Using Keywords to Find Your Audience

Carol Palmatier works with mission-based organizations to help them utilize Web 2.0 tools to market their mission, in partnership with Graphix For Change. Carol is also the owner of Brandeur Marketing.

Want to attract the right people to your site? Then you've got to get into their minds and think like they do. This is especially true if your site caters to a specific audience or a niche market. Let's walk through a simple process that will really help you put a stake in the ground on finding your audience online.

1. Identify a "real person" in your audience.

First, you have to think like your audience. This can be a challenge, so bear with me and we'll walk through this together.

Get out a blank piece of paper and jot down a few typical "people" who might use your site. They might be survivors, advocates, volunteers, or family members. Make a list of at least three different "personas."

Got your list? Okay, spend a few minutes on each "persona" and flesh them out. Give them an age, a location, and a real reason for needing your agency's services. It can help if you base this on real life experience, so maybe think of some of your clients and how you've helped them.

2. Get in their brains

Now that you've identified your personas, it's time to start thinking like they do.

Imagine that you are the first "persona" on your list. What might you be thinking as you search for help or information? Keep in mind...these are real people, sometimes in crisis or a state of real need. They aren't necessarily well-versed in your industry's jargon or buzzwords. And they need what you offer.

Take a few minutes right now and jot down some of the search terms your personas might use. Remember, think like them. While your agency might offer "victim's assistance and advocacy" it's highly unlikely that your person in crisis is going to think in those terms. Instead, use the kind of language and wording that your audience is likely to use.

Think locally. If you serve the Boston area, include "Boston" in your search terms. There's no sense trying to reach an audience in San Francisco if you only offer local services.

3. Do a search

After you've identified a few key search terms for each persona, enter them into a search engine and look carefully at the results. Is your client likely to find the information they need? Is your agency in the search results? This can really be an eye opener for a lot of people, when they realize that they are not likely to be found by the people who really need them.

Once you've found a few key phrases that will bring the right people to your site, start using those terms in your site copy, especially in headlines, subheadings and article titles. This will help the search engines find your site and include it in their search results. And that will help your audience get the help they need...that's the key to all of it.