What is the customer journey in SEO?

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What does that even mean?

If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. Many business owners and marketers are unclear on what the customer journey in SEO actually is.

But don’t worry, because we’re going to break it down for you. In this post, we will explore the four stages of the customer journey and explain how they apply to SEO. We will also give you some tips for improving your website’s ranking in each stage of the journey. So let’s get started!

1. The awareness stage

This is the first stage of the customer journey, and it’s when the customer becomes aware of a problem or need that they have.

For example, let’s say you own a car wash and someone is searching for “how to clean a car.” They have recognized that their car is dirty and they want to find a solution.

At this stage, customers are not yet focused on a particular product or service. They are simply looking for information to help them solve their problem.

So how can you ensure that your website appears in the search results for these types of queries?

The best way is to optimize your content for what are known as “informational keywords.” These are keywords that are related to the problem that the customer is trying to solve.

In our example, some informational keywords for a car wash website might be “car washing tips,” “how to wash a car,” or “car cleaning hacks.”

If you can create content that ranks well for these types of keywords, you’ll be in a good position to capture customers in the awareness stage of their journey.

2. The consideration stage

In the consideration stage, customers are starting to focus on finding a specific product or service to solve their problem.

For our car wash example, someone might search for “best car wash near me” or “car wash coupons.”

At this stage, customers are comparing their options and trying to decide which product or service is the best fit for them.

To capture customers in the consideration stage, you need to optimize your website for what are known as “transactional keywords.” These are keywords that indicate that the customer is ready to make a purchase.

Some examples of transactional keywords for a car wash website might be “car wash prices,” “car wash deals,” or “car wash discounts.”

If you can rank well for these types of keywords, you’ll be in a good position to convert leads into customers.

3. The purchase stage

In the purchase stage, the customer is ready to buy a product or service. They may search for “buy car wash” or “car wash near me.”

At this stage, it’s important to have a well-optimized website with clear calls to action (CTAs) that encourage customers to buy from you.

Some examples of CTAs for a car wash website might be “Book Now,” “Buy Gift Cards,” or “Schedule a Service.”

If you can make it easy for customers to purchase from you, you’ll be more likely to convert them into paying customers.

4. Conclusion

The customer journey is the path that customers take from awareness to purchase. And SEO is a powerful tool that you can use to improve your website’s ranking in each stage of the journey.

By optimizing your content for informational and transactional keywords, you can capture leads in the early stages of their journey. And by having a well-optimized website with clear CTAs, you can convert those leads into paying customers.

So if you want to improve your business’s bottom line, start by focusing on the customer journey and make sure your SEO strategy is aligned with each stage.

What is the customer journey in SEO? Simply put, it’s the path that customers take from awareness to purchase. And SEO is a powerful tool that you can use to improve your website’s ranking in each stage of the journey.

So if you want to improve your business’s bottom line, start by focusing on the customer journey and make sure your SEO strategy is aligned with each stage.

Jamie Fallon

Jamie Fallon is an SEO expert who lives life to the maximum, redlining every day on a rollercoaster straight to the grave.

In an SEO career of almost ten years, he’s seen it all, he’s done it all, and he’s not impressed: from white text on a white background to today, when you can have robots paint or write for you like some kind of sick science fiction come true.

No matter what life throws at him, Jamie always manages to come out on top. He’s an expert at seeing the silver lining in every cloud and making the best of every situation. His positive attitude and unshakable faith in himself have seen him through tough times. For some people, success goes to their heads; but Jamie never forgets what got him to wherever he thinks he is.

When he’s not busy gaming the system, you can find him writing angry thinkpieces on how Google is ruining everything good about the internet, or hanging out with his wife (pictured).

Related FAQs

roblem that the customer is trying to solve.

1) What are some tips for optimizing my website for the awareness stage? The best way to optimize your website for the awareness stage is to create content that ranks well for what are known as “informational keywords.” These are keywords that are related to the In our example, some informational keywords for a car wash website might be “car washing tips,” “how to wash a car,” or “car cleaning hacks.” If you can create content that ranks well for these types of keywords, you’ll be in a good position to capture customers in the awareness stage of their journey.

2) What are some tips for optimizing my website for the consideration stage?

The best way to optimize your website for the consideration stage is to create content that ranks well for what are known as “transactional keywords.” These are keywords that indicate that the customer is ready to make a purchase. Some examples of transactional keywords for a car wash website might be “car wash prices,” “car wash deals,” or “car wash discounts.” If you can rank well for these types of keywords, you’ll be in a good position to convert leads into customers.

3) What are some tips for optimizing my website for the purchase stage?

In the purchase stage, it’s important to have a well-optimized website with clear calls to action (CTAs) that encourage customers to buy from you. Some examples of CTAs for a car wash website might be “Book Now,” “Buy Gift Cards,” or “Schedule a Service.” If you can make it easy for customers to purchase from you, you’ll be more likely to convert them into paying customers.

4) How can I make sure my SEO strategy is aligned with each stage of the customer journey?

The best way to ensure your SEO strategy is aligned with each stage of the customer journey is to create buyer personas for your target customers. A buyer persona is a semi-fictional character that represents your ideal customer. Once you have a few buyer personas created, you can start mapping out their journey from awareness to purchase. Once you have a clear understanding of your target customers’ journey, you can then create content and campaigns that are specifically designed to appeal to them at each stage.

5) What are some common mistakes businesses make with their SEO strategy?

One of the most common mistakes businesses make with their SEO strategy is failing to align it with their overall marketing strategy. Your SEO strategy should be just one part of your larger marketing strategy. And if it’s not, you run the risk of missing out on potential customers. Another common mistake businesses make is failing to create content for all stages of the customer journey. As we mentioned before, it’s important to create content that appeals to customers in the awareness, consideration, and purchase stages. If you only focus on one stage, you’re likely leaving money on the table.

6) What are some common mistakes businesses make with their website?

One of the most common mistakes businesses make with their website is failing to optimize it for search engines. If your website isn’t optimized for search engines, it’s unlikely that you’ll rank well for any keywords, which means you’ll miss out on potential customers. Another common mistake businesses make is failing to create clear calls to action. As we mentioned before, it’s important to have CTAs on your website that encourage customers to buy from you. If you don’t have CTAs, or if they’re not effective, you’re likely losing out on potential sales.

7) What are some common mistakes businesses make with their content?

One of the most common mistakes businesses make with their content is failing to target the right keywords. If you want your content to rank well in search engines, you need to make sure you’re targeting the right keywords. Another common mistake businesses make is failing to create in-depth content. Google’s algorithms have evolved over the years, and one of the things they now prioritize is in-depth content. So, if you want your content to rank well, you need to make sure it’s comprehensive and covers all the relevant information a customer might be looking for.

8) What are some common mistakes businesses make with their social media?

One of the most common mistakes businesses make with their social media is failing to post regularly. If you want your social media accounts to be successful, you need to be posting regularly. This doesn’t mean you need to be posting every day, but you should aim to post a few times a week. Another common mistake businesses make is failing to interact with their followers. If you want to build a successful social media following, you need to interact with your followers on a regular basis. This means liking and commenting on their posts, as well as responding to any messages or comments they leave on your own posts.

9) What are some common mistakes businesses make with their email marketing?

One of the most common mistakes businesses make with their email marketing is sending too many emails. If you want your email marketing campaign to be successful, you need to find the right balance between sending too many and too few emails. If you send too many, you’ll risk annoying your subscribers and causing them to unsubscribe. And if you don’t send enough, you won’t stay top of mind and you’ll miss out on potential sales. Another common mistake businesses make is failing to personalize their emails. If you want your emails to be successful, you need to make sure they’re personalized. This means including the customer’s name in the subject line and body of the email, as well as tailoring the content to their specific needs and interests.

10) What are some common mistakes businesses make with their pay-per-click campaigns?

One of the most common mistakes businesses make with their pay-per-click campaigns is failing to target the right keywords. If you want your PPC campaign to be successful, you need to make sure you’re targeting the right keywords. This means choosing keywords that are relevant to your product or service, and that have a high search volume but low competition. Another common mistake businesses make is failing to bid on the right keywords. If you want your PPC ads to show up in search engines, you need to make sure you’re bidding on the right keywords. This means choosing keywords that are relevant to your product or service and that have a high commercial intent.