How Customer Journey SEO Turns Clicks Into Conversions

Earlier than you determine what to purchase, you most likely determine the place to buy — which implies turning to your favourite search engine. With on-line searches dominating as the start line of most purchases, buyer journey Website positioning is now mission-critical for each enterprise.

I actually can’t keep in mind the final time I made a purchase order with out some on-line analysis first. Earlier immediately, I fell down a Google rabbit gap in search of bulk-dried tortellini. Final fall, it was a brand new MacBook.

By the point I used to be trying to find the most effective deal on a MacBook, I had already performed the majority of my analysis — evaluating specs, distributors, and critiques. And that tortellini search? It launched me to manufacturers I by no means would’ve discovered in the event that they hadn’t optimized for the Website positioning-driven buyer journey.

Right here’s the true query: In case your model isn’t displaying up when prospects are looking, how a lot enterprise are you shedding to rivals?

Desk of Contents

Professional tip: Don’t make the error of considering customer journey maps are the identical as gross sales funnels.

Whereas gross sales funnels do present a broad-based sketch of a course of and generally is a good place to begin, they don’t truly map the journey. With that in thoughts, it’s greatest to think about them as two separate entities serving two separate functions.

For the needs of this text, I’ll keep excessive stage. We’ve obtained an important put up that goes into element on creating your customer journey map, and I undoubtedly encourage working by way of it.

With that mentioned, right here’s methods to create your map and make it Website positioning-friendly.

Step 1: Determine the important thing levels in your buyer journey.

We usually break this down into three levels:

• Consciousness. When prospects first uncover their downside or want.
• Consideration. When prospects start researching their choices.
• Resolution. When prospects are prepared to purchase.

In truth, you’ll be able to see them within the screenshot beneath of our free customer journey map template.

Step 2: Map your buyer search habits.

Now, it’s time to determine what they’re trying to find at every section. I would like you to think about search intent in addition to the precise key phrases and questions.

• Consciousness. Informational searches for “methods to” content material about fixing their downside.
• Consideration. Product comparisons and model analysis.
• Resolution. Transactional and vendor searches.

With that in thoughts, begin mapping out the sorts of searches they’re possible making. You may normally shorten this web page through the use of your SEO marketing software (it’s HubSpot, proper?).

Professional tip: Revisit this usually. Shopper habits and markets change, which implies search patterns do, too.

Step 3: Join the shopper journey to Website positioning efforts.

That is the place the shopper journey Website positioning is available in. It’s vital to grasp the sorts of content material that greatest match every section earlier than diving headlong into mapping. Right here’s a fast rundown of how issues usually break down at every stage:

• Consciousness. High-of-funnel (TOFU) content material like blogs, guides, and regularly requested questions.
• Consideration. Center-of-funnel (MOFU) content material like product comparability pages, case research, and testimonials.
• Resolution. Backside-of-funnel content material (BOFU) like product pages, pricing comparisons, and lead gen content material.

Professional tip: Don’t overcomplicate it. Begin with these fast wins:

• Repurpose what you’ll be able to. Earlier than making a ton of latest content material, do an audit of your current content material. You might have plenty of nice stuff that simply wants some tweaking or optimization.
• Determine the low-hanging fruit. What content material is simple to create that can have a huge impact? TOFU content material usually suits into this class, however not solely.
• Prioritize content material that serves a double responsibility. Perhaps this implies specializing in sources that may additionally assist current prospects. Or maybe it means specializing in optimizing product pages to create consciousness earlier within the course of.

Need extra element? Check out our free Customer Journey Mapping lesson.

Extra Buyer Journey Mapping Examples

Your buyer journey map can take MANY totally different types and may assist you establish what your buyer is experiencing at every stage of the journey.

If the primary template you discover isn’t working for you and you may’t simply regulate it in your wants, I like to recommend opening up your favourite infographic device to see what buyer journey templates exist. I did a fast Canva search, and clicked on one of many first designs that caught my eye. As you’ll be able to see beneath, there are a number of totally different choices proper beneath it.

I normally find yourself combining visuals with tables or spreadsheets as a result of each are useful to me.

Your SEO strategy ought to be constructed round person intent. Right here’s methods to optimize your content for every stage of the journey based mostly on the shopper journey map and content material overview you mapped out above (you probably did that, proper?).

Step 1: Make an inventory of key phrases/queries for every level within the buyer journey that includes a selected question sort.

Discover every touchpoint in your buyer journey and use your favourite SEO keyword research tools to develop a list of keywords your prospects are possible utilizing.

Let’s say a buyer is researching luxurious holidays. They begin with informational searches (“Finest Caribbean resorts”), progress to navigational searches (“4 Seasons Bora Bora vs. Ritz-Carlton Maldives”), and at last transfer to transactional searches (“4 Seasons Bora Bora greatest deal”).

Sort of web site: Household trip planning service

Buyer: Suburban mother planning for household trip

Level in buyer journey: Getting a way of journey prices for her upcoming household trip.

Question sort: Informational

Potential Key phrases:

• household trip price
• price for household of 4 to go to Disney World
• trip price calculator
• how a lot trip can I afford
• common trip price for household of 4
• common trip price
• price trip Eire
• price trip
• low-cost household trip concepts

Step 2: Optimize for intent.

Now, take these key phrases and plug them into your Website positioning technique. How? Let’s take one key phrase from the above instance — “how a lot trip can I afford?” Right here’s what you may do:

• Create a web page on the web site.
• Web page title: “How a lot trip can I afford? | Trip Planning.”
• H1: “How a lot trip can my household afford?”
• Article: Talk about solutions to this query within the article, and supply a CTA on the finish.
• Create a sequence of 4 evergreen weblog articles that take care of this query. Use this key phrase and any longtail variations of “how a lot trip can I afford?”
• Create an infographic that solutions the query, “How a lot trip can I afford?”
• Interview a number of consultants on trip affordability and put up a video sequence on YouTube.

After conducting an effort like that, you’ll begin to dominate that key phrase. Extra to the purpose, additionally, you will dominate this section of the shopper journey. Each time potential prospects interact in informational searches for this section, they are going to possible see your web site within the search outcomes.

Step 3: Measure and refine.

Website positioning can have fast wins, but it surely’s additionally a little bit of an extended recreation. And as I touched on above, issues change as markets and know-how evolve. So what labored 10 years in the past didn’t work 5 years in the past — and undoubtedly doesn’t now. To that finish, what works effectively immediately will barely scratch the floor within the subsequent 5-10 years.

So, use Google Analytics to trace conversions and instruments like Ubersuggest or Ahrefs to trace Website positioning efficiency. Then, enhance underperforming content material and create new content material to satisfy your new wants.

Step 4: Enhance technical Website positioning for visibility.

Key phrases and on-page Website positioning will assist your buyer journey optimization efforts immensely. However there’s one other piece of the puzzle that issues, too — technical SEO. By bettering your area well being and guaranteeing that your web site is usable and purposeful, you construct much more belief with Google and different serps. And that ensures that your buyer journey Website positioning efforts repay.

Should you’re not deep into the Website positioning world, it’s most likely value bringing in a technical skilled, however you are able to do plenty of these things your self if . You may try our free Technical SEO lesson here.