How to Improve on Your Business

User Experience: The Queen of the 

User Experience: The Queen of the Content Kingdom

With all the Google updates and penalties kicking in, getting to (and staying on) page one is proving to be an increasing challenge.

So how can you consistently keep your content up to par with the latest search engine standards?

So how can you consistently keep your content up to par with the latest search engine standards?

While content may still be king when it comes to digital marketing, the user is the queen, and everyone knows the queen is really in charge.

So what does this mean for those of us in the industry?

Quite simply, how your content is ranked and how it actually works for the user are more closely tied than they ever have been before.

Not only do we have to pay attention to types of content, we also need to pay attention to how different types of internet users may respond to these content.

Not only do we have to pay attention to types of content, we also need to pay attention to how different types of internet users may respond to these content.

Mostly due to advances in AI and machine learning, Google, rather than looking at keywords and more traditional SEO signals, has started to analyze sites closer to the same way a human user would.         

than the streaker, but they aren’t looking for a long answer either. They might stick around for a brief video or photo tutorial or a medium to long form article, but not much more.

Studier: This is the user who really wants to drive in deep on a subject. They probably got to your site through multi-thread exploration, and they will fact check your content against other sites

spend money on you in the future.

Top of the funnel content can include free tools, long and short form content, and even photos and videos.

The idea is to attract all the different types of users. Top of the funnel is not just the place for fluff: it needs to include all content types.

NOTE: Look around and do a simple analysis of your competition, especially those who outrank you on Google.

There are a number of things to look at, including how they structure their website and what the overall online experience looks like, but you will discover how they are handling their marketing, and what their content structure looks like.

Don’t just copy their strategy: look for your own niche where you can easily outperform them.

Mid-Funnel: Convert Regular Visitors Into Actual Leads

Mid-funnel is designed to take those attracted to your website by virtue of your top of the funnel content to the next stage: to choose your brand to solve their problem.

At the top of the funnel, you answered user questions, sometimes even teaching users the process for solving their problem themselves.

In the middle of the funnel, the consumer knows they have a task they need to accomplish and have also determined it is something they need help doing.

That help may be anything from a mop to clean the kitchen floor or a pan to cook in. It also may be building a website, choosing a college to attend, or buying a new car.

There is no niche where top, mid, and bottom funnel content do not belong: every brand who wants to win long-term in a marketplace where consumers get information digitally must have a content marketing plan.

At this point, you are trying to illustrate to the consumer that your brand is the best choice for solving the issue they have.

Here is an example of how to do that from a college website, Arizona State University.

The university website contains a ton of top funnel content talking about online vs. traditional classrooms, how to choose a major, and why college accreditation matters.

There is also a piece about “5 Ways to Pay for ASU Online.” Note some things from the title:

• It assumes the student has chosen online classes.
• It assumes the student has chosen ASU as a place to take those classes in.
• It is still answering a general question: “How do I pay for college?”

The difference is, the article answers the question relative to Arizona State, and is no longer generic.

The principles outlined could apply to other universities, but that is not where it is situated in the marketing funnel.

The same content can live on both the top and middle of the funnel. How it is written depends on the user it is trying to target.

Generally, mid-funnel content will be a little shorter and not as in depth. It is not necessary to describe the problem in detail, i.e. “Why is college so expensive?”

By this point in the journey, the user already knows that. They now need to know how to pay for the specific college they have chosen to attend.

The Bottom: Close and Delight

At this point, the user has been wowed by your generosity in sharing knowledge.

They have been equally impressed by your brand, and you have managed to make them aware of the benefits of choosing to work with you.

However, you have one more step. You have already turned the streaker into a stroller. The stroller has become a studier and learned about you and your brand.

The studier and researchers have decided you have the answer or answers they were looking for.

Now you have to close the deal. You have to turn them into customers, and you have to keep them delighted.

This is where your order forms, product descriptions, the user experience related to the purchasing or conversion process, must be just as good and professional as the rest of your site.

Make no mistake: this is content. Your forms and the language surrounding them are as much a part of content marketing as the top of the funnel.

But how do you satisfy the four types of internet users here?

• Make it easy to buy: The streaker does not have time to wade through a process.
• Offer easy-to-find explanations: The stroller may need to know a little about the process before they press buy.
• Link to Details: Studiers and researchers may really want to read your entire privacy policy, return policy, and more.

Offer links to these and other deeper explanations these users may need before they are willing to press the buy now button.

The bottom of the funnel is where you win or lose the ground you have already gained. So make it count and appeal to every user who has made it this far in the funnel.

Final Words

The adage is right. Content is king. There is no industry that can do well online without it.

However, we must keep in mind that we do not create content to please only Google. We create it to please our queen, the user. After all, even Google is making sure to optimize its search engine results to please the user. The user rules.

So we must know our users, who they are, what they want and what they need—and we must give them the best experience we can. That is, unquestionably, the best way to rank.