I originally wrote Psychology of SEO in June 2012. Little of my personal opinion on the topic has changed since then. Psychology has always been important in SEO, because your audience has always been the most important. Without a customer-focus, lasting SEO value doesn’t exist. This has always been my approach, which may be one reason my websites have never been hurt by algorithm updates. I’ve always believed people are first, and keywords are servants within every message.
If there’s one thing that’s changed since 2012, however, it’s the level in the importance of producing content that’s centered on creating an enjoyable experience for people. Even if you hire an SEO firm to help you reach page one on Google, your success will be fragile unless your content offers real value to your audience. If you find your content failing to convert visitors into action takers, that’s proof it’s not enough to reach the first page in search. It’s not enough to get people to click on Google ads or Facebook ads. Your content must create a connection.
To develop connections with your visitors, you need to understand the psychology behind an effective SEO approach.
1. The Psychology of SEO That Drives Search Behavior.
When you know why people use certain keywords, you can target content effectively.
- “How to… ” searches attract a visitor who wants to master something and do it for him/herself. If you’re selling a how-to book, then this search fits your potential customer.
- “Why does… ” attracts visitors who are seeking answers.
- “When does…” also attracts visitors who are seeking answers.
- “Who offers…” may attract a visitor seeking a specific service or training program.
Exploring the pain points that initiate a search will also help you write content that delivers answers your desired audience resonates with.
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Study the psychology of marketing and use it.
2. The Psychology of Customer Perception
Your perspective is important, but it is always less important than your customer’s unless there’s a conflict between your values. Ultimately, remaining aligned with your core values is essential to being of genuine value to your customer base.
What customer perceptions should you avoid?
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3. The Psychology of Needs-based Long-tail Keywords
Needs-based keywords are often question based. They suggest someone who is looking for a solution, someone who is ready to buy.
Emphasize a natural flow of content as you use a combination of long-tail keywords and related terms. Don’t work keywords in just for the sake of using them. Make sure they contribute to the message effectively. You don’t want visitors to identify your keywords consciously.
4. The Psychology behind Taking Action
Clicks from an ad or an organic search suggestion are only as good as the actions they lead to. In internet marketing, the term used for action taking is ‘conversions.’
First, prepare your content so you’re attracting people who are considering taking some type of action. This means you must understand what your visitor needs as you create written materials, videos, infographics, etc. It can be a very powerful thing when you show how taking action will resolve the prospect’s issue.
Next, ensure your content on each page only targets one action. This content is for members only.
5. The Psychology behind Content that ‘Sells’
Every word you craft, every video you produce is either selling the service or product, or it’s turning potential customers away. If you’re pushing a sales message, you will drive more people away that you attract. This is the primary reason to master the technique of approaching content with an inbound marketing focus.
No one teaches the technique more effectively than HubSpot. Over the past 10 years, they’ve grown from a startup to a publicly traded company promoting this one technique and by building the tools that make it easy to manage sales using the technique. It’s worth a visit to their blog.
Treat every page like it’s a sales/landing page. In other words, make sure every page on your website and every post you write has a purpose—a person it’s meant to reach and value for that person. This heightens the importance of crafting every message—written and visual—so it delivers person value first. SEO and sales potential follow.
The tribe you serve deserves content that makes the next step, whatever it is, logical. They’ll also appreciate the evidence that you care about what’s best for their needs.
