Why Answers Are The Answer

Why Answers Are The Answer

Building Intent Personas to Power Your Search Success

VP of Search MarketingGrant Simmons

February 4-5, 2016 | #ConnectSEW | @SEWatch | @simmonet

•  Father •  Sailor •  Englishman •  Marketing dude •  Traffic generator


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@simmonet



“ I’m going to keep things simple. Not because you’re simple, but because I am. ”~ Grantism


“ Google is the most discriminating of users, and yet she’s less than 18 years old. ”~ True Dat

SEO vs. Google vs. Users

~ True Dat


What Do Search Marketers Care About?



good



good

better



best good

better


What Does Google Care About?


What Does Google Care About? Quality



good



good

bad



ugly good

bad



ugly good

bad coyote ugly


What Do Users Care About?


What Do Users Care About? Quality


great answers



I have faith in Google

What Do Users Care About? Quality great

answers


where is it?



great answers


I’m going to try Bing



great answers

where is it?


Quality is About Answers Users •  Where are the best answers? Google •  How can we give the best

answers?


Answers Without Questions… ... Are like...


Answers Without Questions… ... Are like...


In Search of Better Answers



Hummingbird

•  Intelligent parsing •  Attempt at context

understand what I’m asking


Google Rank Brain

•  Learn Intent •  + Context •  BIG data


10 Second Recap •  Users want better answers •  Google wants to provide them •  Search folks need to know / understand

•  The questions users ask & why •  What Google is looking for…

Which is what users are looking for... •  And present those answers:

•  Friendly to users (mobile, usability etc.) •  Friendly to Google (crawl, schema etc.)

“ With faith, there are no questions; without faith, there are no answers. ”~ Yisroel Meir Ha-Cohen

“ Have faith in Grant ”

~ Grantism


Traditional Personas = Demographics



AGE $$$ LOCATION MARITAL SEX





“ These are not the personas you are looking for. ”

INTENT PERSONAS


What are the questions people ask?


Questions?

3 Tools I use •  SEM Rush


Questions?

3 Tools I use •  SEM Rush •  KeywordTool.io


Questions?

3 Tools I use •  SEM Rush •  KeywordTool.io •  Google Search Console


Google Search Console Search Analytics


GSC Search Analytics

My Test SiteFYI. I know nothing about music.

Do not ask me about music.


GSC Search Analytics - Filters













Intent Personas = Based on Data



What users are searching for and why.



What users are searching for and why.

NOT WHO


“best orange Frisbee”


“best orange Frisbee”


User Intent

•  What is their question? •  How can we satisfy it? •  Same goals as Google goals

“ Google wants to think like users. So why don’t we just think like ourselves? ”~ Grantism


How Do We Understand User Intent • Paid search data • Social media • Analytics data • Ask


Users Aren’t Dumb • They will tell you if they’re

• Pissed • Happy • Satisfied

• You just have to…





Listen





Listen

I just need good information about alternative music


Connect. Converse. Listen.

Ask questions Monitor actions Chat in real time

Measure


If You Can’t Talk to Users • Analytics will tell you

• Where they engaged • Where they lingered • Where they left

• If they were…


If You Can’t Talk to Users • Analytics will tell you

• Where they engaged • Where they lingered • Where they left

• If they were…

Satisfied


User Satisfaction (quality assessment) • Did the query match your page? • Can they do what they want easily? • Was the experience noteworthy? • Can they easily share? • Did they say nice things?


User Satisfaction (quality assessment) • Did the query match your page? • Can they do what they want easily? • Was the experience noteworthy? • Can they easily share? • Did they say nice things?

= Quality

“ Is your users’ intent satisfied so they talk about you in a sugar & spice kinda way? ”~ Grantism

“ Lets dig in. ”

“ Never bring an ice pick to a well digging. ”~ Grantism

“ Never bring an ice pick to a well digging. ”~ Grantism

i.e. use the right tools.


Google Search Console

Still My Test SiteFYI. I still know nothing about music.

Do not ask me about music.

Still My Test SiteFYI. I still know nothing about music.

And yes. That is January traffic.I know about traffic.














Example Intent Personas Intent: Learn more about Hip Hop Queries they use ü  “types of hip hop” ü  “hip hop genres”

Answer the questions •  What are different types of hip hop? •  How many different hip hop genres are there?

Maybe create a new page to satisfy?


Example Intent Personas

Same intent, same questions.


5 Second Recap

Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent. Intent.

Let’s connect the dots …

Content:Connect.Converse.Convert.

Content:Connect. With Intent.Converse. To Improve.Convert.

Content:Connect.Converse.Convert.Cool.


Content

•  Understand the question •  Consider the context •  Satisfy the query

•  i.e. answer it well

just give me my answers


Content

•  Understand the question •  Consider the context •  Satisfy the query

•  i.e. answer it well

Intent to Content

just give me my answers


Converse provide passive & active feedback

mechanisms •  Track everything •  Facilitate sharing •  Monitor social media •  Engage where needed


Converse provide passive & active feedback

mechanisms •  Track everything •  Facilitate sharing •  Monitor social media •  Engage where needed

Be Human


Convert

•  Satisfy Intent •  Iterate through data •  Learn


Convert

build your own ‘Rank Brain’

•  Satisfy Intent •  Iterate through data •  Learn


Intent Personas

<- you Google ->

•  Start small •  Iterate through data •  Use your brain

“ You’ve got questions.We’ve got answers. ”

~ Radio Shack

Thank you!

“ You’ve got questions.I’ve got answers. ”

~ Grantism

VP of Search MarketingGrant Simmons

