Loading…
14
Shoutout to a random guy at the Portland coffee shop who changed how I do keyword research
I was working on a client's site for a local bakery, just listing basic food words. A guy next to me saw my screen and asked if I ever talked to the actual bakers. So I called the client, and their head baker said customers always ask for 'morning buns,' not 'cinnamon rolls.' I swapped that one phrase in the content, and their page traffic for that term jumped 30% in a month. Now I always do a quick phone interview before starting any local project. What's the best question you ask a new client to find those hidden keywords?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
the_alex6mo ago
Yeah, that's a solid find. For me, the best opener is just "What's the one thing customers always have to ask you for that's not clearly on your website or menu?" It cuts past the official stuff they think they sell and gets to the real words people use when they're standing there confused. I had a hardware store client where everyone asked for 'stove pellets' but the site only said 'wood pellets'. Changed that and it was like flipping a switch.
6
mason2736mo ago
Ever read that old book Don't Make Me Think, @the_alex?
8
angelamurphy5mo ago
Used to think fancy words and clever design were what made a site work. That book changed my mind hard. It's all about getting out of the user's way. If someone has to stop and figure out your menu, you've already lost them. The example about the stove pellets proves it, people just want to find their stuff and go.
7