The secret is to sell what people are already searching for
Most purchases start with a search:
"gift ideas for my wife"
"best podcast hosting"
"top indie games for teens"
So the secret to a successful business is to build/sell products that people are already searching for.
I was reminded of this while I was at the barbershop. The topic of gifts came up. "Where do you guys shop for your girlfriends/wives?" someone asked. Multiple people mentioned Wildflower General Store here in Vernon. If I was the owner of that store, I'd be optimizing search results for "gift ideas for women vernon bc".
While some purchases are impulse-driven (like seeing something cool on Instagram and buying right away), most sales come from intent-based searches.
People already know they want to buy something, and they go out looking for it.
How do you keep tabs on the movement of search terms? Or find new ones to “build for?”
For existing products (like Transistor ), I send an automated email asking customers how they found us. If they respond, I ask for specifics: "Do you remember what you typed into google when you were looking?"
For new product ideas, I observe what people ask for recommendations for on Reddit, Twitter, LinkedIn, Slack, and Discord, as well as in real-world locations (like coffee shops, conferences, and barbershops).
I also keep track of the terms people use to find Transistor (and our competitors) in Ahrefs. You can also use Search Console, but only for domains you own.
Cheers,
Justin Jackson