It’s easy to get caught in a bubble, thinking that the way we talk about our products is the way our customers think about them. We use industry jargon, brand-specific terminology, and language that makes perfect sense to us. But what if our potential customers are searching for something entirely different? What if they don’t know the exact name of our product, but they’re looking for a solution to the problem our product solves?
This is where a tool like Google’s Keyword Planner becomes a secret weapon. It’s not just for building ad campaigns; it’s a powerful tool for gaining a deeper understanding of your audience’s mindset. It allows you to step into their shoes and see the world through their eyes, or more accurately, through their search queries.
Beyond the Obvious: Uncovering Hidden Insights
Think about your audience. You’ve likely done the groundwork: created buyer personas, conducted surveys, and analyzed your existing customer base. This gives you a great starting point. But Keyword Planner takes that understanding to the next level.
By inputting keywords related to your business, you can discover a goldmine of related terms, questions, and phrases that people are actively searching for. For example, if you sell “premium handmade leather wallets,” you might find that people are also searching for things like:
- “best wallet for everyday carry”
- “how to clean a leather wallet”
- “wallet that holds a lot of cards but is slim”
- “where to buy eco-friendly wallets”
Tailoring Your Message for Maximum Impact
Once you have this data, you can use it to refine every aspect of your marketing strategy.
- Content Creation: The search queries you uncover can become the foundation for your blog posts, videos, and social media content. If people are asking “how to clean a leather wallet,” you can create a helpful guide on your blog, which not only provides value but also drives organic traffic to your site. This positions you as an expert and a helpful resource, building trust and authority.
- Ad Copy: Instead of just running an ad for “premium handmade leather wallets,” you can create targeted ads for those specific search terms. An ad with the headline “Tired of bulky wallets? Discover our slim, high-capacity wallets” is much more likely to resonate with someone searching for “wallet that holds a lot of cards but is slim.”
- Website Optimization: Look at the language people are using. Are they using slang? Do they refer to your product by a different name? You can incorporate this language into your website copy to make it more relatable and to improve your search engine rankings for those specific terms.
Bridging the Cultural Divide
The benefits of keyword research go even further. If you’re marketing to a global audience, it’s essential to understand cultural nuances. The way a product is perceived and talked about in one country can be entirely different in another. A literal translation might not capture the emotional or cultural context. Keyword Planner allows you to perform searches by location, giving you insights into local search behavior and language, ensuring your message is not just understood, but culturally relevant.
In a direct sales campaign, you’re telling the customer what you have. But by using keyword research, you’re listening to what they need. It’s a subtle shift in perspective, but it’s one that can make all the difference. It moves your marketing from a one-way broadcast to a two-way conversation, where you’re not just shouting into the void, but providing the exact solutions your audience is already looking for.
So, before you launch your next campaign, take a moment to pause. Fire up Keyword Planner, do some digging, and listen to what your audience is saying. The insights you gain will not only help you reach them more effectively but will also help you build a stronger, more authentic connection.
Learn more about using the keyword planner: Book a school tour to talk to professionals or apply to the Digital Social Media Marketing Program,
