what? how? why? building query personas to power your content strategy

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WHAT? HOW? WHY?

BUILDING QUERY PERSONAS TO POWER YOUR CONTENT STRATEGY

@simmonet #DSDC

GRANT SIMMONSPROUD AMERICAN. FUNNY ACCENTVP SEARCH STRATEGY

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Please tweet!

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I’m going to keep things simple.Not because you’re simple. But because I am.

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With faith, thereare no questions; without faith, there are no answers.

~ Yisroel Meir Ha-Cohen

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With Google there are no questions left unanswered.

~ Grant Simmons

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Fundamental

How does work?

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FundamentalAnswer queries

How does work?

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FundamentalAnswer querieswith the best answer

How does work?

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Traditional Personas

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• 26 yr-old single male• Wears sunglasses• Lives in Nashville• Likes hats

@simmonet#DSDC“best orange Frisbee”

• 26 yr-old single male• Wears sunglasses• Lives in Nashville• Likes hats

@simmonet#DSDC“best orange Frisbee”

• 56 yr-old married male• Wears glasses• Lives in Cleveland• Likes hats

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These are not the personas you are looking for.

Traditional Personas?

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How does work?

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FundamentalTreats everyone uniquely different

How does work?

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Fundamental(Personalization) Location, prior behavior, click behavior, device

How does work?

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BUTHow does work?

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FundamentalA query is a query is a query is a query is a query is a query…

How does work?

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How many of you came to Digital Summit DC?

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How many of you Googled the address?

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Different people. Same query.

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These are the personas you are looking for.

Query Personas?

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These are the personas you are looking for.

[most of the time]

Query Personas?

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QueryPersonas

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Content Strategy – What Are Your Goals?

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Content Strategy – What Are Your Goals?Get TrafficBuild trust: Return visits / ‘brand’ designation (brand name searches) Demonstrate expertise: User satisfaction (dwell time, SERP CTR, query mod) Inspire authority signals: Engagement, social activity / mentions, links (citations)

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Answer querieswith the best answer

How does work?

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Answer querieswith the best answerTo satisfy user intent

How does work?

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Content Strategy - GoalsUnderstand user intent so you can satisfy that intent & then show up in search results(as best answer)

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Types of Intent (from the big guys)

Know | Do | Buy | Web | Local

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I want to knowI want to goI want to doI want to buy

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I’m not sure whyI’m not sure whereI’m not sure whatI’m not sure howI’m not sure how much

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Every Search Queryis a Question

Can you answer them?

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IF you can…Position zero answer box and / or featured snippet + voice search potential

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IF you can…Position zero answer box and / or featured snippet + voice search potential

Winning!

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Position 0?

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featured snippet

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answer box

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Answer Box Analysis• 7.6 Million Keywords• 20% triggered by top 25 words

• How, What, Who• Best, Top• Where, When• Does, Is

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Answering Intent• The right query persona• The best medium• Formatted for users (& bots)• The most relevant answer• Satisfy the query

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With Google there are no questions left unanswered.

~ Grant Simmons

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QueryPersonas(just a few)

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Trivia Query Persona

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Trivia Query PersonaBroad queries for current information, entertainment, distraction, without definitive intent to do anything about it

What’s the weather like?How tall is Big Bird?

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Trivia Query PersonaBroad queries for current information, entertainment, distraction, without definitive intent to do anything about it

What’s the weather like?How tall is Big Bird?Searching for:

Any cat meme ever made(fun. fun. fun.)

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Trivia Query Persona• Use to build trust & brand• Answer questions related to your industry• Have some fun (if brand-aligned)• Demonstrate expertise• Include question you’re answering!

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Trivia Query Persona

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Superlative Query Persona

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Superlative Query PersonaQueries that seek to narrow down a potentially broad set to a curated set using superlative adjectives.

What is the best mountain bike?Top search conferencesWho is the worst actor on TV?Funniest cat videos

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Superlative Query Persona• Use to build trust & brand• Comparatives / ranking related to your industry• Internal link to relevant resources• Leverage tables / headers to display• Images / infographics work for social

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Superlative Query Persona

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Superlative Query Persona (images)

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Traveler Query Persona

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Traveler Query PersonaExact query of event, location, place, store, movie theater etc. Also ‘near’ queries

Where is Virginia BeachNearest Best BuyDigital Summit DC

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Traveler Query Persona• Schema is your friend• Places, Points of Interest,

Events, Addresses

www.schema.org(Schema goes beyond just locations)

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Traveler Query Persona

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Traveler Query Persona – ‘near’

• Google my Business• Use ‘near’, ‘nearby’ with

Points of Interest in titles / content body

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Action Jackson Query Persona

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Action Jackson Query PersonaQuery that seeks knowledge to learn or improve activeuse of product, talent, ingredients, and / or skills

How to catch bigger fishMaking shepherd’s pieRunning 4 minute mileHow to do a wheelie

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“how to do a wheelie”

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• Video• Audio• Text

• Image• Etc.

Choose the best medium

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• People also ask• Related searches

Research to mine more queries

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Action Jackson Query Persona• Use to build trust & brand• Leverage idea medium

(usually video)• Ensure copy exists

alongside interactives• Step-by-step works great!• Include ’how to’ title

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Hunter / Gatherer Query Persona

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Hunter / Gatherer Query PersonaQueries for a distinct need; unfiltered and inexact, initial stage of answering what to do, when to go, what to buy etc.

Red bikeWinter vacation spotsList of search conferences

Can be satisfied with ‘how to’ informationDoesn’t need ‘ranking’ or superlatives

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Hunter / Gatherer Query Persona

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Hunter / Gatherer Query PersonaAlways think…

What need(s)am I answering?

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Hunter / Gatherer Query Persona• Use to build trust & brand• Expert information• Quotes, links, facts, lists• Leverage tables / headers to display• Long form content works too!

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There’s Lots More Query Types• Many types of intent• Review questions asked

• Customers• Employees• Searchers• Visitors

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Finding Queries

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What are the questions people ask?

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Questions?4 Tools I use• SEM Rush

• Filter by question types

• Look for featured snippets

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Questions?4 Tools I use• SEM Rush

• Filter by question types

• Look for featured snippets

http://go.homes/BGAD

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Questions?4 Tools I use• SEM Rush• Google Search Console

• Filter by question types • Traffic means rank

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GSC Search Analytics

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Questions?4 Tools I use• SEM Rush• Google Search Console• Answer the Public

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Questions?4 Tools I use• SEM Rush• Google Search Console• Answer the Public• Twinword

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Questions• Once you have the questions people ask

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Questions• Once you have the questions people ask• Build a strategy to answer them

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Query Persona Content Strategy• Research queries• Understand the intent behind the query

• Query personas• Context of query

• Answer the query• Research other answers• Be better J

• Choose best / better medium• Format for users (and bots)• Satisfy the query (perfectly)

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Forget traditional personas…You’ll love the query personaapproach!

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Questions are the answer to your content strategy

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Thank you!

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Any Questions?

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Grant Simmons

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@simmonet #DSDC

WHAT? HOW? WHY?

BUILDING QUERY PERSONAS TO POWER YOUR CONTENT STRATEGY

@simmonet #DSDC

Grant SimmonsVP of Search Marketing