Though many marketers still rely on outbound efforts, such as email campaigns, to bring in new leads, an increasing amount of leads is coming directly from search engines. This is good news because it means people are seeking out your product or service. It also means you have to make sure you, not your competitors, are the one getting found.
In an article on Search Engine Land, three different types of searches are described.
Ad-Hoc Search is the most common search type. This is when you’re doing a very broad search, usually for some type of research. Example: digital cameras, digital camera reviews
Known-Item Search is when someone knows what they are looking for – usually because they’ve been there before or heard about it from someone – but they aren’t sure how to find it. This is a slightly more specific search. Example: official Star Trek site
Named Page Search is an even more specific search. The person knows exactly where they want to go but maybe they can’t remember the address and don’t want to search through the site to find it. This type of search is probably less common for small and medium sized businesses, as typically they have less complex websites. It could still apply, though, if someone is searching out a pricing page, a free trial or a customer log-in page. Example: google adwords keyword research tool.
Because prospects search in different ways, you want to make sure you’re putting yourself in their shoes and optimizing for different types of searches. Using key words and phrases can help you optimize both your corporate site and your landing pages. Marketing automation tools provide a way for you to start understanding how people reach your website through search reporting. You can tell not only which searches are the most popular, but also start to see pattens in which searches lead to qualified prospects and meaningful interactions.
