There are several versions of this funnel, so if the one from your Marketing 101 textbook doesn\u2019t match up, that\u2019s okay. There is another method of visualizing the customer journey called the \u201cJobs to be Done<\/a><\/span>\u201d framework that explains consumer behavior through the job they are trying to get done and how your product will help them accomplish it better than your competitor\u2019s. This is an interesting new approach, but for simplicity’s sake, this article will stick to the sales funnel approach.<\/p>\n Customers at the top of this funnel are doing broad, industry-wide, often only tangentially related searches. They\u2019re exploring the field to see what\u2019s out there. \u00a0Top of the funnel customers are looking for informational resources – this includes research data, opinion pieces, and educational content.<\/p>\n Shoppers or netizens in the second level of the funnel, Consideration\/Evaluation, are actively comparing you and your competition. They are doing much more specific, product-oriented searching in preparation for making their purchase decision. This stage of the funnel is a great opportunity to steal traffic from your competitors<\/a>.<\/p>\n Finally, when customers reach the bottom stage of the funnel, Purchase, they\u2019re making an actual purchase. Customers at this level are searching for things like, \u201cbuy widget x online\u201d or \u201cwidget x discount code.\u201d They\u2019re ready to make a purchase, and grabbing their attention at this stage leads to sales. Customer journey marketing<\/a> involves creating content for each stage of the customer journey to ensure engagement at any stage of the funnel.<\/p>\n Now you may be thinking, \u201cOkay\u00a0cool\u2026 thanks for the marketing tips, but how does this affect my SEO?\u201d That was the question I asked our very own expert consultant, Molly Nevins.<\/p>\n When tracing the research journey, you’re essentially asking: what are customers at each stage of the buying process searching for? What are they typing into Google? The answers to these questions can help you determine not only what types of content you should be creating, but also what goes where in terms of information architecture. A well-structured site will be easily navigable and make sense to both human users and search engines. Top notch sites will also leverage internal linking to keep users engaged, discovering other content, as well as signal to search engines where any link juice should be allocated.<\/p><\/div> <\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot to unpack in that quote. That\u2019s why Molly is an expert and we\u2019re\u00a0well, we\u2019re getting there, aren\u2019t we?<\/p>\n Basically, if implemented correctly you can apply the funnel model to your entire site. Let\u2019s go through how that looks for each phase of the funnel.<\/p>\n Before we begin, it should be noted that this model is very content-heavy, so if your site is content-light, you should seriously consider beefing it up<\/a><\/span>. \u201cBut I\u2019m an eCommerce site, why do I need blog content?\u201d Because content gets you links, and links are the backbone of SEO and, well, maybe you should ask these 5 startups that crushed their established competition using nothing but content and SEO<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\nA well-structured site makes sense to both human users and search engines. <\/a><\/span>Click To Tweet<\/a><\/span>\n Customers at the top of the funnel aren\u2019t close to a purchase, so all we want to do at this stage is capture their attention and make them aware of our brand. The keywords at this stage are shorter and much more competitive, so your content here has to be amazing. This is where your \u201clinkbait\u201d content comes in. This is the content that takes time and effort to produce. This type of content can include your definitive ranking of every episode of \u201cThe X-files\u201d in infographic form, your survey of 10,000 energy drink customers that reveals X things they all have in common, or your hilarious series of videos of your mascot hurting himself on water slides.<\/p>\n From a keyword research perspective<\/a>, the top of the funnel keywords are much broader and have a ton of search volume, so your content has to be kickass to stand out. It has to be shareable or useful, and it should be mostly related to your brand. The goal at this stage is to build awareness for your brand, let\u2019s not forget. One of our most flavorsome clients, Reize Energy Drinks<\/a><\/span>, has a great example of top of the funnel content in their \u201cDeadpan Guy.<\/a><\/span>\u201d Top of the funnel content is often found in the blog portion of a company site, but like Molly said, make sure it links to the top of your site architecture. Here are more amazing examples<\/a><\/span>\u00a0of this kind of \u201clinkbait\u201d content.<\/p>\n At this stage of the purchase process, customers are approaching a purchase and are searching narrower, more industry-specific keywords. Content for this stage of the funnel can be tricky to define because it often overlaps with the other stages of the funnel, but the basic goal of content for the Evaluation\/Consideration stage is to establish your site as an expert in whatever industry you ply your trade.<\/p>\n Some high-value content falls under this category, such as expert guides or instructional videos, but what differentiates middle of the funnel content from top of the funnel is that it\u2019s aimed at establishing a relationship with potential customers. This content establishes you as an expert in the area, then shows\u00a0how your product or service is the best fit.<\/p>\n To continue with examples from our friends over at Reize, their article on buying energy drinks in bulk<\/a><\/span>\u00a0both establishes them as an expert and gives info on why their solution is the best. Another example of a page they are using to target middle of the funnel customers is their evergreen, non-blog content page, 12 Reasons to Choose Reize<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n This page is definitely conversion oriented, but filled with keyword-related content that establishes Reize as the obvious choice for your energy drink needs. Keywords in the middle of the funnel are longer-tail and more industry specific. Customers here are Googling things like, \u201cwhat is the best widget for task A\u201d or \u201cwhat is the sugar content of Brand B\u2019s product?\u201d They are often informational requests and questions about the industry, so make sure you\u2019re responding to them with appropriate content.<\/p>\n Keywords in the bottom of the funnel are long-tail, very product-specific, and oriented around the actual purchase or commitment to your service. There is much less volume here, but the traffic you do get is much more likely to translate into sales, so it\u2019s extremely valuable. Keywords at the bottom of the funnel are often self-explanatory, like \u201cbuy widgets online\u201d or \u201cseo agency for small business.\u201d Content aimed at purchasers is often evergreen, and higher in the site\u2019s architecture. These pages should be easy to find and understand, as they are the most critical for, you know, actually making money. Bottom of the funnel content can be as simple as a big button that says, \u201cfree trial!\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Customer](\"http:\/\/blog.canirank.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/salesfunnel.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe Customer Journey and Site\u00a0Structure<\/h2>\n
Molly Nevins<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blog.canirank.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/mollynevins-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>Top of the Funnel Content - Awareness<\/h2>\n
![\"Top](\"http:\/\/blog.canirank.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/reize.png\")
<\/p>\nMiddle of the Funnel Content - Evaluation<\/h2>\n
![\"Middle](\"http:\/\/blog.canirank.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/reize-energy-drink.png\")
<\/p>\nBottom of the Funnel - Purchase<\/h2>\n
![\"Keyword](\"http:\/\/blog.canirank.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/best-keywords-list.png\")
<\/p>\n