Old Words Equal Search Success

Jakob Nielson’s latest Alertbox is a good reminder that, despite our most valiant efforts to name and position products, you must speak the language of users to achieve online success.

Focusing on “new” words – those coined by organizations instead of users – will inevitably lead to less search engine success, Nielson argues. Familiar, precise words are best. If you introduce new terminology, supplement it with familiar terminology. And perhaps the best advice for marketers:

Play down marketese and internal vocabulary. Call a spade a spade, not a digging implement. Certainly not an excavation solution. Many marketers like to embellish products to make them seem grander than traditional fare. But customers define their needs in known terms, so be sure to use them, even if you don’t think they’re exciting. The very fact that a word is unexciting indicates that it’s frequently used. People search for terms like “cheap airline tickets,” not “value-priced travel experience.” Often, a boring keyword is a known keyword.

“Write to be found,” Nielson states. It’s solid advice to follow.