Most (if not all) business owners would like to get more sales: online, or offline, sales are what drives a business forward.
Sometimes it doesn't take many sales -- high ticket items that command a high price point can generate a healthy income with one or two sales a month -- but all businesses rely on having paying customers.
There are three keys to making more sales:
- finding more potential customers;
- converting more potential customers;
- selling more to existing customers.
Keyword research can help each of the above; it's all about knowing where to find your market, how to communicate with them, and then how to keep them interested.
Using Keywords to find Potential Customers
Potential customers (those who are willing to buy) use keywords differently to those who are just looking for information.
For example, they will be using terms like "how much" or "where to buy", as well as geographic trigger words such as city names. All of these indicate a person ready to buy, as opposed to someone merely researching.
Brand and model names are also useful indicators, especially when combined with words such as "versus" or "reviews".
Keyword research helps to isolate phrases that can be used to create content designed to pull in potential customers via the SERPs (search engine result pages) rather than merely appealing to everyone.
There will be fewer hits, but conversion rates should be higher.
Converting Visitors into Customers using Keywords
One of the highest converting complementary keywords is "free".
It is an emotional trigger word, as well as a way to convey the idea that the prospect is getting something for nothing.
However, in some circles it can also devalue your product offering; and there are even people who wouldn't even count a person who has downloaded a free gift as a customer at all.
So, although the word "free" crops up repeatedly in keyword research, it's unlikely to be a great indicator of a potential paying customer, unless you can find a way to convert them down the line.
But, it's an important first step; since even the act of downloading something and reading it requires some effort: it might have been zero cost in monetary terms, but it has cost effort and as such these people are to be considered customers.
Keyword research can also be used to reveal what non-free keywords your potential customers are looking for. Using those keywords in your text ought to help convert them into customers because you are participating in a conversation that they are already having with themselves.
Leverage Your Customer Base with Integrated Keyword Research
Every contact with existing customers -- those who have put their hands up by buying from you or downloading something from your site -- should be geared towards a Call to Action (CTA).
The more that your customers can be encouraged to engage with you, the more they will spend.
Provide a search function on your site; and integrate the keywords searched for with your regular keyword research activity. This way you will leverage their engagement to yield new avenues through which you can provide them even more value.
After all, that's all that you are trying to do with your search engine and keyword marketing: find out what the market needs, how they are trying to locate products to satisfy those needs, and providing them with the best solution on the market.
Anything less will not provide a basis for long term competitive advantage, and making keyword research part of that competitive advantage should be one of a business' strategic plan.
For a more detailed look at how keyword research can help to get more sales, check out how answering these three questions that can triple your bottom line!
