Before You Post Anything Online, Do This First

Hi reader,

If no one’s finding your website, it might be because you’re speaking the wrong language.

I don’t mean English vs. Spanish…I’m talking about your customer’s language. Too many people write their website or social posts based on what they think sounds good… not what their audience is looking for.

And when that happens, you might as well be invisible. 

Today’s advice

You need to do research before adding anything to your website or social media.

I know the word ‘research’ might sound a little intimidating, but I promise it doesn’t need to take a lot of time. When people talk about ‘keyword research,’ all we’re really saying is that you need to look into what language your audience uses when searching online.

Let’s say you run a wellness practice, so on your homepage you write, “I help clients achieve emotional balance and inner alignment.”

That might sound nice, but it’s not how people search. They’re more likely typing things like “stress management” or “therapist for anxiety.”

See the difference?

Why this matters

Your business is more likely to show up in search results.

Of course, the biggest benefit of keyword research is its impact on your SEO. Google doesn’t care how clever or professional your content sounds. It’s looking for relevance. If the words on your website or social posts don’t match what people are searching for, they’re not going to show up.

More people will read the content, or take action

People don’t like jargon and corporate talk. What they do respond to is language that feels familiar. Words they’d use themselves.

If your content sounds like something written for a brochure or a boardroom, you’ll lose people.

But speak clearly and directly, using the same words your audience already has in their head, and suddenly they’re paying attention. They feel like you understand them.

That’s what gets them to stop scrolling and hopefully, to reach out.

Here’s how to start

Spend 10-15 minutes doing basic audience research before you post anything.

You don’t need to be a marketing expert to do this, and it doesn’t have to take long.

Start with Google. Type in a phrase related to your business and see what autocomplete suggests. Scroll down and look at the “People also ask” or “Related searches” sections. Those are real phrases people are using.

Another good place to look is forums like Reddit or Quora. Pay attention to how people describe their problems and what they’re looking for.

And if you want to go even deeper, there are tons of tools out there you can use to help. One I really like is SparkToro, because it tells you what your ideal customer is searching for, what platforms they spend time on, and what content they’re already engaging with.

Here’s a glimpse of what that looks like:

👉 If you have any favorite tools or tricks for keyword/ audience research, I’d love to hear them. Just hit reply and let me know – I’ll share any good ones with the group in a future edition.

Best,

Jono