The Modern Search Landscape: A Guide to Reaching Your Target Audience
If you are looking for ways to reach your target audience in 2022, this guide can help. Here is how you can build your brand in the modern search landscape.
Keyword(s): target audience
By now you might have heard that the coveted No. 1 spot on Google garners more clicks than any other spot on the organic search results page. However, did you know that by snagging that top spot you can enjoy a clickthrough rate of over 27%?
Simply put, it pays to understand the modern search landscape and to invest in understanding how to reach your target audience. Thats why, in this quick guide, we’ll explain the modern search landscape and give you some tips on how to stay ahead of the curve.
Focus on Google, Bing & Yahoo
Its first important to note that there are more search engines than just Google. Bing and Yahoo are the two next biggest search engines. However, you can also reach your audience on search engines such as DuckDuckGo, YANDEX, and Baidu.
That being said, Google currently handles at least 92% of all global search queries. Bing and Yahoo take care of another 4.6%. This means that the other three most popular search engines dont garner much traffic.
While we dont suggest alienating those users entirely, if youre only able to direct your focus toward one search engine, it pays to focus on optimizing your content for Google. If you can expand your reach slightly then open up your optimization efforts to Bing and Yahoo.
Note that Yahoo is a web portal with a search engine powered by Bing, so optimizing content for Bing should be sufficient enough for most beginners or small businesses.
Whats the difference between Google SEO and Bing SEO? Its important to find the right keywords for both search engines, factoring in search intent into your research.
Use those keywords in your title tags, meta descriptions, and throughout your H1s and H2s. However, Bing prefers that you use exact keyword matches and factors in social signals in its ranking factor. In this sense, it pays to invest in social media marketing along with SEO.
What to Know About Googles Multitask Unified Model
Have you ever noticed how Google seems to understand your search not just as a string of words, but as an actual question or request? That’s thanks to their Multitask Unified Model or MUM for short.
This computer model can handle multiple tasks simultaneously, rather than having to switch back and forth between them like traditional models.
So, for example, when you type in “lunch ideas near me,” MUM can understand that you want location-based suggestions. Pretty cool, right?
And it’s only just the beginning. They’re constantly fine-tuning and updating MUM so that it can handle even more complex tasks in the future. Its worth understanding this model so that you can learn how to optimize your content accordingly as part of your targeted advertising strategy.
Tips for Creating Helpful Content
While Googles Multitask Unified Model was introduced in 2021, one things stayed the same: it doesnt matter what industry youre in; it pays to create helpful content. Both Google and Bing rank helpful, high-value content above content featuring fluff and filler.
Now that you know where to reach your target audience, its time to learn how to reach them. Helpful content is key, and heres how you can create content that search engines and your target audience find useful.
Keep these tips in mind when creating your business website content.
Create Content for a Specific Audience
The easiest way to create helpful content is to ensure youre tailoring it to a specific audience. As a local service business, this is usually easy as you have a very defined audience.
If youre investing in SEO for an HVAC company, for example, you know youre targeting homeowners in your local area in need of a few very specific services. In this case, itd pay to consider the following:
- Are you targeting residential customers or commercial clients?
- Are you serving a specific geographic area?
- What are the exact services you offer?
Without tailored content, search engines may not be able to accurately direct the right users to your site. Likewise, going after a narrow, targeted audience also allows you to create more personalized and effective messaging that resonates with potential customers
Show Off Your Expertise
Search engine algorithms love to rank content that is high-authority. Think about it. Why should a search engine trust you enough to show your content to its users?
Showing off your expertise through practical examples or case studies can also give search engines more clues about the content on your website, helping with search engine rankings.
Plus, by demonstrating your expertise, you show that you know what you’re talking about and can provide valuable information to readers. This can help boost your credibility and attract more organic traffic to your website.
In this context, its also helpful to ensure your content is credible.
One way to do this is by including credible sources and linking to them within your content. Another way is by making sure your content is well-researched and free of errors, as any mistakes may weaken the credibility of your piece.
Cater to Your Audiences Needs
Finally, to reach your target audience, you need to understand them and their pain points. What do they search for online, how do they search for it, and what do they ultimately want?
Figuring this out can involve market research, surveys, and analyzing demographics. Once you have a clear understanding of your audience’s needs, cater to them through targeted marketing efforts
This might require that you adjust your service offerings to meet those needs. Use feedback from customers, both online and in person, to create service offerings and content that is useful to them. Show them that you care about their needs and pain points.
Get Help Creating a Targeted Advertising Strategy
When it comes to reaching your target audience in todays modern search landscape, a targeted strategy can make all the difference. But knowing where to start and how to get the most out of your ad budget can be overwhelming.
That’s where we come in! Our team offers comprehensive SEO services tailored to your goals and budget. Get in touch to get started.