Keywords like bread crumbs

Google is the first stop in online searches – we enter the Google address almost automatically, both on mobile phones and when using desktop computers. The Google search engine is constantly changing, but the basis of its searches is still the word.

Keyword – a phrase consisting of one or more words, leading users to the materials they are looking for. In other words, “keywords” are used to describe all the terms that users enter into the search engine window.

In simple search engines, e.g. searches on store pages, the code fragment responsible for this element focuses on searching for a string of characters that creates a given phrase. More advanced search engines, such as Google, Bing or Yandex, use complex algorithms to deliver the best results. Search complexities are related to the amount of data processed by search engines that sort content from all over the Internet. In a situation where the results for even the most complex terms are displayed on several thousand pages, searching for a string and presenting the results in an alphabetical manner would not be very effective.

Keywords – types and varieties

Search engine marketing – in a nutshell – is based on selecting the right keywords and strategically placing them within the website. However, before we start looking for an answer to the question “how to find keywords” and move on to research, it is worth taking a look at the basic types of phrases that we will be looking for:

A. short-tail keywords – the so-called “general keywords”. These types of phrases consist of one or two words and are characterized by very high searchability, and thus – also by competition. Another special feature is their quite generality, which is rather not conducive to conversions – after all, it is difficult to find the skirt model of your dreams, guided only by the results related to the slogan “skirt”. It is similar with wildcard phrases – depending on the search context, the user’s goal may be completely different.

Short general phrases may seem attractive, but the cost of bringing the page to the top of the search results may not be worth the results – i.e. not translating into website traffic, contact or purchases.

B. long-tail keywords – a type of phrase that consists of at least three words. Characteristics? Less frequency of searches, but also – usually – less competition. Longer phrases are more specific and it is much easier to determine the purpose for which it was entered in the search engine. The phrase “red pleated midi skirt” allows you to define the specific features of the desired model – color, type of decorations and length.

Accurate definition of longer key phrases allows you to successfully target the needs of search engine users and significantly facilitate conversion. The cost of positioning long tail phrases will vary between industries – some are still undeveloped, and in others – competition is as fierce as it is on general phrases.

C. brand keywords – words related to the brand. These types of phrases usually contain all or part of your company name. Brand phrases also include entries containing a fragment of the website. If your company name is original, in most cases branded phrases will return results from your domain. In the event that the name of the activity has common features with the names of competitors, it is worth taking care of additional promotion and optimizing the website taking into account interesting brand phrases.

Note – positioning yourself on the name of the competition is not a good solution. In order for the optimization to be effective, it is necessary to place the selected brand phrase within the website, which may lead not only to information chaos and doubts on the part of potential customers, but also to unpleasantness on the part of the competition.

The above division of keywords is one of the most frequently used. It is not perfect – key phrases can be divided in several other ways, for example … according to the “use by date” – into “short-term” (fresh) and “evergreen”. The first one can certainly include phrases based on the current trend.

The ideal solution is to find keywords from each of the groups – this type of diversification allows you to reach various groups of recipients. Appearing various types of phrases in the search results also allows you to increase your reach and raise brand awareness. If the user has received satisfactory answers at the first contact with our brand, there is a chance that he will also choose our link on the next occasion.

How do you find the right keywords for your website?

He can search for keywords with the help of many available online tools. However, before we start using the available software, let’s take a moment to a less technical look at keyword research.

As in the case of setting up a website, when searching for keywords, it is worth defining the GOAL that guides our activities. If the purpose of creating the website was to sell, you should focus on the phrases under which customers will search for products. In a situation where the website is to strengthen our position as an expert in a given niche, the phrases we will focus on will allow us to present our knowledge on a given topic.

A website can simultaneously fulfill various types of purposes, e.g. sell products and be a source of industry advice. This is how DIY stores or bookstores that are also cultural portals. It is also worth remembering that the purpose of the website may change after several months or years of operation. Change is a constant element of running a business, and its intensity and frequency depends on the industry and users’ expectations.

The second important issue is the NICHE ANALYSIS. The analysis of industry activities on the Internet is as important for new businesses as for older ones that are just “entering the Internet”. Marketing online and engaging with customers are different from traditional marketing efforts and require a different set of skills and tools.

It is worth starting to analyze the Internet version of your industry on forums and groups associating people interested in our subject, e.g. on Facebook.

What to look for? It is worth taking a look at what people interested in our subject talk about, what questions are asked there (it’s also a great place to get inspiration for blog texts!) And what language they use. Research should also be supplemented with competition analysis – check how they communicate with customers on the website and on their social media profiles. Additional information may also be provided by reading the comments – in the case of unsuccessful ideas, users of social networks do not have problems with criticizing the actions taken by the company.

Defining the GOAL of our activities and finding out about effective methods in our NICHE will allow us to set the direction in which we should follow when searching for keywords. The preliminary analysis will make it easier to select the main keywords – terms with a greater degree of generality, which will be the basis for further keyword searches. By specifying this basis, it will be easier to use tools to help you find key phrases.

How do I find keywords? Choose your tools!

The correct selection of keywords is the basis for optimization and the entire process of website positioning. Focusing on the phrases that will convert is one of the elements of success that seo activities are aimed at. The tools available on the Internet will help you find words that will be consistent with your goal.

By using the previously specified keywords, we can expand our database of phrases with new related terms.

The Google search engine aims to provide its users with the best possible answers to the questions they are looking for. For this purpose, it uses, among others hints to help you formulate relevant queries.

Autocomplete is based on the popularity and similarity of the phrases entered by the user. The search engine puts a lot of emphasis on personalizing the content served to its users, hence some of the hints will be based on the search history on our account. More universal prompts will appear when using incognito mode.

Keyword suggestions are not the only way to find attractive phrases using search engine data.

KEYWORD PLANNER – the planner is a tool dedicated to Google Ads campaigns. However, you can successfully use it when searching for keywords for positioning. How to find keywords that will suit our needs?

Start by going to the keyword planner page and log in to your Google Account.

Do you remember your main keywords? Based on them, you can define subsequent phrases that will better reflect your business. When using the tool, remember to select the language and country to which you want to direct your services.

You should review your keyword ideas in terms of the number of searches. Note – the “competitiveness” of these phrases is counted for Google Ads, while searching for phrases for positioning, it is not necessary to include the data collected in this column.

How do I find… even more keywords?

The evolution of the keyword base for our website is inevitable, especially if we plan to further increase our visibility within the Google search engine. For this purpose, it is worth taking a look at the phrases on which our website ranks – i.e. the password under which users are displayed.

For this purpose, it is worth visiting the Google Search Console, the EFFECTIVENESS tab.

The data collected in GSC is especially useful when we want to squeeze as much as possible from pages that already exist and are included in the Google index. Perhaps these slogans include those that we did not take into account before, and which have a great potential to increase the number of users on our website? The tool shows us not only the average position of our website – after clicking on the password, we will also get the address of the subpage that ranks it and the type of device.

Additional information may also be provided by the analysis of the search terms – if we place one on our website. This type of data is successfully collected by Google Analytics.

And more and more and more… we don’t need any more

When searching for keywords, moderation and matching their quantity to the size of the website is essential. The amount of space in the key points of each subpage (title, headers) is limited, as is the possibility of processing information by network robots and the user.

When creating lists of key phrases, it is worth planning their placement in a way that allows for optimization in accordance with Google’s requirements, ie without stuffing keywords “by force”. The development of the keyword database does not have to be hampered by this – just take care of expanding the content layer through a blog or news section. In the case of stores, other tricks can also be used – for example, creating various types of unconventional product categories that can be decorated with occasional texts. And the rest … Your clients will tell you what they need – just watch them for a while!

Campaigns aimed at generating potential customers is one of the increasingly popular advertising targets in social networks. Standard forms on the website in many cases turn out to be much more expensive than lead gen campaigns. The main reason why people choose contacts from social media platforms is the ease of filling them out. Automatically collected data made available on websites shorten the time of filling in forms, which makes them more pleasant and easier to receive.

However, campaigns with this goal are not without flaws. By keeping clicking to a minimum, in many cases the quality of the leads obtained significantly decreases.

Do you operate in the B2B industry and are you looking for new customers on Facebook? Anyone “own boss” and the nobility who do not work can also become one, and you will pay for it in the Advertising Manager. This is where LinkedIn comes in handy – a clear leader among lead generators.

How much does a Linkedin campaign cost on average?

If you use other advertising channels and start your adventure with advertising on LinkedIn, it may turn out that the budget you set is too small to effectively carry out your first campaign. The minimum daily budget that can be set for one campaign is $ 10.

Of course, you might find your first choice of target, audience, and placement a bull’s eye, but you will need to increase your budget to test other options and setups. Even though the advertising efforts on LinkedIn require a larger investment to start with, you’ll quickly find out that this is probably the best platform for generating leads for you.

LinkedIn forms

If it is relatively difficult to find the contact form on your website or the website is easy to use, it does not allow you to add additional functions, for example, to download materials by the interested person, or you simply want to shorten the customer path and without having to do it after clicking on the advertisement on the website website, you want him to download a given material or contact you – this ad in the form of a lead generation form is for you.

What does the form on Linkedin look like?

Forms on Linkedin allow you to get the most important contact information of potentially interested people in our product or service. They can also be used in campaigns with a more educational purpose, in which we offer something in return for each contact, e.g. a guide, newsletter, report or catalog, etc.

What data can we collect via the Linkedin lead generation form?

There are many possibilities. Starting from personal data, to company contact details, and non-standard questions aimed at collecting specific information about subscribers and their classification in the lead collecting system.

The form also gives us the opportunity to select the necessary conditions to submit the form (e.g. acceptance of the regulations or privacy policy).

Nevertheless, when creating a form, it is always worth bearing in mind good practices taking into account UX, i.e. limit the mandatory fields to be completed to a maximum of 3. The great advantage of Linkedin forms is their automatic filling, thanks to which the user interested in the material can easily and quickly receive interesting content, without having to fill in the fields yourself. Of course, some fields can be reserved as necessary to be entered or unchecked by the user and thus pre-verify the quality of leads and their level of interest in a given material.

The process of creating an ad and the Linkedin campaign

As with any LinkedIn Ads campaign, you start by choosing the goal that best describes what you need. Your goal is to get new leads, which means that you choose the ‘Lead Generation’ target in the conversion group. To run a Lead Generation Campaign, you need to associate your Advertising Account with a LinkedIn Company Page.

The process of creating a campaign is no different from other goals. We start, of course, by identifying the audience. Despite the much smaller possibilities of targeting audiences than in the Facebook Ads Manager, it is much more likely that you can reach a specific target group that is actually built mostly of the audience the advertiser is looking for.

Ad formats in the lead campaign on Linkedin

The ad formats available for creating a customer acquisition campaign are the standard single photo, carousel, video ad, and two types of campaigns with ad placement in audience inboxes. Which format you choose is entirely up to you, there are no suggested formats that work best for your industry. For this reason, it is so important to test different ad placements. Some LinkedIn ad campaigns will perform much better than a mostly text-based Sponsored Message campaign with an attention-grabbing banner, and vice versa.

Advertising creations available in the lead campaign on Linkedin

The next step is to prepare the ad creative and set the detailed content of the ad, which, depending on the format you choose, has different options to complete and select. However, all goals are united by creating a leads form.

Privacy policy in lead campaigns on Linkedin

The form has standard settings and content to be completed. It is very important to have the content of the validation policy on the same domain as the page. You can choose from many data options that you need to obtain from potential clients. Creating the form ends with a confirmation window for sending contact details with a thank you.

Campaign on LinkedIn – case study

Due to the pandemic at the turn of February and March, many companies were forced to introduce radical changes in their activities, for some of them a new path was opened to reach their recipients. One of our clients dynamically used the current situation and predicted that cooperation in the field of advertising activities on the LinkedIn platform may bring tangible benefits. The main goal of our client was to reach the departments of specialists and HR leaders in order to promote the webinar on best practices in the coming period. We took a campaign to the fore with the goal of generating leads in the form of sponsored messages that go straight to your LinkedIn inboxes.

In the first week, the campaign started with great intensity and it was possible to acquire the assumed number of potential customers very quickly. By the end of the first month, the initial cost of acquiring a client had dropped by 18%. Ultimately, after 3 months of advertising activities, the campaign was completed with a cost-per-result 22% lower than in the initial period.

We were also positively surprised by the CTR (Sponsored Message Openings Rate) of over 70% during the entire campaign. The key here was the first “meeting” of the recipient with the ad in their inbox, which is influenced by the appropriate headline of the ad.

First of all, we tried not to attack potential customers with another advertisement, but to encourage them to read the entire message in a friendly way.

One of the first tests we did in the campaign was based on bid changes. LinkedIn suggests the suggested bid value at the level of creating a campaign group. This value is influenced by your chosen goals, placements, and audience selection. The starting bid of $ 0.15 turned out to be much worse than our optimization bid, which was $ 0.30, which we eventually held for most of the campaign.

Customer support for the advertising campaign on Linkedin

The client obtained support from us also at the level of advertising texts. The goal was to encourage LinkedIn users to leave personal information in exchange for invaluable knowledge and guidance. The client shared his experience in his industry with us, after all, he knows his potential recipients best, and based on the knowledge obtained from many other campaigns, we added the best strategies that we learn through testing in campaigns. Thus, several versions of messages reaching the recipients were created, which we analyzed and finally chose those whose results were in the lead.

In the meantime, we conducted a few more advertising campaigns for this client, which, thanks to the correlation, had a positive impact not only on building brand awareness, but also on a noticeable gradual reduction in costs for results.

Linkedin lead campaign – Summary

We know from our own experience that the costs of running advertising campaigns on LinkedIn can initially be a deterrent. If you operate in the B2B industry, however, you should know that it is currently the best platform for acquiring valuable customers. However, the lead-generating campaign is the final stage of the sales funnel and it is worth supporting these activities through advertisements building brand awareness, as well as through other advertising channels.

Of course, we make a reservation that not every type of business is suitable for advertising on Linkedin. It is worth conducting a preliminary analysis to check whether our clients are on Linkedin and whether they spend their time there looking for content / services or products that our company offers. It often happens that our clients are really there, so we start the campaign, but after a given period of time, we notice that the campaign does not achieve the intended results. This is often caused by the lack of a preliminary analysis of the Purpose for which our target group uses Linkedin. It may turn out that he is looking for more business solutions here, and he leaves lifestyle options for Facebook, Instagram or simply uses the Google search engine.

In a stationary store, customers count on the help of the seller. Kind, smiling and kind advisers can work wonders and convince even the least determined ones to buy. It can be said that in the online store this function is performed by a description. The better it is, the greater the probability that the customer will buy the product from you, and maybe even stay with you longer? Where to start creating descriptions?

Find out who your customers are

To get your customers attention, you need to get to know them well. First, think about who and why is visiting your online store? Gather as much information as possible about your customers: How old are they? How do they look? Where they live? What do they do? Are they singles? Do they have families? How often do they shop online? How do they spend their free time? What are their daily rituals? What annoys them? Remember that the customer is not interested in what you want to sell. For him, the most important thing is what he wants to buy at the moment. Try to discover his motivations, fears and needs.

Where to find information? There are quite a few sources of knowledge about consumers and the Internet. If you haven’t done research before, start with industry reports. Important information on the demographics and behavior of your customers can be found, for example, in online tools such as Google Analytics or Facebook Audience Insight.

Create your perfect client

Once you have the knowledge, analyze the collected information and use it to create a persona, i.e. your model client. Give her a name, age and place of residence. Write where he works. Let your persona have goals and desires, but also frustrations. Suppose you run an online store with organic cosmetics. One of the persona might look like this:

Jessica is 28 years old. She is the mother of the resolute five-year-old John and the wife of the architect Tom. She graduated in human resource management, and currently lives in the capital and works in one of the corporations in the HR department.
She tries to spend her free time with her family – actively, preferably outdoors. He cares about ecology. He does grocery shopping in a local grocery store. In order not to waste time, she kept visits to the shopping center to a minimum. Instead of at a drugstore, he buys cosmetics online. Before deciding to buy, she checks the composition of products and the opinions of other customers and influencers. It focuses on quality, price is a secondary criterion.

If you define personas well, you will discover what to focus on when creating product descriptions. You will write to satisfy the curiosity and needs of a specific target group. You will also not waste time on too general or technical descriptions. There is a high probability that no one will read them. And if he doesn’t, he probably won’t buy it.

People buy emotions, not products

Before you start creating a product description in an online store, establish the strengths and benefits of having it. Think about what problems it solves. Customers will be happy to pay if you convince them that it is your product that will have a real impact on their quality of life: they will have more time for their family, they will take care of everyday matters faster, they will be more attractive or they will save a lot of money for holidays. This is where knowing your target group comes in handy. What will convince young mothers will not go to teenagers at all.

Use the language of benefits

Remember that the language of benefits is the language of particulars. Support any benefits your product provides with concrete and true evidence. Avoid cliches and cliches. “One of a kind”, “top-quality workmanship” or “the latest fashion” – they mean nothing to the customer. The market is saturated with this type of desert returns, which is why consumers have learned to effectively ignore them.

If you absolutely want to emphasize that your product is in something “the best” – justify why, eg “The thinnest smartphone on the market. It’s only 1mm thick and you can fold it like a piece of paper”.

It’s important to be clear about the problem your product solves. If an orthopedic pillow relieves spine, head and back pain, say it simply, without any special words or fancy phrases. So that the message reaches all interested parties, not only those who have completed a doctorate in acupressure. When you make customers aware of a problem that you can solve, you will awaken in them an urgent purchase need.

The perfect product description in the online store

Length matters
An ideal description should be around 1000-1500 characters with spaces. Both your customers and search engines will like this length. In addition to the criterion of the number of characters, follow a simple rule – if you read the product description and still have questions, think again.

How much to reveal in the title?
The title should contain the brand, model and type of the product, and if possible, also a characteristic, e.g. color. It is supposed to attract attention, but above all, it should be understandable and legible. Write for people, not for the machine. Do not include detailed technical data and incomprehensible abbreviations in the name. Rely on relevant information that will help customers quickly decode what the product is.

Instead of “Tdx-18 gha roz. XS ”, write“ Alpine Tdx-18 gha (red) ski jacket size XS ”.
Also a mistake is the too general title, which says absolutely nothing about the product.
The title is of great importance for the positioning of the online store.

Show what cannot be touched

Photos are a showcase of your online store, not only the product. Don’t forget that we buy online with our eyes – we can’t touch the product or try it on. That is why it is so important that the photos are taken professionally and reflect reality as accurately as possible. They should represent exactly what you are selling, taking into account the characteristics of the product (color, shape, texture). Even if you have received photos from the producer, it is worth taking a few extra photos that will show exactly what interests your target group. Thanks to this, you will also distinguish your offer from the competition. A good example is Zappos, which shows the most important features of the products in the pictures.

Product description, or how to increase conversion?

The product description has two primary purposes: it explains the functions of the item and encourages potential customers to buy. Few of the elements on the page have such a direct impact on conversion. If you see customers entering your website, viewing products but not adding them to the cart, they are probably put off by the product description or the lack of it.

When creating a product description in an online store, follow the basic rules.
– Choose legibility and transparency. Present the most important features of the product,
– Split text into paragraphs,
– Use boldness to emphasize the most important things,
– Use bullets that help maintain clarity and make it easy for the client to scan the text with their eyes
– Use icons and graphics,
– List everything the customer gets, but also what he won’t get. If, for example, the set does not include batteries, be sure to write about it,
– Give advice and dispel doubts. Create a list of questions and answers and present possible applications of the product,
– Influence the senses and emotions that stimulate the imagination. Appeal to the sense of touch, sight, smell and hearing.

A language your customers will love

The right language is very important in creating descriptions, therefore:
– use short, single sentences,
– use the active side,
– avoid participles; instead of them use conjunctions: which, what, by what, therefore, etc.
– use dynamic verbs: decreases / increases, improves, soothes, speeds up / slows down, oils / dries, strengthens / weakens,
– avoid modal verbs that weaken the power of the message, e.g. “XYZ can minimize the risk of getting sick …”,
– avoid the verbs “to have” and “to be”; it is called energy vampires – sentences with their participation are simple, but also boring,
– use simple, user-friendly words and expressions, e.g. also instead of also, it reduces instead of eliminating, soothes instead of soothing,
– avoid the industry jargon,
– put on the language of benefits,
– give up terms that overly value products, exaggerate their advantages,
– translate more difficult terms to avoid the so-called “Knowledge traps” – a situation in which you think that a given concept is so obvious that you do not need to explain it to anyone.

From General to specific

The amount of information contained in the description depends on the industry. However, it is a good practice to present the most important data in the main description (briefly and concisely presenting the most important information and including the basic keywords). The details should be transferred to the additional description (extensive, presenting the advantages of the product and benefits resulting from the purchase, examples of applications, including elements such as: technical parameters, product specification, pattern and other keywords). Additional description should be presented in the form of legible tabs.

Bet on a hard hit

First, indicate those features that distinguish the product from the competition. Focus on its strongest points and then move on to the less significant ones. End the description with information about add-ons. Take a clothing store as an example to see what a valuable description should contain.

– First, provide basic information: cut, size, color, cut, price.
– Below is information about the size worn by the model in the photo, so that the customer has the right point of reference.
– Include product care instructions – customers often want to know how many degrees they can wash the product or whether it can be tumble-dried before buying.
– Describe the history of the manufacturer.
– List the materials from which the product was made.
– Put customer reviews and opinions.
– Also find a place for additional benefits: free delivery and return.

Make friends with a blogger

A great way to enrich your product description is to use reviews or tests in the description. Many bloggers and YouTubers work with producers and create materials about specific products. This type of content is also created at the request of specific online stores.

SEO product descriptions

Creating product descriptions for SEO is a relatively easy task. However, here too, one can overdo it. Still, most sellers focus too much on positioning and forget about users. The high position of the store in the search engine is of course very important, but don’t write just to fill the description with keywords. If you take care of the customer with substantive content on the website, Google will repay you. See what to keep in mind.

Take care of unique content
Descriptions and titles must be unique. Copying descriptions from the manufacturer’s website will not help your SEO efforts. We realize that creating original descriptions for up to several thousand products can be troublesome. If you do not have the appropriate resources, it is worth outsourcing this type of task to a company that will prepare descriptions in a professional manner.

Choose quality, not quantity
It is a mistake to saturate the text with keywords. Focus on covering the topic and providing clients with the most accurate information. Usually the key phrase appears up to 3 times in the product description with a length of 1000 – 1500 characters including spaces. You can use synonyms and synonyms that sound more natural.

Search for relevant key phrases
Thanks to them you will find out what queries are directed by users looking for solutions you offer. Tools are also helpful that will provide you with information about the most popular phrases, their position, number of searches and competition, as well as how to write to arrange a given text for a given phrase as effectively as possible.

Use materials from your blog
This is a very good practice that provides customers with valuable content and additional linking within your website. You can place an article fragment on the product card and link it directly to your blog.

Relevant Product Names (Heading H1)
The name should contain popular keywords. Each product must have an individual name taking into account the manufacturer, model, distinguishing feature, etc.

Use subheadings (in headings H2-H4)
The subheadings are an important element that improves the readability of the text. At the same time, it increases the potential in search results – especially if you include relevant keywords.

Remember about ALT attributes in graphics
Thanks to ATL attributes, the search engine will know what is in the photo. This way, you can also smuggle a keyword.

Duplicate content

There was a bit of this on the occasion of SEO, but let’s repeat it again – don’t be tempted to copy the manufacturer’s description (the exception is the product specification). But what if the products described differ only in color? Repeated assortment is a problem for many stores. How to create original descriptions for this type of product? Of course, the optimal solution would be to prepare a unique description for each of them, but with large volumes it turns out to be practically impossible. In such a situation, it is worth preparing one universal description and 1-2 sentences characterizing the changing element.

Order or write it yourself?

As always: it depends. Take several factors into account. If you run a small online store, you have time and skills – you can create professional descriptions yourself, why not. Now you know what features a sales product description should have. You are aware of what mistakes not to make. However, if you are the owner of a large e-commerce with thousands of products, and your employees have hundreds of other tasks on their minds, it is better to outsource writing to a specialized company. The price for product descriptions is relatively low compared to the losses you may incur by giving them up.