How Instant Consumer Feedback Can Boost Your SEO: Ed Dawson’s Insights

I wanted to share some thoughts on a topic that might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to SEO, but can make a significant difference in how we optimise and refine our websites and products: instant consumer feedback.

Now, you might be wondering, what’s instant consumer feedback all about? Well, it’s all about using platforms like PickFu to get near-instant feedback from real consumers on anything from product concepts to website designs, headlines, and more. And before you ask, yes, it does tie into SEO in ways you might not expect.

We all know SEO isn’t just about keywords, backlinks, and tweaking technical bits here and there. User experience plays a massive role these days. Google’s been making a lot of noise lately about site engagement, dwell time, bounce rates, and so on. They’re watching how users behave on your site, how satisfied they are, and whether your site meets their needs.

So, if your website is difficult to navigate or doesn’t speak to your audience, people are going to bounce off, and that’s a negative signal to search engines. On the flip side, if you’ve got content that resonates, makes a good first impression, and keeps people engaged, that’s going to help your SEO performance.

This is where instant consumer feedback services like PickFu come into play. Instead of guessing what might work or relying solely on gut feelings, you can get real-time feedback from your target audience. You can show them different options—be it images, headlines, page layouts—and in just minutes, you’ll have results with detailed explanations about why they prefer one over the other.

Let me give you a bit of context. At KeywordsPeopleUse.com, we’ve been working on some new functionalities and concepts. Internally, we’ve had plenty of discussions—and disagreements—about the best direction to take. Now, differing opinions can be a strength because they force us to question our assumptions and consider alternative ideas. But at some point, you need to make a decision and move forward.

We decided to put our concepts to the test using PickFu. We set up a poll, showed our two different homepage designs to a panel of 30 people, and waited to see what they’d say. The results were eye-opening. One design was overwhelmingly preferred over the other. Not only did we get a clear winner, but the feedback explained why people preferred it, highlighting aspects we hadn’t even considered.

Now, you might be thinking, why not just rely on analytics or traditional surveys? The problem with those methods is that they can be slow, imprecise, and sometimes biased. Waiting weeks to gather enough data through traditional surveys or setting up A/B tests can be time-consuming and expensive. Plus, analytics might tell you what’s happening but not why.

Instant consumer feedback fills that gap. It speeds up decision-making by giving you quick, actionable insights. You can validate your assumptions before you launch, saving you time and money in the long run. And because you get detailed explanations, you understand the ‘why’ behind user preferences, which is invaluable for refining your strategies.

Of course, there are downsides. Services like PickFu aren’t free. Our poll cost us around $60 for input from 30 people. While we can’t justify spending that on every single decision, for those big decisions or when we’re at a stalemate internally, it’s money well spent.

So, how does this all tie back to SEO? Well, by using instant consumer feedback to fine-tune your website and content, you’re enhancing the user experience. Better user experience leads to higher engagement, longer dwell times, and lower bounce rates—all positive signals to search engines. Plus, if you’re offering products or services, understanding what your audience prefers can boost your conversion rates, impacting your bottom line.

In conclusion, while instant consumer feedback might not be a traditional SEO tactic, it’s a powerful tool in our arsenal. It helps bridge the gap between what we think our audience wants and what they actually want. By incorporating this feedback into our optimisation efforts, we’re not just improving our rankings but also delivering real value to our users.

So next time you’re grappling with a design choice, a headline, or a new product concept, consider giving instant consumer feedback a try. It might just be the edge you need to stay ahead in the ever-competitive digital landscape.

Thanks for sticking around and reading my thoughts. Remember, keep optimising, stay curious, and don’t forget that SEO isn’t as hard as it might seem when you focus on the basics.