How to Win Potential Consumers with Customer Journey Mapping on Google

In case your web site is like most others, there’s possible a mismatch between the content material you present, and what your potential prospects seek for on Google.

This text is about understanding your potential prospects and their dialog with Google by utilizing the buyer journey mapping technique to offer them with the perfect content material. The thought got here to me when watching inside person expertise groups at our company, and I hope it’s going to encourage you as an Search engine optimization to depart your spreadsheets for a second and begin working with sticky notes (yeah, sticky notes).

Later within the article, for example of the tactic, I’ll present you the way a Danish insurance coverage agency managed to come back out of nowhere and dominate the dialog for a strategically vital insurance coverage product.

I’ve constructed +100 buyer journey maps during the last 12 months, so I’m excited to share my information with you.

I’ll come again to this later, however let’s get a couple of definitions in place first:

What’s a buyer journey?

The shopper journey is a mannequin, which describes the levels a potential buyer goes by means of with a view to convert to your answer. It’s a method for us as entrepreneurs to grasp what challenges a person confronts throughout their journey. Once we perceive it, we all know how our advertising efforts ought to present up at each stage.

There are a lot of totally different buyer journey fashions, however I desire the traditional AIDA mannequin, including the Loyalty stage on the finish.

Here’s a description of the 5 levels with examples of typical Google queries:

Consciousness: The prospects understand that they’ve an issue or need and actively begin looking on Google. For instance, they might suppose, “Hey, I am coughing. How do I do away with it?” and seek for “The way to cease coughing?” (40K month-to-month queries within the US).

Curiosity: The prospects begin looking for easy answer queries. An instance is “cough medication” (59K month-to-month queries). On this stage, they may even search for substitutes (e.g. “honey ginger tea”).

Need: The prospects change into extra educated and refine their search to search out the precise answer for them. They seek for totally different attributes of the product reminiscent of segments (“toddler cough medication”) and kinds (“non drowsy cough medication”). That is additionally the shopper journey stage the place customers subsequently get into the shopping for mode with greatest/least expensive/low cost queries (e.g. “greatest coughing medication for dry cough”). Additionally they start to seek for manufacturers. Typical queries on Google might be “Delsym cough medication” (5.2K month-to-month queries) and comparability queries, like “Delsym vs Robitussin” (1.6K month-to-month queries).

Motion: The prospects have made their alternative and are able to take motion. A typical search could be “Delsym close to me” (90 month-to-month queries).

Loyalty: The prospects have became purchasers and will have questions concerning the newly bought product. A typical instance might be “Delsym negative effects”.

What’s buyer journey mapping on Google?

Buyer journey mapping is a conventional train when working with person expertise (UX), attempting to visualise the everyday touchpoints for a person and thereby perceive how one can create a frictionless expertise.

As I discussed within the intro, I had a lightweight bulb second watching our UX groups. Why couldn’t SEOs undertake this apply and map up the shopper journey with Google information? The place UX groups use qualitative interviews, eye monitoring, shopper suggestions and intestine feeling, Google information is the onerous information that’s lacking.

The thought of doing buyer journey mapping on Google was born.

We’ve got the information proper at our toes. With Google’s personal information sources (e.g. Google Search Console) and third social gathering instruments (e.g. Moz Key phrase Explorer), SEOs can map out a big a part of the shopper journey.

Simply have a look at your person information in Google Analytics, and you will note how dominant Google is. In response to a research by GrowthBadger, throughout industries 50-90% of all visitors got here from Google. Whereas social media is a good activation channel in 2022, prospects nonetheless go to Google when they should educate themselves earlier than they contact you.

By mapping your entire buyer journey on Google we perceive:

1. What are the most important matters that potential purchasers are querying on Google?

2. What’s the search intent behind the dialog potential purchasers are having with Google, which may match our USPs?

3. The place are the “peak ends”, that means crucial dialog touchpoints on Google, that may win or lose a future buyer?

4. What’s the timeline of search intent, so we perceive how one can prioritize content material improvement?

Why it’s best to use buyer journey mapping on Google

There are three most important arguments for why it’s best to use buyer journey mapping.

1) Concentrating on particular key phrases is outdated. We have to give attention to proudly owning person intent as an alternative.

Particularly with Google’s introduction of BERT in September 2019, they perceive searches higher than ever. And with their MUM replace, the search expertise will change into much more spectacular. This additionally signifies that we, the SEOs, should adapt to those advances, focus much less on focusing on particular key phrases, and as an alternative give attention to the person intent.

To present an instance, all of the key phrases beneath have the identical intent and ought to be seen as one:

The whole month-to-month search quantity for this search intent is 4,000 month-to-month queries within the US, so it is a large touchpoint to miss in your content material, in case you promote sleeping luggage.

2) We have to share Search engine optimization information insights with advertising groups – and do it quick.

It ought to be our purpose to interrupt out of the Search engine optimization silo and make sure that Search engine optimization helps advertising methods and actions.

Individuals in your advertising division might not even know that Google Search Console exists, and even fewer might have entry, so SEOs have to share the insights from this goldmine of knowledge.

Search engine optimization silo evaluation can take weeks, however when aligning with the remainder of the corporate, velocity is essential. Choices in advertising are made each day, so SEOs want to have the ability to present information rapidly. A buyer journey map will be created inside a couple of hours, and is a good way to visualise information in ways in which any non-Search engine optimization can perceive.

3) Matter clustering doesn’t provide the full image.

Are you already working with matter clustering and suppose that buyer journey mapping feels like the identical? It’s not.

A traditional matter cluster solely covers the Curiosity/Need levels within the buyer journey. A subject cluster consists of the principle web page (the cash web page), which ranks for crucial key phrase (e.g. “automobile insurance coverage”) and numerous supporting pages (pillar pages), which is able to rank for secondary key phrases (e.g. “automobile insurance coverage for teenagers” and “automobile insurance coverage calculator”).

Buyer journey mapping covers the total buyer journey together with the early a part of the funnel and the post-sales stage. These two levels are vital to concentrate to, with a view to be seen as a topical authority by Google, and naturally to assist your potential client alongside their complete journey.

Early-funnel

Research have proven that serving to a person early within the course of will make them bear in mind you in a while. At an early stage of the journey, the prospect shouldn’t be but conscious of the answer, so they’ll do symptom queries. Such a question isn’t really easy to determine, however this additionally signifies that your rivals are in all probability lacking out on them. This is usually a nice alternative for additional visitors.

To analysis symptom queries you might want to suppose like your prospect. What would they seek for once they aren’t positive what they’re searching for? A option to validate if the symptom queries are related for you, test in “Associated searches” on the backside of web page one on Google, if any answer queries are listed. It’s an indicator, if it’s a related question or not.

One other vital side is to teach the prospect in order that they gained’t select the unsuitable answer. In my final Moz Weblog submit on Search engine optimization sprints, I confirmed an instance of prospects trying to find yellow-tinted glasses for driving at evening. That is the unsuitable answer, as a result of opposing vehicles have blue lights. That is vital content material to offer your viewers, with a view to lead prospects in the precise course. What’s a false impression in your trade?

Publish-sale

The post-sale queries are very priceless, as a result of these are queries completed by precise purchasers. This isn’t solely about serving to them out with their precise drawback, however it’s also an vital touchpoint to heat them up for his or her subsequent conversion.

If you wish to determine post-sale queries rapidly, then use this regex components in your Google Search Console:

b(clear|damaged|wash off|shattered|polish|drawback|deal with|doesn’t work|substitute|doesn’t begin|scratch|restore|handbook|repair|defend|renew|protection|guarantee)[” “]

If you don’t rank effectively for the queries that present up, then you probably have a content material hole.

Not all your content material will convert immediately. Some content material is extra apt for micro conversions (see a video, learn one other piece of content material, obtain pdf). With buyer journey mapping, you’re compelled to put the search intent so as of look. This may enable you perceive how one can construction your content material and what a chunk of content material ought to do.

The way to construct a buyer journey map utilizing Google information

Let me stroll you thru the method.

Step 1 : Outline your persona and your goal

What will we wish to acquire, and who’s our persona/s? This vital first step ensures that we create the scope for the mapping.

Step 2 : Get the information and map out the intents

Subsequent up is to map out the person intent. I’ll initially use the shopper’s Google Search Console.

I’ll filter 12 months of knowledge for a particular key phrase. I’ll then undergo my key phrase listing. On this instance I’m doing a map for “Pure playgrounds”. One intent is “pure playground gear”. I’ve marked three queries beneath, which have the identical intent: Pure playground gear, Nature playground gear and Nature play gear.

That is one intent recognized. Normally, I write the intent on a sticky be aware with the search quantity and the typical rating. Right here is an instance beneath from a session.

When I’m not capable of finding extra intents in Google Search Console I’ll add information from third social gathering instruments reminiscent of Moz Explorer. Right here I’ve inserted the key phrase “Pure playground” within the suggestion field, and an inventory of related key phrases seem.

Step 3 : Map the post-its in a funnel

I then draw up a gross sales funnel on a whiteboard, the place I place the sticky notes. I’ll transfer them round and cluster them, the place it is smart. I’ll finally revisit my instruments to get extra information, if I see gaps within the funnel. This ought to be a fast course of. That is how my whiteboard finally ends up trying:

When I’ve accomplished this train I’ve a terrific understanding of the prospects’ dialog with Google. The following step is to insert the intents in PowerPoint, so it may be offered to the shopper. Right here is an instance. The visitors lights present how the positioning performs (Inexperienced = Rank 1-3 in Google. Yellow = Remainder of web page 1. Crimson = Web page 2 or worse.). The dimensions of the bubbles characterize the search quantity.

When a map like that is offered, it’s going to naturally kick-start a give attention to how we will convert all of the intents to inexperienced.

How a Danish insurance coverage agency gained prospects with buyer journey mapping

Købstædernes Forsikring is without doubt one of the oldest insurance coverage companies in Denmark, established in 1731. Traditionally, they haven’t targeted on Search engine optimization, so after I began serving to them, they’d little or no non-branded presence on Google.

Step 1 – We wish to personal the dialog on Google for “wage insurance coverage”

“Wage insurance coverage” is a product supplied by all of the insurance coverage trade gamers. If you happen to lose your job, then with this insurance coverage, you may cowl 90% of your wage. This can be a strategically vital product for Købstædernes, and Google is an enormous touchpoint of their prospects’ buyer journey.

Step 2 – Let’s get the information for “wage insurance coverage” and create a buyer journey map

To get an understanding of potential buyer search intent, we created the next buyer journey map. Every bubble represents a search intent. The dimensions of the bubble exhibits the relative search quantity and the colour represents their common rating. I exploit visitors mild colours to visualise this (Inexperienced: ranks in prime 3, Yellow: Rank 4-10, Crimson: Outdoors web page 1 on Google).

To map out the dialog with Google, I used their Google Search Console information, supported with third social gathering instruments reminiscent of Moz Key phrase Explorer. Moreover, I held an interview with the product crew to grasp the potential shopper profiles higher, so I may determine the preliminary symptom searches.

Because the advertising crew at Købstædernes usually are not Search engine optimization savvy, then a buyer journey map was a good way to clarify that we weren’t a part of the dialog in any respect. They instantly grasped our start line, and will assist by figuring out the fascinating conversations we ought to be a part of. Moreover, they may take the dialog insights and use them in the remainder of their advertising combine.

Step 3 – Executing on the insights from the shopper journey map

When the advertising crew signed off on the journey map, we moved on to the second half, which was to grasp what content material to construct, repurpose, and optimize. To have the ability to match matters between prospects’ dialog with Google and the content material on the web site, we would have liked to optimize 10 pages and create 5 new pages.

As with most organizations, Købstædernes doesn’t have limitless sources. Thus, the shopper journey map was a terrific asset to grasp how one can prioritize their efforts. Content material within the decrease funnel ought to be produced first.

Over a interval of two months, my small crew managed to carry out these duties. Whereas it’s not the subject of this text I wish to point out {that a} undertaking administration software reminiscent of Asana, Monday.com, Trello or different is important to make sure an environment friendly course of. If you happen to use a spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets or different) give attention to duties can simply be forgotten. With a undertaking administration software you may assign duties, set deadlines, describe duties and sub duties, insert tags and so forth. I see it time and time once more that when key staff depart a Search engine optimization undertaking is placed on maintain. I’d subsequently strongly urge you to make use of considered one of these instruments to keep away from mind drain and focus.

The outcomes after 10 months

Right here is the event after 10 months. As you may see, now we have managed to personal an enormous chunk of the dialog:

Site visitors has regularly elevated, with 100% progress for the final three months in comparison with the prior interval.

In abstract

Google is by far the most important touchpoint in most buyer journeys throughout industries, so it’s apparent that onerous information from Google Search Console and third-party instruments reminiscent of Moz Key phrase Explorer will help us perceive person intent. Buyer journey mapping on Google is a mannequin to allow the information by visualizing it, making certain that the total advertising crew understands the prospects’ dialog with Google.

On the identical time, it offers a transparent overview of content material prioritization, which is a vital level, since most groups have restricted sources.

Let me finish with a couple of recommendations on buyer journey maps:

1. Be sure you have a transparent aim along with your buyer journey. If there’s multiple aim, break the shopper journey into a number of totally different buyer journey maps.

2. Perceive your USPs to give attention to the related search intent. If mandatory, break down the broader person intents into smaller ones on underlying buyer journey maps, to get a greater overview.

I hope this weblog submit about buyer journey mapping has impressed you to consider how one can perceive your prospects’ dialog with Google in a brand new method. Completely happy mapping!