Key Points
- The buyer’s journey is the process that a consumer goes through when considering a purchase. It is made up of three main stages: awareness, consideration, and decision.
- Start by identifying the problem you have the solution for.
- Think about the specific features and benefits of your product or service that would be most appealing to consumers.
- Finally, use keywords such as “buy” or “purchase” to help convert your audience.
Keyword research is extremely relevant to the buyer’s journey. This is because it helps you understand the words and phrases that consumers are using. This helps give insight into when they are searching for information related to your business.
In fact, the buyer’s journey in content marketing generates 3 times as many leads as outbound marketing. Additionally, it costs 62% less, according to a study by DemandMetric.
By understanding these keywords, you create content that is tailored to the specific needs of consumers at each stage.
This article will discuss how to research keywords for each stage of the buyer’s journey.
Don’t give up now, keep reading!
What is The Buyer’s Journey?
The buyer’s journey is the process that a consumer goes through when considering a purchase.
So, what are the three stages of the buyer’s journey? They are: awareness, consideration, and decision.
Here are some strategies that businesses can use to target each stage of the buyer’s journey:
- Awareness: In this stage, the consumer becomes aware of a problem or need that they have. They may start researching potential solutions to this problem or need.
- Consideration: In this stage, the consumer is actively considering options and gathering information to make a decision. They may compare different products or brands, read reviews, or seek out recommendations.
- Decision: In this stage, the consumer has gathered all of the necessary information and is ready to make a purchase.
Understanding the buyer’s journey is important, because it allows you to tailor your marketing and sales efforts to meet the needs and expectations of consumers at each stage.
By creating content and offering support that addresses the questions that consumers have at each stage. In doing this, businesses can help customers to make a decision.
How Much of The Buyer’s Journey is Digital?
Consumers visit 3.4 websites, spend 18.5 minutes researching, and consider 1.9 brands before making a purchase, according to a study by Gartner.
The buyer’s journey refers to the process that consumers go through when making a purchase decision. In today’s digital age, a significant portion of the buyer’s journey often takes place online.
According to a survey by Google, 70% of the buyer’s journey is completed digitally. The consumer conducting research and gathering information online before making a purchase. This can include searching for product reviews, comparing prices, and looking for promotions or discounts.
With that said, the remaining 30% of the buyer’s journey may involve offline activities. This includes visiting a physical store to see the product in person or speaking with a sales representative.
How Do you Target Each Stage?
As a rule of thumb, the buyer’s journey is not always a linear process. A consumer may move back and forth between stages as they gather more information and make a decision. It’s also important to create a consistent experience across all stages of the journey to guide the consumer.
Here are a few tips for targeting each stage of the journey:
- Awareness stage: The goal at this stage is to get the consumer’s attention. This gives you the chance to introduce them to your brand or product. You can use content marketing to create educational materials. This can include blog posts or videos, that address the consumer’s problem or need. You can also use paid advertising to reach a wider audience and drive traffic to your website.
- Consideration stage: At this stage, the consumer is actively considering their options and gathering information. To target this stage, you can create more detailed content. Such as case studies or product demos. This showcases the features and benefits of your product. You can also use retargeting ads to remind potential customers of your brand. This helps to boost brand awareness and keep your product top-of-mind as they continue to research.
- Decision stage: At this stage, the consumer is ready to make a purchase. To target this stage, you can use email marketing to send personalized offers or incentives to encourage the consumer. You can also use live chat or chatbots on your website to provide real-time assistance and answer any last-minute questions that the consumer may have.
How To Find Keywords for The Buyer’s Journey Stages?
First, you’re going to need the right tool. You can use tools such as Google Keyword Planner which is a personal favorite, you can also use tools like Moz or Semrush. Whatever tool you decide to use, make sure you know it well so you can find the best keywords for your product or service.
Furthermore, there are several ways to find keywords for the different stages of the buyer’s journey:
- Start by identifying the problem or need that your product or service solves. This will be the focus of the awareness stage. Use a keyword research tool, such as Google’s Keyword Planner or Ahrefs, to find relevant keywords that people might use when searching for information about this problem or need.
- For the consideration stage, think about the specific features and benefits of your product or service that would be most appealing to consumers. Use the keyword research tool to find keywords related to these features and benefits.
- In the decision stage, people are typically looking for information that will help them make a purchase. Use the keyword research tool to find keywords related to discounts, promotions, or other incentives that might encourage someone to buy. You can also use words like “buy” or “purchase” to target this stage.
Keep in mind that the keywords you use should be relevant to your business and the products or services you offer. It’s also important to use a mix of short-tail and long-tail keywords to capture a range of search queries.
Short-tail keywords are shorter and more general, while long-tail keywords are more specific and tend to have less competition. Using a combination of both can help you reach a wider audience and increase your chances of ranking in search results or SERPs.
The buyer’s keywords
Buyer keywords are keywords that are specifically related to the different stages of the buyer’s journey. They are words or phrases that consumers might use when searching for information about a product or service, and they are typically associated with the different actions that a consumer might take at each stage of the journey.
For example, at the awareness stage, a consumer might use keywords like “problem,” “need,” or “solution.” At the consideration stage, they might use keywords like “compare,” “review,” or “recommendation.” And at the decision stage, they might use keywords like “discount,” “promotion,” or “purchase.”
By understanding buyer keywords and using them in your marketing and sales efforts, you can tailor your message to the specific needs and concerns of consumers at each stage of the journey and increase the chances of converting them into customers.
Google Keyword Planner for The Buyer’s Journey
One of my favorite free tools to use is Google Keyword Planner. It is a tool that is part of the Google Ads platform. It can be used to help you find keywords for the different stages of the buyer’s journey by providing data on search volume and competition for specific keywords.
Here’s how you can use Google Keyword Planner to find keywords for the buyer’s journey:
- Go to https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/ and sign in with your Google account.
- Click on “Find new keywords” in the top menu.
- In the “Your product or service” field, enter a description of your product or service. This could be a specific product, a category of products, or a solution to a problem.
- In the “Your landing page” field, enter the URL of a relevant landing page on your website. This could be a product page, a blog post, or any other page that provides more information about your product or service.
- Click “Get results” to see a list of keywords and their associated data.
- Use the “Filter” options on the left to narrow down the results to specific stages of the buyer’s journey. For example, you could filter by “Avg. monthly searches” to find keywords with high search volume, or by “Competition” to find keywords with low competition.
- Use the “Keyword ideas” tab to see additional keyword ideas and their associated data.
- Select the keywords that you want to use and add them to a list using the “Add to plan” button. You can then download the list as a CSV file or save it to your account for future reference.
Keep in mind that the keyword data provided by Google Keyword Planner is an estimate and may not be completely accurate. Keyword research even for the buyer’s journey is always a risk. You may need to step back and reevaluate different strategies to find what works for you and your niche.
How Can You Benefit from Using Keywords?
Using keywords targeted for the different stages of the buyer’s journey can benefit your website in several ways:
- Improved search engine visibility: By using keywords that are relevant to each stage, you increase the chances your website will rank. This helps you attract more qualified traffic to your website and increase the likelihood that those visitors will become customers.
- Increased conversion rates: By using keywords that are targeted to the specific needs and concerns of consumers at each stage of the buyer’s journey, you can create a more relevant and personalized experience for your visitors. This can help increase conversion rates by making it easier for consumers to find the information they need and encouraging them to take action.
- Better user experience: Using keywords that are relevant to the buyer’s journey can also improve the overall user experience on your website. By providing helpful and informative content that addresses the questions and concerns of consumers at each stage, you can create a more valuable and engaging experience for your visitors.
Overall, using keywords targeted at the buyer’s journey can help you attract the right kind of traffic to your website and increase the chances of converting those visitors into customers.
How Is Keyword Research Relevant?
By using these keywords in your content, you can attract visitors who are looking for information about that problem or need and introduce them to your brand or product as a potential solution.
At the consideration stage, consumers are likely to use keywords that are related to the specific features and benefits of your product or service.
By using these keywords in your content, you can help consumers understand why your product is the best fit for their needs and encourage them to consider it as they make a decision.
At the decision stage, consumers may be using keywords related to discounts, promotions, or other incentives that might encourage them to make a purchase.
By using these keywords in your content, you can help guide consumers toward making a purchase and provide them with the information they need to complete the transaction.
Lastly, keyword research is an important part of the buyer’s journey. Because it helps you create content that is relevant and valuable to consumers at each stage, which can help you attract and convert more customers.
How does keyword search volume affect keyword research?
Keyword search volume refers to the number of times a keyword is searched for on a search engine like Google. When conducting keyword research, search volume is an important factor to consider because it can help you understand the popularity and relevance of a keyword.
Higher search volume generally indicates that a keyword is more popular and relevant to a larger number of people. This can be beneficial if you’re targeting a broad audience or if you want to drive a lot of traffic to your website.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that keywords with high search volume may also have higher competition, which can make it more difficult to rank in search results.
On the other hand, keywords with low search volume may be less competitive but may also be less relevant to a larger audience. These keywords can be a good option if you’re targeting a more specific or niche audience.
Overall, it’s important to consider both search volume and competition when conducting keyword research to find the right balance for your business.
It’s also a good idea to use a mix of short-tail and long-tail keywords, as these can help you capture a range of search queries and reach a wider audience. In fact, long-tail keywords account for 70% of all searches on the internet, according to a study by Ahrefs.
Lastly, incorporating long-tail keywords into your content can also help improve the user experience on your website by providing more detailed and relevant information for visitors. This can help increase engagement and conversions and ultimately drive more business for your company.
Tips for Converting Visitors into Customers
Converting visitors into customers is important for sales because it helps businesses increase revenue and grow their customer base.
When a business is able to successfully convert a visitor into a customer, it means that the visitor has found value in the product or service and has decided to make a purchase. This can help generate more income for the business and build a relationship with the customer that can lead to future sales.
Converting visitors into customers is also important because it allows businesses to track the effectiveness of their marketing and sales efforts. By analyzing conversion rates and customer demographics, businesses can identify areas of strength and weakness and make adjustments to improve their sales performance.
Overall, converting visitors into customers is a critical part of the sales process, and it’s important for businesses to focus on creating a seamless and effective experience for visitors to increase the chances of making a sale.
Additionally, here are some tips for converting visitors into customers:
Tips
- Make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for: Use clear and descriptive headings, categories, and navigation to help visitors quickly locate the information or products they’re interested in.
- Use calls to action to guide visitors towards a conversion: A call to action (CTA) is a button or link that prompts a visitor to take a specific action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form.
- Optimize your website for mobile: More and more consumers are using their smartphones to make purchases, so it’s important to ensure that your website is mobile-friendly.
- Use social proof to build trust: Social proof is the idea that people are more likely to trust a product or service if they see that others are using it and recommending it. You can use customer reviews, testimonials, and social media followers as social proof to build trust and credibility with visitors.
- Offer a strong guarantee or return policy: A strong guarantee or return policy can help build trust with visitors and reduce the risk of making a purchase. Consider offering a money-back guarantee or a hassle-free return policy to give visitors the confidence they need to complete a purchase.
- Use personalized marketing: Personalized marketing involves using data and insights about a customer to create a more tailored and relevant experience.
Let’s Wrap It Up
SEO is hard, and understanding keywords and the buyer’s journey stages can be fairly confusing.
Additionally, this is especially challenging for new bloggers or small business owners. If you need a small boost or just want to discuss any upcoming projects you may have, contact me today!
