Think back on the last moment you made a significant internet purchase. An airline ticket, perhaps? That is exactly what I’ve been looking for: an espresso maker. A set of running shoes? Now consider at what stage of the purchasing process the firm you eventually purchased from had a web presence.
You Googled something like “best shoes for races” or “discount on running shoes” to locate a good deal on a new pair of kicks. You would be a typical consumer in today’s internet-driven society if you used Google as your first research point before making a purchase.
It reasons that the business in question should have a digital foothold there if a consumer walks a certain path to making a purchase. The customer’s path will divert to your rival if you don’t. Either the consumer will be able to locate what they need, or they will get irritated and give up.
The company must be constantly active from the perspective of an internet search to lead the route and fit the client’s trip. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in; being easily located online may play a significant role in your client’s decision-making process.
To further understand what role SEO plays in bettering customer journeys, we will learn all the exciting details surrounding the two here. Let’s get going!
Grasping the Customer Journey Basics and Its Importance
Prospects go through various stages as they look for a solution to a problem, and these stages make up what is known as the customer journey. It’s each time a potential buyer interacts with your brand, whether they end up buying from you.
As a result of the evolution of the digital world, the customer journey is no longer a straight line. The following are the normal stages of this procedure:
Awareness > Considerations > Conversion > Post-Conversion
If a consumer is looking for a service, you may capture their attention at the awareness stage by introducing them to your brand. The next phase, research, is when potential buyers investigate other options by reading product reviews, testimonials and word-of-mouth recommendations.
The next step is conversion, which occurs when a customer decides to buy from you. What happens after a consumer convert depends on how well you handle their support.
There are several touchpoints along the customer journey at which you may provide potential consumers with the information they need. What matters is how you apply pressure on the prospect and move them forward to the next level.
Marketing initiatives that consider the customer’s journey are more likely to succeed. Following your clients’ journey will provide insight into what drives them, allow you to meet their requirements better as they arise and help you succeed in your business.
As you know: 94 percent say they are more inclined to purchase from companies that provide a positive customer service experience. After a negative encounter with a brand, 59 percent of experts feel consumers are likely to move to a different brand.
5 Tips on Combining Your SEO With Customer Journeys
Map the Right Keywords and Topics in Your Journey
Do you find yourself overwhelmed by a long list of potential keywords? Do you want to optimize for all the pertinent keywords but find doing so difficult? With the help of customer journey maps, you can improve your content overall and use that clarity to your advantage in search engine optimization.
For instance, educating leads is most effective when they’re still in the discovery phase of their buying process. People who are just becoming familiar with your company should see you as an authoritative figure. Assist them in figuring out the issue and how to fix it.
Do not give in to the temptation to sell. Although B2B is where this tactic finds the most success, it is not without possibility in the realms of e-commerce and B2C.
Here’s an example: you’re a business offering presents for the guys. Plan on compiling a detailed manual covering everything a newly engaged couple must know to organize their wedding. By doing so, you’ll be known as a reliable resource well before bridesmaids even realize they need presents.
Customers are more likely to stick with you until they’re ready to purchase if you build awareness and brand affinity early in the journey. In the early stages of a campaign, when people are just becoming aware of a topic, focus on the phrases you know will not convert but are still crucial.
If you want to get discovered by customers at this point in their buying cycle, you’ll need to start mapping the best user journeys for the best customer experiences. The same holds true for phrases when you know the goal is conversion.
Searches for a product’s component number or action-oriented generating leads phrases (such as “doctor near me”) indicate a more advanced stage of the customer journey than generic search terms. Here’s an exciting read on ten keywords to boost your SEO.
Create Value-Driven Content on Your Niche
Search engine optimization success depends on providing genuine value to readers. Nowadays, consumers are tired of the appeal of plastic sales messages and are less likely to buy into them.
To get the most out of your customer journey, you need to focus on producing content that directly addresses the problems being faced by your target audience.
If the information you provide in your affiliate marketing doesn’t help your readers, you’ll get a bad rating from Google.
If this occurs, not many people will come across your material, and of the few that do, most will quickly leave without engaging with it in any way (even by clicking on your affiliate links).
As SEO content for your customer journey, you may choose from various media. One such example is the following:
★ Content or email marketing initiatives that strategically include affiliate links and items.
★ Informative and instructional material.
★ Product evaluations and comparisons are presented in detail.
★ Content-related resource roundups that include lists of excellent tools, apps, books and more.
★ Affiliate-specific homepages that provide pertinent content and connections to other sites.
Create an Eye-Catching Design With Powerful Content
Each e-commerce platform needs its unique look and feels to entice customers to make purchases. Content that speaks to the target audience’s interests is essential to attracting visitors to the site.
Search engine optimization in texts is essential. In other words, the proper kind of customers will find your site if you use the correct words in your sales copy and product descriptions.
Find out what people are looking for on the internet using popular keyword tools like Soovle, Jaaxy or MOZ. It should help you determine which terms most likely entice visitors to your site.
Badges and CTAs based on conversion rate optimization (CRO) may help keep your readers engaged. If the layout and the sales-focused content are not engaging or relevant, then SEO won’t help much.
Monitor Your Customer Analytics
A thorough examination of the facts is essential to persuade your consumers to stay the course. This will provide light on the factors that contribute to a customer’s success or detriment and assist you in retaining or losing them. You can’t identify roadblocks in your customer journey plan without collecting and analyzing relevant data.
Examples include that 67 percent of product managers have no idea what causes consumers to cease utilizing their services. Why? Since they do not track user activity or compile personal information.
Establishing a timeline for measuring key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial. Knowing this may aid in future decision-making and strategy development. Also, read about the SEO KPIs and the importance of choosing the right indicators!
Invest in Voice Search Optimization
Did you know that 87 percent of shoppers now do their first product research online, and 71 percent use their mobile devices in-store?
As a result, it’s more important than ever to tailor information to voice queries. Smartphones have made it easier for consumers to research products before purchasing.
Consider voice searches as conversations: Instead of focusing on the “what” and “who” of a query, as is often done, you instead employ long-tail keywords to anticipate and respond to the “why” and “how.”
If a customer has made it to the “where” section of their research, they will likely make a purchase soon. This explains why “near me” is used contextually in 22 percent of voice searches.
And you should be doing it across the board in your company, not just in the areas you think matter. To ensure you’re giving excellent service, you solicit feedback from your patrons.
Use analytic tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to keep tabs on your small company’s SEO success and learn which keywords are performing well and how long users stay on each page of your site. Keep track of your progress over time to ensure you’re progressing and not falling behind.
Suppose you’re not already mapping, planning, studying and analyzing your performance. In that case, I hope this post has inspired you to do so and given you a better understanding of the role SEO plays in the consumer experience. Success to you!