by Steve Shaw
Posted on July 8, 2010
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If you ask your target readers what types of articles they would like you to write, I’m sure that they would all say they are looking for an article that will give them something that they need, offer a solution to a problem that they have, and give them information that would make their lives better.
No matter what your niche is, your target readers all want the same thing--they want to read your article and say, “Ah-Ha! That’s a great idea! I’m going to try what this article suggests.”
Your goal as the author is to create that “Ah-Ha!” article.
But how in the world are you supposed to know what your target readers really need?
That’s what we’re covering in this article. Here are 5 tips for discovering what your readers really need:
1 - Do keyword research.
Some people think that the purpose of doing keyword research is to make their articles more appealing to the search engines. Actually, the search engines’ main purpose is to provide results that are useful to their customers (who are also your customers), so what you’re really after when doing keyword research is finding out what your target readers need.
What are they searching for when they type questions into Google?
How do they phrase their questions?
When looking for article topics that reflect what your target readers need, do research on your longer keyword phrases (long-tail phrases) that ask a question or are very specific.
For example, this long-tail keyword phrase would make an excellent article:
“How Much Does It Cost To Rewire A House?”
2 - Look at your own website statistics and see what people are typing into Google to reach your website.
Your website statistics program should tell you what search terms people typed into Google, etc., in order to reach your site. Sometimes these search terms are enlightening. You may find that people are arriving at your site looking for specific information that you do not currently provide. Why not write articles and website content that satisfy what people are looking for on you site?
3 - What questions do your customers routinely ask you?
Sometimes when you are the owner of a business, your expertise can cause you to forget about some of the more elementary aspects of your niche. Look for customer questions that come up repeatedly. If two or three people asked the same question, it’s likely there are many others wondering the same thing.
Also, look for interesting questions that make YOU think and dig down deep. You can use each of these compelling questions as an article topic.
4 - If you have a blog, look at your reader comments for areas of confusion that could be straightened out in an article. If you don’t have a blog, you can still employ this technique by studying the comments on blogs in your niche.
5 - What challenges have you faced in your field, and what have you learned as a result?
If you’re active in your niche, you will have encountered perplexing situations and circumstances when you were not quite sure what to do or how to do something. As an expert in your niche, you then set about to find a solution to your challenge. Why not share your lessons with others? Let your target readers benefit from your own personal experiences and experiments with forging new ground.
Which of these tips will you use in writing your next article?
Remember, your goal is always to make your readers think, solve one of their problems, and hopefully make them say, “Ah-Ha!”
No matter what your niche is, your target readers all want the same thing--they want to read your article and say, “Ah-Ha! That’s a great idea! I’m going to try what this article suggests.”
Your goal as the author is to create that “Ah-Ha!” article.
But how in the world are you supposed to know what your target readers really need?
That’s what we’re covering in this article. Here are 5 tips for discovering what your readers really need:
1 - Do keyword research.
Some people think that the purpose of doing keyword research is to make their articles more appealing to the search engines. Actually, the search engines’ main purpose is to provide results that are useful to their customers (who are also your customers), so what you’re really after when doing keyword research is finding out what your target readers need.
What are they searching for when they type questions into Google?
How do they phrase their questions?
When looking for article topics that reflect what your target readers need, do research on your longer keyword phrases (long-tail phrases) that ask a question or are very specific.
For example, this long-tail keyword phrase would make an excellent article:
“How Much Does It Cost To Rewire A House?”
2 - Look at your own website statistics and see what people are typing into Google to reach your website.
Your website statistics program should tell you what search terms people typed into Google, etc., in order to reach your site. Sometimes these search terms are enlightening. You may find that people are arriving at your site looking for specific information that you do not currently provide. Why not write articles and website content that satisfy what people are looking for on you site?
3 - What questions do your customers routinely ask you?
Sometimes when you are the owner of a business, your expertise can cause you to forget about some of the more elementary aspects of your niche. Look for customer questions that come up repeatedly. If two or three people asked the same question, it’s likely there are many others wondering the same thing.
Also, look for interesting questions that make YOU think and dig down deep. You can use each of these compelling questions as an article topic.
4 - If you have a blog, look at your reader comments for areas of confusion that could be straightened out in an article. If you don’t have a blog, you can still employ this technique by studying the comments on blogs in your niche.
5 - What challenges have you faced in your field, and what have you learned as a result?
If you’re active in your niche, you will have encountered perplexing situations and circumstances when you were not quite sure what to do or how to do something. As an expert in your niche, you then set about to find a solution to your challenge. Why not share your lessons with others? Let your target readers benefit from your own personal experiences and experiments with forging new ground.
Which of these tips will you use in writing your next article?
Remember, your goal is always to make your readers think, solve one of their problems, and hopefully make them say, “Ah-Ha!”
For more info on how you can use article marketing to reach thousands of potential prospects for your website, go now to http://www.submityourarticle.com/report . Steve Shaw is an article marketing expert and founder of the popular article distribution service http://www.submityourarticle.com used by thousands of business owners.
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