Great Content and User Intent: Where the Rubber Meets The Road

I probably should of paid more attention in my psychology classes in college. In today’s marketing climate, it is more important than ever to understand the psychology of our potential buyers. Regardless of whether we sell a product or a service, user intent is becoming increasingly important.

For many years we found a keyword and wrote a page. We were somewhat tone-deaf when it came to how that page was utilized after the search was completed because the end user found us. But those days are long gone. There are a few reasons for this. First, the end user is more sophisticated now. Second, Millennials are changing how you have to market to them. They research products, look for reviews and find ways to compare and contrast before making a purchase. There also seems to be no price consideration in the level of research they do. Additionally, they seem to make no differentiation between blogs and traditional news outlets or consumer advocate sites.

So where does that leave the web marketer? I believe that leaves us in a far better place than we have been in a long time. We now have the opportunity to build credibility through our content and actions.

#1. When you build your keyword list, consider this: Why would someone use this word and what information are they hoping to get?

I see a lot of nuances in the use of words. When we do not understand the user, it is not clear if the copy properly addresses the end user’s need. For example: a searcher looking for a web design company may search for web design Houston because he is looking for a local design firm. That same searcher may type in responsive web design. Does this mean but they are looking for a web designer or information regarding how to decide the value of responsive web design? And responsive web design Houston potentially has an entirely different intent.

These ambiguities leave marketers with the task of sorting it all out. As you build your keyword list, you have to be mindful of what You believe the intent of your end user may be. The closer you are in meeting the intent, the better the page will be.

#2. Use your customer service group as a resource

One of the most overlooked areas for killer content is within your own customer service group. They help define the user for us simply because they are on the front lines. They know what outside opinions are and can help refine our content in a way that makes it more usable to prospective clients. When you identify topics that make your information more relevant, it reinforces the fact that you are an expert in your subject matter.

#3. Use Google and/or Competitors to identify opportunities

Not only do you need to understand the user intent, but you have to know how Google looks at the keyword and how your competitors act in that space.  Utilizing keywords to create great content that will rank matches Google’s intent or is more closely aligned with their algorithm.

For example, an artist may consider ranking on the word painter. However, Google views that word as a local term that relates to house painters.  So by writing an article about a Painter, your chances of ranking on any art terms become slim.

Another example would be looking at the SERP in Google, seeing who is there and on the type of page. Let’s say I wanted to rank on “Dish Network Deals.” When you review listings you will see that most are in the form of consumer tips. Creating a page that adopts that approach would greatly enhance your ability to rank on that term.

These are just a few tips that marketers can use to create provocative  content that mets the end users needs. It’s an easy path to winning in both the SERPs as well as with the potential client.