SEO is the process of improving a website’s rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs). Higher rankings lead to more organic traffic, so SEO is crucial for driving visitors to your site.
The marketing funnel represents the typical journey a customer goes through before making a purchase. The funnel has three main stages: awareness, consideration, and decision.
In this post, we’ll explain how you can leverage SEO tactics to target your audience at each stage of the marketing funnel. Optimizing for keywords and creating relevant content for each phase will attract more qualified visitors and convert them into customers. Read on to learn actionable tips to boost your SEO efforts throughout the buyer’s journey.
Awareness Stage
Identifying relevant keywords that your target audience is likely to use when they’re just starting to learn about your industry or products/services is crucial for targeting them in the awareness stage. To do this, you need to understand your audience’s pain points, problems they want to solve, and questions they have.
Once you gain insight into their needs, you can brainstorm awareness stage keywords using tools like Google Keyword Planner and Ahrefs. For a running shoe business, these could include “benefits of running,” “how to start running,” and “running shoes for flat feet.”
After compiling keyword ideas, create high-quality content that educates your audience on these topics. Well-written blog posts, videos, ebooks, and infographics are great formats. Optimize this content for your target keywords too.
Here are some examples of high-quality content that you could create for the awareness stage:
- Blog posts about the benefits of running, different types of running shoes, and how to choose the right running shoes for your needs.
- Videos that demonstrate how to run properly or how to choose the right running shoes.
- Ebooks or whitepapers about running training or choosing the right running shoes.
- Infographics that summarize the key benefits of running or the different types of running shoes available.
Promote your informative content through social media, guest blogging, and influencer outreach. Share posts on your social channels and use relevant hashtags. Reach out to others in your industry to syndicate your content or ask them to share it. This will help more of your target audience discover your content.
Consideration Stage
In the consideration stage, your audience knows about your industry/products but wants to evaluate options before purchasing. Target more specific keywords indicating research into products. For running shoes, these may include “compare running shoes” and “reviews of running shoes.”
Here are some examples of content that you could create for the consideration stage:
- Comparison tables that compare the features and benefits of different running shoes.
- Blog posts that review different running shoes and discuss their pros and cons.
- Videos that compare and contrast different running shoes.
- Ebooks or whitepapers that compare and contrast different running shoes or running training programs.
Offer free trials, demos, or consultations to let your audience test products firsthand. This builds trust and confidence. For running shoes, you could offer:
- A free week-long trial of a shoe subscription service
- A free demo of a running app
- A free consultation with a running coach
Giving your audience hands-on experience can persuade them to choose your product over competitors.
Decision Stage
In the decision stage, your audience is ready to purchase. Target keywords indicating buying intent like “buy running shoes online” and “running shoes sale.”
Create dedicated landing pages optimized for your target keywords. These pages should:
- Have a clear, benefit-focused headline
- Highlight key features
- Use strong calls to action like “Buy Now”
- Be mobile-friendly
One way to encourage your target audience to buy now is to offer discounts, promotions, and other incentives. This could include things like free shipping, easy returns, or money-back guarantees.
- 10% off first orders
- Free shipping on orders over $50
- A 30-day money-back guarantee
Making the buying process seamless and enticing with special offers will help convert your qualified audience into customers.
Conclusion
SEO is a powerful tool that can help you target your audience at each stage of the marketing funnel. By optimizing for relevant keywords and creating informative, engaging content for each phase, you can attract more qualified visitors to your site.
Follow the tips outlined above to identify keywords, create optimized content, and promote that content effectively for each stage. Educate your audience in the awareness phase, provide helpful comparisons in the consideration stage, and make buying easy during the decision stage.
Implementing this comprehensive SEO and content strategy will help you boost your website traffic and convert those visitors into customers. With a buyer-focused approach throughout the funnel, you can leverage SEO to its full potential and see great returns on your efforts. Use it to drive real business results.