In a recent post we covered different factors that might help shape a user’s search behavior. We’d like to return to this topic today to discuss different patterns of search behavior along with recommendations for accommodating them.
1. Alternating between searching and browsing
Typically, a user will initiate a search by picking a result that most closely relates the topic in mind, regardless of whether it is a precise match to the keywords used. From that result’s website the user may follow links to reach their information goal. If they find it’s not quite what they meant, but still valuable, they’ll then switch to browsing before ultimately returning to the results and researching for the target information.
Recommendations:
· Heavily cross-link webpages so that searchers who reach pages that are closely related they can click through to the best content for their purposes.
· Make navigation as easy as possible with breadcrumb trails and associative links on related subject content.
· Never dead end a webpage. Always include links to more resources and information on your site.
2. Minimizing the set of results
Some experienced searchers will measure search success based solely on the number of results returned. If it is too large of a number they may try a more specific search for more easily digestible results. People are especially likely to do this while searching within their domain expertise.
Recommendations:
· Allow users to filter search results by categories
· Include the total number of results for the query as well as each category
· Use “and” more often than “or” in your keyword selection to target narrow results
3. Surveying Quickly
Often searchers operate with urgency, so they will scan results quickly. If nothing jumps out at them they may proceed through the results pages, then go back to a previous result or refine their search terms.
Recommendations:
· Result titles should be comprehensive and understandable in as few words as possible
Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll give the next three searcher behavior patterns.
Archive for the ‘Professional Search Engine Optimization’ Category
Lessons In Search Engine Marketing: 6 Searcher Behavioral Patterns, Part II
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012Lessons In Search Engine Marketing: Factors Affecting Searcher Behavior, Part I
Friday, January 27th, 2012Many marketers take for granted the search transaction. Many believe it’s simply a matter of a user typing in a search, the search engine spitting out results, and the searcher reviewing them and ultimately deciding on the best one. But this doesn’t take into account the subtle nuances of human behavior. Human beings are irrational, unpredictable and multifaceted beings with different beliefs, backgrounds, and values.
Proficient search engine marketing requires a further examination of searcher behavior. In this post, we will cover a few of the factors that affect searcher behavior.
1. Domain expertise
Domain expertise refers to a searcher’s familiarity with the subject their searching. When seeking specific information, a layman will be less certain how to begin, use less precise language, and have more trouble evaluating the results. Compare this to a subject matter expert who would know the exact verbiage to produce the desired results.
2. Search experience
This relates to a user’s search capabilities and knowledge. Knowing how to use Boolean operators, exact strings, and filtering controls gives you a much bigger tool set to help you search effectively. This factor seems to be secondary to domain expertise, however. Many people with little search experience but a lot of domain knowledge can do better than a technophile searching within an unfamiliar subject.
3. Cognitive Style
This can be thought of as a spectrum between Global thinking and Analytical thinking. Global thinkers will initially seek a breadth of knowledge across related topics, while analytical thinkers will dive into a single topic to find highly specific information. Now keep in mind, this is a spectrum, and these are just extremes. Most searchers will fall somewhere between these two.
4. Goal Type
Goal types can be broadly lumped into three categories:
· Navigational: are efforts to reach a particular web location, for instance an employer’s timesheet.
· Informational: seeking out documents or information related to a specific topic.
· Transactional: are meant to accomplish something online, such as paying a bill.
5. Mode of seeking
Essentially the mode of seeking boils down to someone’s understanding of what they are trying to find. This level of understanding can range from knowing exactly what the user needs and where to find it, to exploratory searching, where they are only loosely able to describe what they seek.
6. Situational idiosyncrasies
Finally, the user is affected by situational idiosyncrasies that are mostly impossible to record. These can include mood, atmosphere, stress level, and any number of other factors.
While many of these factors are difficult or impossible to record, they should help you think about your user’s and the experience they have when searching online. You can shape these factors into different personas to help you better target your web design and search campaigns to better serve the spectrum of your searcher market.
Being Prepared for Negative Publicity Should Be Part of Your Online Marketing Strategy
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010With the global connectivity of the Internet, rarely anything a company does goes unnoticed. Managing your online reputation is obviously important – you don’t want customers or other businesses to see you in a negative light. Even if managing your online reputation is easy under optimum circumstances, what do you do if a crisis arises, or you find you have negative reviews?
The best way to deal with this is to be prepared. If you’re prepared to handle negative situations before they arise, dealing with these issues will be much easier and less costly in the long run. And there’s no better time than now to start. With the speed that news is spread over the Internet, negative publicity can pop up seemingly without warning.
One of the most time consuming steps is to establish trust and credibility. If your company has a good reputation for being ethical, reliable, and responsible, then when a crisis arises, people will be more likely to listen to your side of the story. This does not come overnight, but maintaining a good rapport with customers and other businesses, as well as good PR and ethical business practices, can help you build this reputation over time.
Equally important is setting up a crisis team, who will be in charge of cleaning up any negative PR. This team should include an online media spokesperson, who will act as the voice of your company on your social media sites, blogs, and anywhere else online. Your team should also include advisers whom you can consult with before reacting to a crisis or bad reviews.
While negative press could pop up with lightning speed, your reaction to it shouldn’t be so hasty. Taking time to consult with others, and carefully think out your response can save a lot of headaches and having to deal with more bad publicity.
If you’re angered by a bad review, you may feel the need to strike back. While we’d like to think that people can hold their temper and act in a professional manner when dealing with business issues, this isn’t always the case. The best way to respond to a negative review is to apologize to the person for their bad experience and defend your business in a calm, respectful, and professional manner. If they happen to say something about your company that isn’t true, simply clear up the misconception with an explanation. An angry or disrespectful response will only make you and your company look worse than the negative review itself. Interacting with customers online in a professional manner, even disgruntled ones, can help build your reputation as a compassionate and professional company.
If your company is too small to have its one crisis or PR team, hiring an SEO firm or Public Relations professional can help you manage your online reputation. After all, you’ve put a lot of time in building your business, and your online marketing strategy. You don’t want to throw away all your hard work over one crisis or a bad piece of PR.
