By Sam Barker, Head of Omnichannel Search at Greenpark
Some might say search marketing was difficult enough to navigate when Google was the only platform to get to grips with. The task of targeting the most profitable consumers with online ads has now got exponentially harder with the increasing use of alternative search engines – from social media sites to AI tools.
Consumer search journeys are being upended by these challengers to Google’s crown. The market leader is predicted by Gartner to suffer a 25% drop in search traffic during the next two years – yet overall search volumes are still on the rise.
So, now isn’t the time for brands to rely on traditional search for campaign success. Understanding where people are searching, their motives, and the stage of their purchase journey they’ve reached will be key to serving the information and content they crave.
Omnichannel obstacles and how to get over them
Brands’ core search struggle is a common marketing mea culpa: siloed working with barriers that have never been dismantled. There is little integration between social, SEO, paid search and content teams within organisations. Often this creates an internecine battle over ownership of campaign activity and customers.
The solution is to merge these channels into a holistic, omnichannel approach to search where all disciplines work in harmony. While that’s hard to do, it’s where the magic happens.
By integrating teams brands automatically have an advantage. Think of all the platforms where user search volumes are going through the roof. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, the likes of ChatGPT and even Amazon have become the engine of choice for some consumers.
If your search strategy and the systems that underpin it is joined up, you can garner a clear and unified view of who is searching for what; where; and why. Using the proliferation of analytics tools now available the disparate data generated by search can be transformed into insight-driven growth.
We’ve determined a cross-channel approach that presents a messy picture of consumer journeys but also spotlights the chances brands have to engage them. Google’s slow but steady loss of primacy is underscored by a study we conducted into searches by consumers in the beauty category.
We discovered 83% have progressed from a search query to purchasing a beauty product. Furthermore, while Google retains its lead for beauty searches – used by 57% of consumers – YouTube (45%), Instagram (39%), Facebook (35%) and TikTok (33%) are gaining fast.
Our research also found distinct generational preferences on different platforms for different stages of their journey; for example:
- 47% use Google to find out basic product information
- 35% turn to TikTok for tips and hacks
- 31% also use Instagram for tips
- 30% switch to YouTube to find produce reviews
These nuances highlight why an omnichannel search strategy is so important for brands to stay visible, relevant, consistent and able to convert users into buyers.
However, due to lack of internal expertise or resource it’s hard for many brands to respond to these seemingly infinite interactions in an optimal way. This leaves consumers with a disjointed and poor experience. As a result they may try their luck with rival brands. In some categories, as many as 84% of consumers expect a joined-up shopping experience across all channels.
So how can brands make search seamless and turn omnichannel journeys to their advantage?
Succeeding with an omnichannel content strategy
The answer lies in an omnichannel content strategy that provides users with the answers they’re looking for without the frustration of spending precious time looking for it.
That’s the output; the input is audience insight. That means accessing all available search data points to be able to pinpoint exactly where someone is on their journey; what they are looking for on a very personal basis; and even the format and types of content they’ll react well to at that moment, in their chosen channel.
Creating content on social media begins with understanding how different communities and audiences behave on those platforms. What audience clusters can you create? Where are they on their purchase journey? How do searches break down by platform? What are your competitors up to in those channels?
It’s important to remember that – as vital as it is – search is only one strand of your strategy. Without a considered focus on the behaviour of the individual consumers behind the data content is unlikely to resonate, however uniquely impactful and clever it may seem. If your content resonates with both category trends and the audiences searching for information success should follow.
Meanwhile, by merging social, SEO, digital PR, content and creative teams to deliver an omnichannel model organisations are able to provide a bespoke brand strategy that uses joined-up metrics and provides complementary, flexible content recommendations.
As a final thought, content delivered as a response to search analytics deserves the same consistency as successful brands imbue all of their creative with. How your brand appears, and the nature and tone of your overall message, should remain the same no matter the touchpoint.
Search offers a far less tactical, far more meaningful way to connect with consumers than it once did when the world seemed simple and Google’s algorithm was the main factor to navigate. The benefit for brands is total ownership of end-to-end digital journeys despite the increasingly fragmented nature of online marketing.
If your search content strategy isn’t where your target audience is looking, and what they expect to find, you’re missing out. Omnichannel isn’t just a trend – it’s the new normal. Is it time to search for a smarter response?
