From the SMX West Conference in San Jose, California, March 1-3, 2016. SESSION: Understanding Your Consumer's Journey - Using Search Science For Keyword Research. PRESENTATION: Using Search Science For Keyword Research - Given by Tony Verre, @TonyVerre - DreamFire Digital Marketing, Founder. #SMX #23C1

1. #SMX #23C1 @TonyVerre
Using Search Science for Keyword Research
Understanding
Your Consumer’s
Journey

2. #SMX #23C1 @TonyVerre
Conversation Starters & Ice-Breakers
• Founder
DreamFire
Digital
• Blissfully
Obsessed
with
Digital
Marketing
• Literary
Teacher-­‐Turned-­‐SEO
• Comic
Nerd
• Fledgling
Improviser
• Full-­‐time
Weekend
Soccer
Dad

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Consumer Marketing Surveys Don’t Always Tell the Truth
You Can Only Believe Half
of What You Hear & Read

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Consumer Marketing Research
Lost
1.85
Billion
Dollars
when
consumers
indicated
in
a
survey
they
wanted
to
see
“less
cluttered
shelves”
In
response
to
the
“Pepsi
Challenge”,
spent
4
Million
dollars
in
nation-­‐wide
taste
tests
and
a
lot
of
pride
Consumers
said
they
wanted
an
“adult
burger”,
spent
$300
million
on
the
research,
production,
and
marketing
for
the
Arch
Deluxe

5. #SMX #23C1 @TonyVerre
The Consumer Pinocchio Syndrome
50%
-­‐
84%*
of
consumers
don’t
provide
honest
responses
about
their
behaviors
in
marketing
surveys
Sources:
mTAB,
“Why
People
Lie
on
Customer
Surveys;
LightspeedGMI
“Honesty
Detector”

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No One Lies To Search Engines
• 3
Billion
Searches/Day
• 1.1
Trillion
Searches/Year
• 12
Years
of
Search
Trends
• 15
Years
of
Consumer
Search
Behavior
• #1
Online
Retailer
in
the
World
• 44%
Start
Product
Searches
on
Amazon
• 2.25
Billion
Unique
Visitors/Year
• 12
Years
of
Consumer
Search
Behavior

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Awaken Your Inner Search Scientist
Get
inside
consumers’
heads
using
observable
and
quantifiable
search
data
to
discover
consumer
needs,
intents,
and
search
behaviors

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Using Search Science To Discover
The Consumers’ Journey

9. #SMX #23C1 @TonyVerre
Tools of the Search Scientist Trade

10. #SMX #23C1 @TonyVerre
Phases of the Consumer Search Journey
Consumer
Need
State
Research
&
Discovery
Purchase
Consideration
Purchase
Reviews
&
Evaluation
What need(s) is the
consumer trying to solve with
the product or service?
The primary search terms
and phrases consumers
start their research and
discovery of products with:
- HEAD TERMS
- Main Research
Segments
Consumers use terms like,
“Where can I buy,” and also
with product-specific criteria
88% of consumers trust online
reviews as much as a
personal recommendation;
70% use reviews before
purchasing
Consumers
use
more
long-­‐tail
terms,
start
narrowing
brands
like,
“[BRAND]
review”
or
“[BRAND]
+
Product,”
more
review-­‐centric

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Using
Google
Trends

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Where It’s Been & Where It’s Going
Use
3
–
5
Year
Business
Cycle
to
examine
consumer
search
trends
Top-­‐Level
trends
can
be
misleading;
compare
terms
to
the
category
for
a
true
sense
of
what
search
terms
are
driving
the
category

13. #SMX #23C1 @TonyVerre
Getting To Know the Category
Catalog
topics,
queries,
and
the
geographical
centers
that
are
driving
the
product
category
Popular
Topics
Top
Queries
Geographic
Hubs

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Using
Google
Predictive
Search

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Using Google’s Crystal Ball
Use
Google
Predictive
Search
and
Related
Searches
on
head
terms.
Screen
shoot,
catalog,
rinse
and
repeat

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Using
Google
Keyword
Planner

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Boiling The Ocean of Keywords
1
Enter
head
terms,
top
phrases,
and
predictive
terms
using
the
closest
category
possible
Review,
examine,
and
add
as
many
Keyword
Planner
groups
to
your
plan
2
Download
to
XLS
and
prepare
to
start
boiling
the
ocean
Tip: Concentrate on 1 product/service at a time
3

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Sifting and Refining the Salt

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Using
Amazon
Predictive
Search

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When They’re Ready to Buy
As
eCommerce
and
the
Digital
Shelf
continue
to
expand
reach,
Research
and
Discovery
&
Purchase
Consideration
Terms
are
now
the
Purchase
Terms.
Amazon
Predictive
Search
is
the
doorway
to
understanding
what
unbranded
terms
trigger
purchase

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Synthesizing
Consumer
Needs
&
Behaviors

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Synthesizing Your Search Need States
Taking
All
This:
529,570
301,660
111,620
105,880
Largest
Need
States
by
Volume
Hair
Types
&
Types
of
Shampoo/Conditioner
Brands
of
Shampoo/
Conditioner
Head
Terms
&
Best
Shampoo/Conditioner
Shampoo/Conditioner
Ingredients
Shampoo/Conditioner
for
Gender
Into
This:

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24. #SMX #23C1 @TonyVerre
Building
Long-­‐Term
Digital
Strategy

25. #SMX #23C1 @TonyVerre
It’s More Than On-Page; It’s Digital Marketing Strategy
Semantic
Targeting
Site
Architecture
Content
Creation
Paid
Search

26. #SMX #23C1 @TonyVerre
SEE YOU AT THE NEXT #SMX!
THANK YOU!