How to facilitate:
- Ask each participant to grab a blank sheet of paper and a pen. If you’re hosting an in-person workshop, try multi-colored post-its. Each participant gets their own color.
- Explain to the group that they have just launched a website. Maybe it’s a local bakery, a clothing store, or a famous blog. The type of site can be anything you’d like, but the group must all be thinking of the same site.
- Set a timer for 5 minutes. Ask each participant to list out any and all words or phrases they might type into a search engine to land on that website. What products or services are they looking for? What questions might they have? What are their needs and how can the site provide value to them? If using post-its, make sure to write only one keyword or phrase per post-it.
- Once everyone is finished, ask 1-3 participants to share their lists. Was there any overlap? Which keywords came up the most? What were the differences? Were there any surprises? If using post-its, go through and group similar keywords – these are the ones the prioritize.
- Explain to the group that each person has unique needs and requirements that can land them on a website for any number of reasons or situations. For example, if you chose a local bakery, most people may search for things like “donuts,” “cake,” and “cookies.” But there may also be some who search for “artisan bread.” Or some that search for “custom graduation cake.” By thinking through all of the scenarios that might land someone on your site, you can identify any gaps in both keywords and content that may be hindering your customers from reaching your site and engaging.
Take a look below at one of our past workshops for a quick view of what this might look like:
The Takeaway:
Finding the right keywords is crucial for connecting your audience with the products, services, and content you offer. Once you know what your target audience is looking for, you’ll be better equipped to:
- Help them find you more easily in their search queries
- Provide content that will satisfy, delight, and keep them coming back for more
Including an array of targeted keywords throughout your site will not only improve your search engine rankings, drive more qualified traffic and conversions, and lower your bounce rate, but will also help you to create an experience that will serve a wide variety of your customers’ needs while keeping them engaged.
