I say this because we at Enquiro have always been interested in how people search (as can be seen in all our groundbreaking research) so it's refreshing to see more and more interest in users.

Even the search engines are getting into the usability aspect. There was a lot of talk about user intent and what the user's response is whether it is response to the search engine, or the response to the website.

And I think that will be the big marketing move for 2006 - intent marketing. You should no longer be concerned with achieving top rankings, or paying the most for a top sponsored listing. Instead you need to look at your online marketing program as an end to end solution.

At one end is your customer and at the other end is the solution you provide to their need.

First, you need to determine who your audience is, as well as their intent. Where are they in the purchasing decision? Are they merely researching options, or are they ready to commit to a purchase?

It is this intimate understanding of your customer which will help drive your profits. Remember, if their intent is to buy - that is, they've already done the research - then help them.

Make your sponsored ads compelling to encourage the click (i.e. mention free shipping in the ad if need be) and drive them to the page where they can easily convert.

They don't need to be dropped in a place higher up in the buying funnel. They've already determined they want your product, so don't try and re-sell them on it, just sell it to them.

This means ensuring your shopping cart is efficient and the sale process completes smoothly.

If they are in the research phase, then create your conversion funnel to reflect this. Drop them at a page extolling the virtues and features of your product and encourage them to purchase. But by no means force them down this path. You have to let them decide to purchase.

If they aren't ready to buy yet then offer ways for them to easily return to your site, such as a bookmark of the page they are on.

What I'm trying to say is this: Don't focus on the rankings, or the analytics. It must be done as a complete package.

And above all, always keep your target customer intent in mind. How are they going to react to that organic or sponsored listing? If you were one of your customers, what would you think if you clicked on that organic result? Would the landing page convey the message you (as the customer) want to hear? If not, consider optimizing the appropriate page to better target that search term.

The thing to remember is that understanding your customer is not a 'nice to have.' These days it is a 'must have.' This is because you can almost be guaranteed that your competition has already profiled the customer, or is in the process of doing so.

Rob Sullivan
Head Organic Search Strategist
Enquiro Full Service Search Engine Marketing

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