The Role of Psychology in SEO
The average consumer no longer simply uses a search engine to quickly find information based solely on clear reasoning. Today, searchers are more likely to perform searches and make decisions based on psychological factors, such as what feelings they have about a specific brand, product, or service, and this shift is having a big impact on search engine optimization. Here’s a closer look at how psychology can affect SEO, brought to you by the experienced professionals from Saba SEO, experts in SEO and Internet marketing San Diego businesses trust to help them boost rank, build successful brands, and maintain customer loyalty.
Search Decisions Aren’t Always Rational
Proof of the link between psychology and SEO can be found in the way people use search assistance technology like Google Assistant and Alexa and the decisions they make based on the results they get. Most users of such devices ask longer, more detailed questions, but the questions being asked aren’t always entirely rational. In fact, researchers have identified several irrational biases that play a role in how people interact with search engine results. The main takeaways from this research are that searchers:
• Tend to seek info based on what they already believe
• Often have a herd mentality (e.g., “following the crowd”)
• Can become paralyzed in the decision-making process if they’re confronted with too many options
These reasons are why it makes sense to create unique landing pages devoted to single locations or specific products or services. Searchers with particular mindsets can also be targeted with highly specific meta descriptions or through the use of certain keywords or types of content.
Customer Insights Can Help Content Perform Better
Randomly created content isn’t going to cut it today. You’re more likely to see the desired results from your website, blog, social media, or paid ad content if you know what matters most to your target audience. Once you understand the psychology of your audience, you’ll be able to:
• Discover why they’re looking for what you have to offer
• Learn what motivates and influences them
• Have a better idea of what they expect from your content
• Provide incentives within your content that drive people to link back to your site or share your content with others
Visuals Influence Decisions
Most of the information transmitted to the human brain is visual. Visual data is processed by the brain in literally a fraction of a second, which is why visual content can have a huge impact on which emotions are created by simply seeing a product image or looking at photos or videos on a business’s social media pages.
Color choices on websites can also affect how people interact with the content on that site. For example, blue is widely used on medical websites or for medical logos because it’s associated with credibility, trust, knowledge, and professionalism. Again, there’s no rational reason for this other than what’s interpreted by the human brain.
Google is well aware of the impact psychology can have on search behavior, which is why both search engines and searchers pay attention to things like what’s said in online reviews, how people interact with brands on social media, and testimonials on landing pages. Millennials, in particular, tend to choose brands that have distinct personalities or clearly stand for something other than making a profit. The bottom line here is that SEO today is more likely to be effective if the mindset of the target audience is kept in mind.
When you’re creating your SEO strategy, the psychology of your intended audience is one of the most important factors to consider. The SEO experts at Saba SEO, one of the most innovative digital marketing companies in San Diego, know the key to reaching customers is creating authentic content based on what moves and motivates them. For help with building a long-term SEO strategy that will boost your search rank and create a loyal customer base, call on the professionals at Saba SEO. Reach out to one of our experienced SEO specialists today at 858-277-1717.
