Optimizing Search Behavior in the Enterprise part II

Improving Enterprise Performance

By understanding human search behavior

As mentioned in the previous post, identifying how a topic is actually being discussed (the terms and phrases) requires research and thoughtful analysis. There I showed that the entire dialog could be classified into six categories of behavior. Understanding this provides the basis for developing a focused topical content strategy.  But, how do you know which category is the most important?  One approach is to look at the secondary terms that are being used to see what else they can tell us about search behavior.  When you resolve an AdWords data set for the secondary terms it provides a different view of human search behavior, and it shows which of the terms are the most important.

Top Secondary Terms by Volume

In the example below we see that  the entire search experience can be summed up in ten to twenty secondary terms. The way to think about this table is that the terms Resolution and Resolve appeared in 894,079 search phrases in a single month (in 200 keyword phrases). Clearly when it comes to Workplace Conflict, user search behaviour overwhelmingly implies  interest in “managing” and “resolving” workplace conflict.

So what is the implication? This analysis suggest that Workplace Conflict Resolution is a major theme and should be used in the URL string and in the Title and Description Tags. The secondary theme would be Management of Conflict in the Workplace and would make an excellent H1 tag.

The next thing you do is take a look at the top ten terms to decide if any of them would make good content blocks. In this group, a couple jump right out at you. I would develop supporting text blocks that deal with:

• Workplace Conflict Strategies
• Workplace Conflict Training

Another option, you could combine Mediation and Techniques to create, for example, Workplace Conflict Mediation Techniques.

The important thing to remember here is that the secondary terms in keyword phrases can help you fashion content people are actually searching for. Google taught the world how to search, and people are using the same methods on the Internet and in the Enterprise. If you have good search-logs that can be analyzed, you could use these to generate a search behavior model – if not, web search behavior is a good place to start.

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If you would like to talk about your enterprise performance contact me at: Mark@MSprague.com or call: 781-862-3126

About Lexington eBusiness Consulting

Mark Sprague’s 25 years of product development experience which includes expertise in Search Engines, Information Products, SEO platforms and Social Networking applications provide in-depth expertise to help you refine products and services, and improve your web sites performance by:

• Developing a superior data-driven SEO strategy for your web site.
• Understanding your customers search behavior, and normalizing it to your content strategy.
• Understanding how search engine technology practically impacts SEO and content strategies.
• Understanding how search technology impacts content in a social networking environment.
• Developing a superior user experience based on sound information architecture, usability and coding standards.

Lexington eBusiness Consulting is a Boston-based specialist in Search, SEO and Social Media strategies.

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