What kind of Googler are you?
Sometimes us SEO’s get so caught up in key words that it’s easy to forget what ‘real’ searchers actually type into Google. Here are a few examples of
how thinking around the keyword box can assist with your SEO campaign.
The questioner
Some people, me included, like to type buy viagra online questions into Google for advice, and to help decide on a purchase. For example “Are composite doors better than real wood doors?”, or “how do I keep my double glazed windows white?”
These are genuine enquiries that are searched regularly by people looking into new products. This is where article marketing, or FAQ’s on your website can really assist with an SEO campaign, and also with increasing traffic. Research these regular FAQ’s and have them answered somewhere on your site or blog.
The reviewer
Many people rely on online reviews to assist with their buying decisions. Some industries certainly can benefit from review sites than others. For example, ‘restaurant reviews Birmingham’, or ‘Recommended builders in Coventry’.
It is worth asking your customers if they would write reviews for your company on commonly used and trusted review sites such as Qype, Yelp or even Trip Advisor if it suits. These must be genuine as faking reviews is illegal, also known as ‘astro-turfing’. SEO’s have been known to manipulate these sites to gain links so ensure these are real customer review. These will help with brand building and will also get you customers.
The know it all
There are certain people who know exactly what they are looking for when they search on Google, and this is where it is essential to add long tail key words, and product key words into a SEO campaign. For example: ‘Brown Leather three seater sofa bed’ ,‘Gucci Ladies G Frame Pink Leather Strap Watch” or Thai restaurant Rugby town centre’.
These searchers know exactly what they want, and because of this, the chances of an enquiry or sale is a lot more likely. To ensure you dont miss out on these customers, implement onsite SEO and build a few links to your deeper pages, and product pages.
So when planning out your SEO campaign, think about the type of Googlers that are out there. Implement FAQ’s and react to industry news. Add your site to popular review sites and ask your customers to leave some positive comments. Also, implement long tail to ensure you give the know it all exactly what they want.
Think outside the box and get your site to perform for all types of searchers.
January 22nd, 2013
Great post! There is a lot more to SEO than just keywords. I find it strange that in present time some of us still seem to be so focused on keywords and nothing else. With out practicing all components of SEO you will not have a successful campaign.
January 23rd, 2013
I was speaking today with a client about this exact topic. I agree you need to think around a searchers brain to get the answers.
Going for the most competitive / high search volume keywords is only half the battle. Without the addition of quality content to supplement it you will miss half the potential sales!
A question I was asked today was “wont this extra content put my visitors of filling in the enquiry form?” My answer was simply “if you don’t get the visitor in the first place there is no one to lose!”
Thanks for a thought provoking post.
March 27th, 2013
Thank you! I think it is definitely a case of stepping out of SEO mode and to look at a campaign from a ‘searchers’ perspective.