How to Win Potential Consumers with Customer Journey Mapping on Google

If your web site is like most others, there may be possible a mismatch between the content material you present, and what your potential prospects seek for on Google.

This article is about understanding your potential prospects and their dialog with Google by utilizing the buyer journey mapping technique to supply them with the most effective content material. The thought got here to me when watching inside consumer expertise groups at our company, and I hope it should encourage you as an Search engine optimisation 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 ways a Danish insurance coverage agency managed to return out of nowhere and dominate the dialog for a strategically essential insurance coverage product.

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

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

What is a buyer journey?

The buyer journey is a mannequin, which describes the phases a potential buyer goes by means of with the intention to convert to your answer. It is a approach for us as entrepreneurs to grasp what challenges a consumer confronts throughout their journey. When we perceive it, we all know how our advertising efforts ought to present up at each stage.

There are many alternative buyer journey fashions, however I favor the traditional AIDA mannequin, including the Loyalty stage on the finish.

Here is an outline of the 5 phases with examples of typical Google queries:

Awareness: The prospects notice that they’ve an issue or want and actively begin looking on Google. For instance, they could suppose, “Hey, I’m coughing. How do I get rid of it?” and seek for “How to stop coughing?” (40K month-to-month queries within the US).

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

Desire: The prospects grow to be extra educated and refine their search to seek out the appropriate answer for them. They seek for completely different attributes of the product resembling segments (“infant cough medicine”) and kinds (“non drowsy cough medicine”). This can also be the client journey stage the place customers subsequently get into the shopping for mode with greatest/most cost-effective/low cost queries (e.g. “best coughing medicine for dry cough”). They additionally start to seek for manufacturers. Typical queries on Google may very well be “Delsym cough medicine” (5.2K month-to-month queries) and comparability queries, like “Delsym vs Robitussin” (1.6K month-to-month queries).

Action: The prospects have made their selection and are able to take motion. A typical search can be “Delsym near me” (90 month-to-month queries).

Loyalty: The prospects have changed into purchasers and will have questions in regards to the newly bought product. A typical instance may very well be “Delsym unintended effects”.

What is buyer journey mapping on Google?

Customer journey mapping is a standard train when working with consumer expertise (UX), making an attempt to visualise the everyday touchpoints for a consumer and thereby perceive tips on how to create a frictionless expertise.

As I discussed within the intro, I had a light-weight bulb second watching our UX groups. Why couldn’t SEOs undertake this observe and map up the client journey with Google knowledge? Where UX groups use qualitative interviews, eye monitoring, consumer suggestions and intestine feeling, Google knowledge is the arduous knowledge that’s lacking.

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

We have the info proper at our toes. With Google’s personal knowledge sources (e.g. Google Search Console) and third occasion instruments (e.g. Moz Keyword Explorer), SEOs can map out a big a part of the client journey.

Just take a look at your consumer knowledge in Google Analytics, and you will note how dominant Google is. According to a examine by GrowthBadger, throughout industries 50-90% of all visitors got here from Google. While social media is a superb 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 is the search intent behind the dialog potential purchasers are having with Google, which may match our USPs?

3. Where are the “peak ends”, that means an important dialog touchpoints on Google, that may win or lose a future buyer?

4. What is the timeline of search intent, so we perceive tips on how to prioritize content material improvement?

Why you need to use buyer journey mapping on Google

There are three major arguments for why you need to use buyer journey mapping.

1) Targeting particular key phrases is outdated. We have to give attention to proudly owning consumer intent as an alternative.

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

To give an instance, all of the key phrases under 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 this can be a large touchpoint to miss in your content material, should you promote sleeping luggage.

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

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

People 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 information.

Search engine optimisation silo evaluation can take weeks, however when aligning with the remainder of the corporate, pace is essential. Decisions in advertising are made every day, so SEOs want to have the ability to present knowledge rapidly. A buyer journey map will be created inside just a few hours, and is an effective way to visualise knowledge in ways in which any non-Search engine optimisation can perceive.

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

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

A traditional matter cluster solely covers the Interest/Desire phases within the buyer journey. A subject cluster consists of the primary web page (the cash web page), which ranks for an important key phrase (e.g. “car insurance”) and numerous supporting pages (pillar pages), which is able to rank for secondary key phrases (e.g. “car insurance for teens” and “car insurance calculator”).

Customer journey mapping covers the total buyer journey together with the early a part of the funnel and the post-sales stage. These two phases are essential to concentrate to, with the intention to be seen as a topical authority by Google, and naturally to assist your potential shopper alongside their whole journey.

Early-funnel

Studies have proven that serving to a consumer early within the course of will make them bear in mind you in a while. At an early stage of the journey, the prospect is just not but conscious of the answer, so they’ll do symptom queries. This sort of question isn’t really easy to determine, however this additionally implies that your opponents are most likely lacking out on them. This generally is a nice alternative for additional visitors.

To analysis symptom queries it is advisable suppose like your prospect. What would they seek for after they aren’t certain what they’re on the lookout for? A technique to validate if the symptom queries are related for you, verify in “Related searches” on the backside of web page one on Google, if any answer queries are listed. It is an indicator, if it’s a related question or not.

Another essential side is to teach the prospect in order that they gained’t select the mistaken answer. In my final Moz Blog submit on Search engine optimisation sprints, I confirmed an instance of prospects trying to find yellow-tinted glasses for driving at night time. This is the mistaken answer, as a result of opposing vehicles have blue lights. This is essential content material to supply your viewers, with the intention to lead prospects in the appropriate route. What is a false impression in your trade?

Post-sale

The post-sale queries are very helpful, as a result of these are queries finished by precise purchasers. This is just not solely about serving to them out with their precise downside, however it is usually an essential 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|downside|deal with|doesn’t work|substitute|doesn’t begin|scratch|restore|guide|repair|shield|renew|protection|guarantee)[” “]

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

Not your whole content material will convert straight. 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 position the search intent so as of look. This will assist you to perceive tips on how to construction your content material and what a bit of content material ought to do.

How to construct a buyer journey map utilizing Google knowledge

Let me stroll you thru the method.

Step 1 : Define your persona and your goal

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

Step 2 : Get the info and map out the intents

Next up is to map out the consumer intent. I’ll initially use the consumer’s Google Search Console.

I’ll filter 12 months of information for a selected key phrase. I’ll then undergo my key phrase checklist. In this instance I’m doing a map for “Natural playgrounds”. One intent is “natural playground equipment”. I’ve marked three queries under, which have the identical intent: Natural playground gear, Nature playground gear and Nature play gear.

This is one intent recognized. Usually, I write the intent on a sticky observe with the search quantity and the common rating. Here is an instance under from a session.

When I’m not capable of finding extra intents in Google Search Console I’ll add knowledge from third occasion instruments resembling Moz Explorer. Here I’ve inserted the key phrase “Natural 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 sensible. I’ll finally revisit my instruments to get extra knowledge, if I see gaps within the funnel. This ought to be a fast course of. This is how my whiteboard finally ends up wanting:

When I’ve accomplished this train I’ve an amazing understanding of the prospects’ dialog with Google. The subsequent step is to insert the intents in PowerPoint, so it may be offered to the consumer. Here is an instance. The visitors lights present how the positioning performs (Green = Rank 1-3 in Google. Yellow = Rest of web page 1. Red = Page 2 or worse.). The dimension of the bubbles symbolize the search quantity.

When a map like that is offered, it should 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 among the oldest insurance coverage corporations in Denmark, established in 1731. Historically, they haven’t centered on Search engine optimisation, so once 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 “salary insurance”

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

Step 2 – Let’s get the info for “salary insurance” and create a buyer journey map

To get an understanding of potential buyer search intent, we created the next buyer journey map. Each bubble represents a search intent. The dimension of the bubble reveals the relative search quantity and the colour represents their common rating. I exploit visitors mild colours to visualise this (Green: ranks in high 3, Yellow: Rank 4-10, Red: Outside web page 1 on Google).

To map out the dialog with Google, I used their Google Search Console knowledge, supported with third occasion instruments resembling Moz Keyword Explorer. Furthermore, I held an interview with the product group to grasp the potential consumer profiles higher, so I might determine the preliminary symptom searches.

Since the advertising group at Købstædernes will not be Search engine optimisation savvy, then a buyer journey map was an effective way to clarify that we weren’t a part of the dialog in any respect. They instantly grasped our place to begin, and will assist by figuring out the fascinating conversations we ought to be a part of. Furthermore, they might take the dialog insights and use them in the remainder of their advertising combine.

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

When the advertising group 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 be capable to match matters between prospects’ dialog with Google and the content material on the web site, we wanted to optimize 10 pages and create 5 new pages.

As with most organizations, Købstædernes doesn’t have limitless assets. Thus, the client journey map was an amazing asset to grasp tips on how to prioritize their efforts. Content within the decrease funnel ought to be produced first.

Over a interval of two months, my small group managed to carry out these duties. While it isn’t the subject of this text I want to point out {that a} undertaking administration instrument resembling Asana, Monday.com, Trello or different is important to make sure an environment friendly course of. If you employ a spreadsheet (Excel, Google Sheets or different) give attention to duties can simply be forgotten. With a undertaking administration instrument you may assign duties, set deadlines, describe duties and sub duties, insert tags and many others. I see it time and time once more that when key workers go away a Search engine optimisation undertaking is placed on maintain. I’d due to this fact strongly urge you to make use of certainly one of these instruments to keep away from mind drain and focus.

The outcomes after 10 months

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

Traffic has steadily elevated, with 100% development 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 arduous knowledge from Google Search Console and third-party instruments resembling Moz Keyword Explorer may help us perceive consumer intent. Customer journey mapping on Google is a mannequin to allow the info by visualizing it, making certain that the total advertising group understands the prospects’ dialog with Google.

At the identical time, it provides a transparent overview of content material prioritization, which is a crucial level, since most groups have restricted assets.

Let me finish with just a few tips on buyer journey maps:

1. Make certain you might have a transparent aim along with your buyer journey. If there may be multiple aim, break the client journey into a number of completely different buyer journey maps.

2. Understand your USPs to give attention to the related search intent. If essential, break down the broader consumer 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 approach. Happy mapping!