Who are you trying to reach with your marketing? It’s a big question, and knowing your audience is about much more than looking at simple target demographics. No matter the size of your Calgary business, you have the resources to conduct meaningful, valuable market research.
That sounds great, of course, but the big question is how? It all starts with choosing the right tools, and learning how to use them effectively.
SEO for Audience Research
Even the most basic website hosting service will offer some useful analytics about who visits your site, which pages they look at, and where they found your site. The challenge is that you need a healthy base of site visitors to gain real insight, and there are few better ways to drive website traffic than effective search engine optimization (SEO).
- SEO improves your company’s visibility by making sure your website lands in prime position on the first page of search results. Most search users don’t look past the first page of results, so a strong ranking is vital.
- With the traffic gained by quality SEO, you’ll get a clearer picture of who’s visiting your site. You might learn that your expectations were a bit off, or confirm what you already expected. Either way, you’ve gained valuable insight into your audience.
The Value of Keywords
Keywords are still an important part of SEO, though thankfully not in the same way they used to be. These days, the quality of your keywords is much more important than the quantity. By understanding which search terms lead people to your website, you can improve your SEO and learn more about your audience.
- Most people boil their search queries down to a few basic terms. If your dog just spent the afternoon playing in mud puddles, you’re more likely to find what you need by searching “Calgary dog groomer” than “places for dogs to get baths in Calgary.”
- Keywords are also an important part of your content marketing strategy. The key is to include them in the natural course of your content, rather than trying to jam them in regardless of fit.
- Use keyword research tools to learn about the keywords most often associated with your line of business. The most popular keywords will often reveal the challenge that spurred users to search for your solution, a key element of understanding your audience.
Understanding Analytics
Every person who visits your website or engages your business on social media leaves behind information, and analytics put that information to work for your Calgary business. Analytics may seem intimidating at first glance, but there’s no better way to learn about your business and your audience.
- Analytics show you how your audience responds to different aspects of your marketing. If you recently had a spike in page views, for example, your analytics will reveal which social post or marketing tactic was responsible.
- Analytics help you evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your marketing plan. Use analytics to understand what motivates your audience, and how best to appeal to your key targets.
A/B Testing for Simple, Powerful Insights
You can learn a ton about your audience and website by conducting user testing. You can go into great detail with user testing, but even simple tests offer great value. A/B testing is very straightforward. You offer the user two choices, and they select the option that they prefer.
- A/B testing is most frequently used to evaluate pages or features on websites, but its applications are wide-ranging. If you can frame something as an either/or choice, you can analyze it with A/B testing.
- The simplicity of A/B testing also improves the quality of the results. With a complex series of questions, you run the risk of losing the test-taker’s attention. A/B testing largely eliminates that risk.
Calgary Internet Marketing Tips
There’s no one way to fully understand your audience. If you want to wring maximum value from your analysis, it’s best to put multiple tools to work. The more information you gather, the better you’ll understand your customers. That understanding will improve your marketing, and position you to close the deal when the time comes.
Need help with your digital marketing, but not sure where to turn? Emphasize Design has all the tools you need for excellent inbound marketing. We look forward to hearing from you, and to helping you grow your business!
