Capitalising on audience’s language for Google search

Monica Mutuma

A COMMON complaint among company executives is lack of visitors to their website. The main reason is simply because the search engines like Google or Yahoo have not found the site. This happens when the search engine found no match between visitor keywords and words used on the site. 
Keywords are words or phrases used by people when they do an online search. Keyword research has a lot of facets to it. Previously we talked about how you can use it to study the behaviour of your reader when they get to or leave your website. This time we look at the language aspect — how keyword research will help you to write in a way that best suits your online audience.
Remember  if Google cannot find your site this does not necessarily mean that your product is bad. Your product might be very good — and chances are your online visitor will be looking for it. But if the search engine cannot find you then your page will not come up on the results when your reader does their search.
So you need to have an idea of what people type in to search — and match that with the language you use. For example if on your home page you talk about your company being the “oldest” in the business and you sell electrical drills, your page might come up on the search results when the reader searches.  But if the first lines the reader sees is how you are the oldest in the business, how you are the best, etc, they will leave the page. They do not want to know about the company. What they want to know is what type of drills you make so they can check if you have the type they want, and how it will be useful to them.
Another thing to remember is that words and phrases like “we are the first”, “the best”, “leaders in quality” will not work on the Internet. Just always bear in mind that you are talking to a global audience, “oldest” in your country will have your reader in Canada frowning and wondering what you are talking about. This will put them off, and might cause them to leave, yet you could be selling the best drill there.
If you have done your keyword research you might come up with phrases like “drills that will save you power” — this is a benefit to the reader.  Should you still want it known that you have been around for a long time, a simple phrase like “since 1948” will suffice. In the main body of the copy you can then indicate, for example, that you have powered over a million homes with your electrical fittings since the company was formed.
This way you provide your reader with factual information. Once they feel you are shoving yourself in their face about how great you are, they leave.  The online visitor wants to read other customers’ reviews or try the product themselves.
Your reader reserves the right to call you “great” or “best” until they have used your product.
In addition your online visitor looks for products, not companies.  Readers will then refer to a company by name when they write online reviews about how a product performed for them.
Even while you mention your company name on your pages, emphasis should be on telling the visitor how your product will solve their problem or improve their life. Instead of talking about how well established XYZ Home Gyms is, tell your reader how your gym equipment will help them stay fit, healthy and, reduce risk of a heart attack and have a body that will make them look twenty years younger.
In order to hit the right codes with your reader, keyword research is critical.  Fortunately there are a number of very good sites which are for free.   These help you to do quick searches to see how your readers search online.
Another way to learn about your readers’ language is to look at product reviews. This kind of information allows for transparency. What it also does is put buyers firmly in control of the buying process.
In these reviews you as the marketer will get critical clues as to the language used and what customers find most important and useful about a product, their values and even their world beliefs.
As you reflect on some of these pointers you will begin to realise that hard selling as we know it will not yield desired results on the Web.  Instead of making extreme claims about a product’s qualities and benefits, you would rather stress on the product’s strong points and how this will help the reader.
You can conclude, according to customer reviews and preferences, how you can use appropriate language to enhance your chances of online success with your product.
When the reader feels at home with your language they will reward you by reading your page. As they go deeper into your site they will hopefully buy from you.
newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw