Rosenfelt explains that site search analytics can help businesses understand what type of content marketing will convert visitors into customers.

Marketers looking for better keyword research and content marketing strategies that will meet consumers’ informational needs might take a page out of marketing expert Louis Rosenfeld’s book (literally). Rosenfeld, author of Search Analytics for Your Site believes that studying users’ on-site queries is key to generating effective content that will drive conversions on your site.

In a recent interview with Search Engine Land, Rosenfelt described how site search analysis (SSA) offers better information on what consumers are looking for once they’ve arrived at a site – and this can help marketers understand what type of content will turn visitors into customers. Site search data is available on many content management systems. (For instance, WordPress has a “User searches” tab.)

Reviewing site searches, Rosenfelt says, offers an array of insight. It can tell marketers about the topics that interest visitors (product info? tutorials?), the content types they crave (blogs? news?)  and the tone that best suits their knowledge level (are their queries full of jargon or plain language?). This kind of information is key to developing targeted editorial content, and appropriate targeting is key to conversions.

Rosenfelt reminds marketers that engaging site visitors with relevant content should be a top priority – and sometimes the “relevant” info may not be easily identified without SSA. “If users are failing to find information on specialized insurance policies on your extreme mountain biking site – well, maybe they should,” he told Search Engine Land.

As content marketing budgets rise, this information can help businesses gain a competitive edge. As Brafton has reported, just 3 percent of B2B marketers believe they “wow” visitors with relevant content.

Katherine Griwert is Brafton's Marketing Director. She's practiced content marketing, SEO and social marketing for over five years, and her enthusiasm for new media has even deeper roots. Katherine holds a degree in American Studies from Boston College, and her writing is featured in a number of web publications.