Everyone Searches Differently

Marni Weinberg - March 22, 2010

We all are guilty of getting caught up in our industry specific jargon. In the case of MoreVisibility, I catch myself using acronyms like, SEM, SEO, PPC, GA, GAAC, etc. then having to backpedal to explain the meaning of these acronyms (see below), which are like second nature to me. At the same time, we easily forget that those who are looking for us online may not be searching the way we think they are. Whatever industry you are in, I encourage you to take your business cap off and consider what people are typing into search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. to find your company. This exercise will help to not only expand, but also diversify your PPC keywords. You’re probably rolling your eyes right now and thinking I totally know what my searchers are typing into Google to find me…but do you really??

Not everyone searches the same way; trust me. Take someone looking for a new pair of Nike sneakers for example. You will see anything and everything in between (Nike, Nike.com, Nikes, Nike’s, Nike’s Shoes, New Nike’s, New Nikes, Buy New Nike’s, Nike Shoes, Nike Sneakers, Buy Nikes, Buy Nike Sneakers, Find Nikes, Find Nike Sneakers, etc. The list of variations is virtually endless. It’s the same with your business, although perhaps not as extensive.

So what can you do to try to cover your bases? The answer is keyword research, keyword research and yes, more keyword research. Make sure you are using multiple variations of your core keywords within your paid campaigns. Try typing these keywords into the engines to see what results you get. In addition, ask your friends on Facebook, your followers on Twitter and your connections on LinkedIn how they would search for your company, products and/or services.  Their answers may surprise you! Furthermore, if you have not done so already, employ an analytics tool on your site. This can be a very helpful way to see which keyword(s) people are typing into the engines to find you. We utilize Google Analytics in house and many of our clients do, as well.

Everyone searches differently. If you don’t diversify your keyword menu, you could be missing out on valuable eyes to your site.

Just in case:
SEM = Search Engine Marketing
SEO = Search Engine Optimization
PPC = Pay Per Click
GA = Google Analytics
GAAC = Google Analytics Authorized Consultant