Do you know your audience? Like, really know your audience? Many businesses have a vague idea of who their target audience is and what they want but haven’t taken the time to do the research.
In this article, I’ll explain why defining your target audience is important, and how to figure out who they are and what they want.
Why Understanding Your Target Audience Is Important to SEO
Of late there has been talk that persona identification is a waste of time. I think that persona identification has been in marketing for decades, long before digital. It is an integral part of marketing even if it is not properly labeled.
Let’s use an example: fishing. If you want to catch fish, you cork bicycle zone need two things: you need the bait your fish are eating, and you need to fish where the fish are. A proper persona identification gives you both. You may think it is unimportant, but then you are not having fish for dinner.
When your target audience searches for what you offer using a search engine, you want your website to show up in the search results. You need the right bait and to put it where your fish can see it. To me this is obvious.
Without knowing what your target audience is searching for, you have less of a chance of doing so. And, when they get to your website, if you don’t have the right content that resonates with them, it can negatively impact your conversions.
Who Is My Audience and What Do They Want?
Here are three steps you can take to get to the heart of the question: Who is my audience and what do they want?
1. Demographics
Build a profile of your target audience (and you may have more than one) by exploring the following data points and more.
If you’re targeting a consumer:
Gender can impact buying patterns.
Age can impact buying decisions.
Location of where they are informs your marketing strategy.
Marital status can impact your audience’s priorities.
Education level can help you communicate better with them.
Occupation information helps you with more targeted marketing.
Income helps you understand what level of investment they may be willing to make.
Beliefs help you better understand what matters to them.
Lifestyle is another way you can understand and target your audience with relevant messaging.