Individuals conducting searches reveal where they are in "The Buying Cycle" with the search criteria they use. Understanding their expectations allows you to provide them with exactly the information they need.
While The Buying Cycle seems to vary depending on the model you use. In all models, buyers go through phases from Interest to Research to Purchase.
The Buying Cycle: Interest
When someone demonstrates "interest", they search in very general terms. Keywords reflecting this phase are typically shorter than for other phases. For example, someone searching for "web design" isn't ready to hire us just yet. They have an interest, which can lead to research, which may resolve in a purchase.
The Buying Cycle: Research
Gathering information about products, services and suppliers would be the next phase a potential buyer will enter. Phrases that indicate someone is researching a product or service begin to focus on the buyer's needs. The search terms "affordable web design", "flash web site design" and "professional web site design" could all be research related.
At e Star, web design is included in our services, but hardly the greatest use of our skill and expertise. While building a successful web site (which offers a return on investment!) is far more affordable than getting a bargain package (which is a a dead expense) we still wouldn't expect persons seeking "affordable web design" to be a good fit for what we do. That points out the value of excluding terms that will waste your resources.
The Buying Cycle: Purchase
Search terms that represent a person in the "buy now" phase can be much more specific, are usually longer, and can include information about the nature of the product or service they believe they need. Someone entering "small business web development", or "small business e-commerce Kansas City" is much closer to getting a web site than the guy who typed in "web design" above.
