The Role of Market Research in SEO



If you do a search for your company’s website, where do you show up? Or do you show up so far down the list that you may as well not show up at all? This is what your customers are seeing (or rather not seeing). Getting good results on a search engine means you are in the top 20. Most customers aren’t going to take the time to look beyond this point whether they’ve found what they’re looking for or not.

Let’s face it, even top 20 for a business is risky. You really need to shoot for top 5. So how do you develop a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy to boost your online presence and increase your brand awareness?  Two words: market research.

Here are a few examples of how market research can take your search engine optimization strategy to the next level.

#1. More relevant keywords

Every time your customers search for you, they are competing with millions of other  web pages. Your site does not have an ice cube’s chance in… (well you get it) to rank top 20. Optimizing your content and website is a necessary SEO practice, but what if you're not using the right keywords and phrases? Too general and your site won’t pop up. However, market research can provide an in-depth look at not only WHAT information your target audience is looking for, but also HOW they're looking for it. This will allow you to build a well constructed website and have good search results so that when your customers search, they find YOU, not your competitor.

#2. A leg up on the competition

The goal of course is to one up your competition. This can be done by attracting more customers to your website with more targeted search phrases, but also by knowing what your competitors are up to. Market research can help your company understand which keywords your direct competitors are ranking well for, and which phrases they are focusing on in their searches.  You can also identify the relevant topics they are not focusing on. This low hanging fruit is an oversight your competitors have delivered to you in a lovely gift basket. This is something your business can take advantage of by casting a wider keyword-rich net than your competitors.

#3. Higher quality content

The times they are a changin’! It used to be that search results were all about keywords. Now, however search engines are sort of like a popularity contest. They are placing more emphasis on content that is truly useful -- not just well-optimized. Because of this, search engines are now giving more influence to sites that are not only keyword-rich, but well-liked. In other words, the more inbound links from other sites you have, the more chances your website has of being ranked higher.

Market research provides valuable insight into the needs of your customers. This aids the creation of quality content that customers will find valuable and be more likely to share with others via social media, external links and email.

As you can see, a better understanding of your customers is critical to a successful SEO strategy. The knowledge gained from market research will lead to more relevant keywords and higher-quality content. Not only will your search rankings go through the roof, but you'll also become a trusted source of helpful information. This builds strong relationships with your customers, and makes them more likely to not only find you online, but look for you as well.

Learn about our company and the services and products we offer: http://www.marketresearch.com