Would 25,000 website visitors per day help your business?
I’ll answer that for you…yes.
That’s why we all fight to rank on SERPs (search engine results pages) and grab featured snippets. The potential reward is thousands of visitors per day and millions of dollars per year. Trust me, I’ve worked with a company who drives 25,000 – 50,000 visitors per day and the impact is dramatic.
The problem is pleasing the 8,000 lbs gorilla that is Google.
This is where 95% of the content companies put out goes bad.
People stop writing things humans will actually want to read in an effort to charm algorithms. Ironically, this is exactly what Google doesn’t want.
Stop keyword stuffing, obsessing over page titles, and worrying about your H2 tags for a moment. Take a step back and put the focus on understanding what your customer wants when they search.
Four Types Of Search Intent
Your goals line up with Google’s far more than you realize. You both want to make searchers happy.
Great Content = Happy Searchers
Happy Searchers = More Searches
More Searches = More Advertising Revenue
More Advertising Revenue = Happy Google
Focus on the searcher and not the search engine. I use the categories Neil Patel shares as my basic parameters when considering search intent.
- Informational intent means the user wants to learn something new.
- Navigational intent suggests the user wants to visit a local business.
- Transactional intent demonstrates a desire to buy.
- Comparison intent shows they’re comparing multiple products.
Understanding the intent of your customers is half the battle. Now you can create compelling content that speaks to them. Compelling content generates links and longer time on the page. Inbound links and longer time on the page lead to better search rankings.
Customer Before Google
Use content to inform, entertain, and answer customer questions. Worry about positioning your brand first and search results second. If you do it right, both your brand and search listings will rise to the top (with time, work, and consistency).
- Provide answers to the questions your customers are asking.
- Write like a human.
- Put out consistent content.
- Make sure every piece of content reinforces your editorial agenda (brand script).
- Follow optimization best practices.
This little checklist will drive your SEO agenda and brand positioning forward in tandem. Never sacrifice the human side of your brand to chase search engine results. Google can change the game and steal away that traffic at any time. Nobody can steal your brand once you’ve established awareness, expertise, and trust.
I send a delightful little email each Friday morning to help you grow your brand. End your week inspired by clicking this enticing link.
