Creating a successful keyword strategy requires more than just selecting popular search terms; it involves aligning those keywords with the specific stages of the buyer's journey. Whether your goal is to attract new visitors, convert leads, or nurture existing customers, your keywords must be carefully chosen to meet the needs and intents of your audience at each stage of the buyer's journey. In this blog, we'll explore how to strategically use keywords during the Awareness, Considerations, Decision, and post-purchase stages, ensuring your content resonates with potential customers and drives them toward a successful conversion.
In the awareness stage of the buyer's journey, the user is looking to identify the problem or their needs, gather information around the topic and explore their options and services. The awareness stage is a great place to use informational intent keywords as the prospect is looking for information regarding their topic and problem.
Let's say you run a web design agency and you are looking at targeting the awareness stage of your buyer's journey, some keywords you may look for include:
There is a wide range of content types that you can use but which ones fit in the awareness stage? Well as the users are looking for information regarding certain topics and to identify problems or how they can solve it, your content has to match that intent. Content types inside the awareness stage include:
In the consideration stage of the buyer journey customers now have a clear understanding of their problem or need and are actively researching and evaluating different solutions. It's during this stage that customers are more likely to interact with brands doing things like: downloading whitepapers, attending webinars, or requesting product demos.
In this stage, your keywords should be more focused on providing information about solutions and companies that offer the solutions. These include:
In the consideration stage your content should be focused and tailored around the solutions that you provide. Some content types include:
During the decision stage, the customer is ready to make their final decision and purchase the solution. They have found the solutions that their interested in choosing and make the decision.
The goal of these keywords is to answer any questions the customer might have regarding your services or your company, these include:
in this stage, the point of the content is to help potential customers finalise their decision by providing the detailed information and reassurance they need to choose you. Content types include:
During the post-purchase stage, the customer has already made a purchase and is now focused on maximizing the value of their investment. This stage is crucial for building long-term relationships, encouraging repeat business, and generating referrals. It's essential to provide ongoing support, reinforce the customer's decision, and ensure they feel confident and satisfied with their choice.
The goal of these keywords is to address any needs or concerns the customer may have after their purchase, ensuring a smooth and positive experience. These include:
In this stage, the content should focus on providing value, support, and reassurance to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty. Content types include:
This content should reinforce the value of their purchase, address any ongoing needs, and create opportunities for future engagement.
Aligning your keywords with your marketing goals is crucial for ensuring that your content reaches the right audience at the right stage of the buyer's journey. Depending on whether your goal is to attract new visitors, convert leads, or nurture existing customers, your keyword strategy will need to be adjusted accordingly. Here's a comparison of how different marketing goals affect your keyword strategy based on the buyer's stage:
Goal: To attract potential customers who are just beginning to recognize a need or problem.
Keyword Strategy: Focus on broad, informational keywords that match what a potential customer might search for when they first realize they have a problem. These keywords should be high-volume and related to the challenges or questions your audience is likely to have.
Examples:
Content Types:
Goal: To engage and educate potential customers who are evaluating their options and considering different solutions.
Keyword Strategy: Target more specific, mid-funnel keywords that reflect a deeper level of understanding and interest. These keywords should be more solution-oriented, showing that the searcher is actively comparing their options.
Examples:
Content Types:
Goal: To assist potential customers in making their final decision and choosing your solution.
Keyword Strategy: Use highly targeted, low-funnel keywords that show purchase intent. These keywords should align with what a potential customer might search for when they are ready to make a purchase and need reassurance or detailed information.
Examples:
Content Types:
Goal: To build loyalty, encourage repeat business, and generate referrals.
Keyword Strategy: Focus on keywords that address customer support, product updates, and continued education. These keywords should help ensure that your customers get the most out of your product or service and feel supported.
Examples:
Content Types:
By aligning your keywords with your marketing goals at each stage of the buyer's journey, you can ensure that your content strategy effectively guides potential customers from initial awareness through to post-purchase satisfaction. This approach not only drives traffic but also converts leads and builds long-term relationships with your customers.
Aligning your keywords with your marketing goals throughout the buyer's journey is essential for a comprehensive and effective content strategy. By understanding and targeting the unique needs of your audience at each stage you can create content that not only attracts and concerts leads but also fosters long-term customer loyalty. By thoughtfully planning your keyword strategy in line with your marketing objectives, you can ensure that your content remains relevant, engaging, and ultimately successful in driving business growth.
