Understanding Searcher Personas: From Click to Conversion

Search marketers have developed an eclectic variety of methodologies for understanding search patterns and creating content targeted at specific user tasks. While in NYC for SMX East last week, Verndale was able to attend a fantastic seminar where Vanessa Fox of searchengineland.com gave a presentation on personas as they relate to search, and how we can use this understanding to create a holistic web experience that begins at the search box. The main piece Verndale would like to highlight for this week’s SEM Tip is the Searcher Workflow Timeline.

Organize a table with the following columns:

1. Task User wants to accomplish: What am I trying to do/get done?
2. Sample search queries: What are some simple search queries most people would type to find the desired information?
3. What we can provide to help accomplish the task: What does your company provide to satisfy the user’s intent behind the search query?
4. “Ohh, by the way, we also do this…”: What can we offer the consumer that he or she might not even think to ask for?
5. Our business goal related to this task: What business goal are we trying to achieve by helping the user achieve their task?
6. The motivation to do what will help us achieve the business goal: Why is the consumer going to help us achieve this business goal?
7. Success metrics: What metrics should we use to measure the how well we satisfied the user's intent?

Use this framework to understand the sets of user tasks that your company should focus on to create an SEO strategy that is directly connected to your business goals. Contact your Search Marketing Experts to integrate this framework into your online strategy.