these folks are posing and then work them into click-worthy content. Consider “how to” articles or videos, reviews of products and services, and keyword-laden guides.
Keyword tools and data reports will help you learn what terms are popular, but your real-life clients are looking for more than just isolated words. Take the time to figure out what they want so you can give it to them. As the expert of what you sell, it might make sense to work closely with an expert on marketing to create the best content. Give us a call today to see how we can be your marketing partner!
Kate Gingold
I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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I have been writing a blog with web marketing tips and techniques every other week since 2003. In addition to blogging and client content writing, I write books and a blog on local history.
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