Grant Simmons - What? How? Why? Building Query Personas to Power Your Content Strategy

@simmonet #DSDC
WHAT? HOW? WHY?
BUILDING QUERY PERSONAS TO
POWER YOUR CONTENT STRATEGY

@simmonet #DSDC
GRANT SIMMONS
VP SEARCH STRATEGY

@simmonet #DSDC
Please tweet!
@simmonet
#DSDC

@simmonet #DSDC
I’m going to keep things simple.
Not because you’re simple. But because I am.

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With faith, there
are no questions;
without faith, there
are no answers.
~ Yisroel Meir Ha-Cohen

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With Google there
are no questions
left unanswered.
~ Grant Simmons

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Fundamental
How does work?

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Fundamental
Answer queries
How does work?

@simmonet #DSDC
Fundamental
Answer queries
with the best answer
How does work?

@simmonet #DSDC
Traditional
Personas

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• 26 yr-old single male
• Wears sunglasses
• Lives in Nashville
• Likes hats

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“best orange Frisbee”

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“best orange Frisbee”
• 56 yr-old married male
• Wears glasses
• Lives in Cleveland
• Likes hats

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These are not the
personas you are
looking for.
Traditional Personas?

@simmonet #DSDC
How does work?

@simmonet #DSDC
Fundamental
Treats everyone
uniquely different
How does work?

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Fundamental
(Personalization)
Location, prior behavior,
click behavior, device
How does work?

@simmonet #DSDC
BUT
How does work?

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Fundamental
A query is a query is a
query is a query is a
query is a query…
How does work?

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How many of you came
to Digital Summit DC?

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How many of you
Googled the address?

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Different people. Same query.

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These are the
personas you are
looking for.
Query Personas?

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These are the
personas you are
looking for.
[most of the time]
Query Personas?

@simmonet #DSDC
Query
Personas

@simmonet #DSDC
Content Strategy - Goals
Get Traffic
Build trust: Return visits / ‘brand’ designation
(brand name searches)
Demonstrate expertise: User satisfaction
(dwell time, SERP CTR, query mod)
Inspire authority signals: Engagement,
social activity / mentions, links (citations)

@simmonet #DSDC
Answer queries
with the best answer
How does work?

@simmonet #DSDC
Content Strategy - Goals
Understand user intent so you
can satisfy that intent & then
show up in search results
(as best answer)

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Types of Intent (from the big guys)
Know | Do | Buy | Web | Local

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I want to know
I want to go
I want to do
I want to buy

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I’m not sure why
I’m not sure where
I’m not sure what
I’m not sure how
I’m not sure how much

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Every Search Query
is a Question
Can you answer them?

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IF you can…
Position zero answer box
and / or featured snippet
+ voice search potential

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IF you can…
Position zero answer box
and / or featured snippet
+ voice search potential
Winning!

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featured snippet

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Answering Intent
• The right query persona
• The best medium
• Formatted for users (& bots)
• The most relevant answer
• Satisfy the query

@simmonet #DSDC
Answer Box Analysis
• 7.6 Million Keywords
• 20% triggered by top 25 words
• How, What, Who
• Best, Top
• Where, When
• Does, Is

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Query
Personas
(just a few)

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Trivia Query Persona

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Broad queries for current information, entertainment,
distraction, without definitive intent to do anything about it
What’s the weather like?
How tall is Big Bird?

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Broad queries for current information, entertainment,
distraction, without definitive intent to do anything about it
What’s the weather like?
How tall is Big Bird?
Searching for:
Any cat meme ever made
(fun. fun. fun.)

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• Use to build trust & brand
• Answer questions related to your industry
• Have some fun (if brand-aligned)
• Demonstrate expertise
• Include question you’re answering!

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Superlative Query Persona

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Queries that seek to narrow down a potentially
broad set to a curated set using superlative
adjectives.
What is the best mountain bike?
Top search conferences
Who is the worst actor on TV?
Funniest cat videos

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• Comparatives / ranking related to your industry
• Internal link to relevant resources
• Leverage tables / headers to display
• Images / infographics work for social

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Superlative Query Persona (images)

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Traveler Query Persona

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Exact query of event, location, place, store,
movie theater etc. Also ‘near’ queries
Where is Virginia Beach
Nearest Best Buy
Digital Summit DC

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• Schema is your friend
• Places, Points of Interest,
Events, Addresses
www.schema.org
(Schema goes beyond just locations)

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Traveler Query Persona – ‘near’
• Google my Business
• Use ‘near’, ‘nearby’ with
Points of Interest in
titles / content body

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Action Jackson Query Persona

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Query that seeks knowledge to learn or improve active
use of product, talent, ingredients, and / or skills
How to catch bigger fish
Making shepherd’s pie
Running 4 minute mile
How to do a wheelie

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“how to do a wheelie”

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• Video
• Audio
• Text
• Image
• Etc.
Choose the best medium

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• People also ask
• Related searches
Research to mine more queries

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• Leverage idea medium
(usually video)
• Ensure copy exists
alongside interactives
• Step-by-step works great!
• Include ’how to’ title

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Hunter / Gatherer Query Persona

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Queries for a distinct need; unfiltered and inexact, initial
stage of answering what to do, when to go, what to buy etc.
Red bike
Winter vacation spots
List of search conferences
Can be satisfied with ‘how to’ information
Doesn’t need ‘ranking’ or superlatives

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Always think…
What need(s)
am I answering?

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• Expert information
• Quotes, links, facts, lists
• Leverage tables / headers to display
• Long form content works too!

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There’s Lots More Query Types
• Many types of intent
• Review questions asked
• Customers
• Employees
• Searchers
• Visitors

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Finding Queries

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What are the questions people ask?

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Questions?
4 Tools I use
• SEM Rush
• Filter by question
types
• Look for featured
snippets

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Questions?
4 Tools I use
• SEM Rush
• Google Search Console
• Filter by question types
• Traffic means rank

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GSC Search Analytics

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Questions?
4 Tools I use
• SEM Rush
• Answer the Public

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Questions?
4 Tools I use
• SEM Rush
• Answer the Public
• Twinword

@simmonet #DSDC
Questions
• Once you have the questions people ask

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Questions
• Once you have the questions people ask
• Build a strategy to answer them

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Query Persona Content Strategy
• Research queries
• Understand the intent behind the query
• Query personas
• Context of query
• Answer the query
• Research other answers
• Be better 
• Choose best / better medium
• Format for users (and bots)
• Satisfy the query (perfectly)

@simmonet #DSDC
Forget traditional
personas…
You’ll love the
query persona
approach!

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Questions are the
answer to your
content strategy

@simmonet #DSDC
Any
Questions?

@simmonet #DSDC
Grant Simmons
@simmonet
#DSDC

@simmonet #DSDC
Grant Simmons
VP of Search Marketing

Grant Simmons - What? How? Why? Building Query Personas to Power Your Content Strategy

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