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Key takeaways
- Understanding your audience is about knowing how to solve their real problems, and going beyond collecting simple demographic data.
- Map out your audience’s journey — awareness, consideration, decision and create content that matches each stage.
- SEO is a cycle, not a one-off task. Keep updating old content, spotting trends, and tweaking your strategy to stay relevant and connect with what your audience actually cares about.
You can cram in all the keywords you want, but if your content doesn’t relate to people, it’s just noise.
Doing SEM without knowing your audience means you’re chasing people who don’t care about what you offer.
Because ranking high on Google means nothing if it doesn’t bring in revenue.
The good news is, you don’t need to spend a fortune or be an SEO expert to fix this.
You just need to know who’s behind the screen, what they’re looking for, and how you can connect with them.
Even a total beginner can figure out exactly who their audience is with these five easy tips.
5 simple tips to get started with audience research for SEO
Tip #1 — know who your ideal audience really is
Everyone talks about “knowing your audience,” but what does that even mean?
Slapping an age range or location on a spreadsheet isn’t enough.
You need to dig deeper.
Way deeper.
Ask yourself: “What are these people worried about at 2AM?” and “What’s the exact problem they’re Googling solutions for?”
This is where the SEO magic happens.
Start with what you’ve got.
Google Analytics is free and full of clues about your audience’s demographics and interests.
No access to fancy analytics? No problem.
Just ask your customers (IMO this is the better way).
Poll your customers on social media or send a quick email asking them what their problems are.
Check their social media or Reddit comments and reviews — people share a lot there.
Because you need to understand what makes them want to buy stuff.
Learn more about their struggles, goals, and all the little things they don’t mention to your face (that’s why 1-star reviews are big for research).
Create an audience persona that you can actually use.
And keep it simple.
You can even use free tools like ChatGPT to help you create a persona.
Tip #2 — get familiar with the questions they’re asking
About 14% of all Google searches are questions.
So use tools like AnswerThePublic, AlsoAsked, or “Google’s “People Also Ask.”
They’re goldmines for finding real questions people are searching for.
(I personally prefer to use Ahrefs for this kind of stuff.)
Say for example you’re selling eco-friendly products.
You might find questions like, “Is bamboo sustainable?” or “How do I reduce plastic use?”
Use these questions in your content strategy.
Write blogs, create videos — whatever helps answer them.
Don’t ignore forums and social media.
Reddit, Quora, and Facebook groups are bursting with real, raw conversations.
Search your niche, and you’ll find what people are frustrated about right now.
You’ll often see hyper-specific problems your competitors haven’t even thought of addressing.
The more you know about what people are asking, the better your content will be.
Because it’s actually relatable.
Tip #3 — Look at how people search to spot trends
Okay, so now you know the questions.
But how are people actually phrasing those questions in search engines?
That’s where digging into search behaviour helps.
Google Trends, Ubersuggest, and Keywords Everywhere are your best friends here.
They help you figure out what’s trending and which phrases people are using.
For instance, let’s say you run a fitness blog.
You might notice that searches for “home workouts” skyrocket every January (New Year’s resolutions, anyone?) but drop off by March.
This kind of info is huge when planning your content calendar. You want to hit the right topics at the right time.
So, dig into those search terms.
Find the high-traffic keywords in your niche, and start building content around them at the right time.
Google Search Console is another free tool that shows you which queries are driving traffic to your site.
Look for queries (what people type into Google) that get impressions but not clicks.
Those are opportunities to improve your content or create new pieces targeting those keywords.
It’s like finding hidden gems in your existing content.
You can even comb through your website to easily find what you already have and find any potential opportunities.
Tip #4 — map out the customer journey
To connect with your audience in the right way, you need to see the world through their eyes.
Mapping the customer journey means understanding their problems, opportunities, and tasks at every stage.
You can break down this journey into 3 stages: awareness, consideration, decision
- Awareness Stage
- Problems — what pain points are they realising?
Example — “I don’t know how to reduce stress.” - Opportunities — help them name their problem and understand it better.
Example — Blog posts like “10 Signs You’re Stressed and What to Do About It”
- Problems — what pain points are they realising?
Give your audience educational content that’s easy to digest.
- Consideration Stage
- Problems — they’re actively seeking solutions but unsure which is best
Example — “Should I try meditation or yoga to relax?” - Opportunities — position your brand as a trusted guide
Example — Comparison content like “Meditation vs. Yoga: Which is Right for You?”
- Problems — they’re actively seeking solutions but unsure which is best
Offer in-depth content, reviews, or tools that help them evaluate options that you can help with.
- Decision Stage
- Problems — they need reassurance before committing
Example — “Is this the best option for me?” - Opportunities — adddress objections and close the deal
Example — Testimonials, FAQs, or “Why Choose Us” pages.
- Problems — they need reassurance before committing
Make it easy for them to take the next step — whether that’s buying, signing up, or contacting you.
Create a visual journey map to simplify your audience’s path.
Divide it into three stages.
Under each stage, list key problems, questions, and actions your audience takes.
Use arrows to show how they move between stages and colour-code items for clarity.
This map gives you a clear, actionable blueprint for creating content and aligning SEO efforts with your audience’s needs.
Tip #5 — build a meaningful content strategy for SEO
Once you’ve mapped the customer journey and built your keyword list, it’s time to create content that gets sales and ranks well.
So you need to align your chosen keywords with content ideas. Here’s how:
• At the awareness stage — focus on keywords that answer broad questions or introduce ideas.
Turn these into educational blog posts, how-tos, or beginner guides.
• At the consideration stage — use keywords that compare options or explore solutions.
Create in-depth guides, side-by-side comparisons, or case studies that help your audience weigh their choices.
• At the decision stage — target keywords with clear intent to buy or act.
Build product pages, testimonials, case studies, or detailed tutorials to guide people to the finish line.
Organise your content into clusters to make it stronger and easier to find.
Start with a broad, central topic — your “pillar” content. This should be a comprehensive, high-value piece.
Add related posts, your “cluster” content, that dive deeper into subtopics.
Each one links back to the pillar, creating a web of interconnected content.
For example, if your pillar is “Choosing the Best Running Shoes,” your cluster could include posts like “Running Shoes for Beginners,” “How to Break in Running Shoes,” or “Best Shoes for Trail Running.”
This structure not only helps people find what they need but also signals search engines that your site is a valuable resource.
SEO isn’t set-and-forget.
Track how your content performs and update it based on what your audience responds to.
If you spot a gap or see new trends, create more content to fill those needs.
By tying your customer journey map to SEO and organising your content with clusters, you’ll have a strategy that keeps your audience engaged — and helps your content rank.
Blogs are the backbone of your SEO strategy so it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re making the most of them on your website.
Don’t forget to update and refine your findings
SEO isn’t a one-time thing.
Your audience changes, trends shift, and your content needs to keep up.
Every few months, check in on your audience.
What’s grabbing their attention now?
What new problems are they trying to solve?
Go back to your old posts and give them a facelift.
Add fresh data, swap out outdated info, and make sure everything still hits the mark.
Got broken links?
Fix them.
Better keywords?
Use them.
Pay attention to the chatter online.
Forums, social media, comments — they’re full of clues about what people are asking right now.
If a question keeps popping up, answer it with new content.
Spotting trends is your secret weapon.
https://x.com/ZaidDakkak/status/1867197964889854303
Use tools like Google Trends or X (formerly Twitter) to catch what’s blowing up early.
Jump on those opportunities before everyone else does.
And don’t ignore your stats.
Check your analytics to see what’s working and what’s flopping.
If a post is losing steam, tweak it or turn it into something new.
Keep your content fresh and your strategy sharp.
Just 38% of bloggers bother to update their old posts.
The more you refine, the better your chances of staying relevant — and staying ahead.
From research to results — getting more out of your SEO
You never really stop doing audience research.
It’s always changing, just like SEO.
But don’t worry, it doesn’t have to take over your life.
A little effort goes a long way.
Set aside 30 minutes a week to check trends, explore new questions, or update your content strategy.
Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint.
You’re building something steady and strong.
Sure, it takes work, but if you want to rank higher and truly connect with your audience, this is how you do it.
The better you understand your audience, the smarter your content becomes.
Better content will make more search engines fall in love with it.
And when your content connects, it’s not just rankings that improve — it’s your bottom line.
