Learn more about the generation you’re targeting

Izabela says: “Meet your target generation where they search.”

How would you define a generation, in this context?

“You can start with the typical generations: Generation Z, Generation X, Boomers, Millennials, etc.

Obviously, we're all quite familiar with the classic generational groups by now, because we hear more about them more than we ever used to before, and each of those generations has its own habits when it comes to searching for information or products.

To add to this, we've got more platforms than ever, across which each of those generations can spread and search for information. Getting this right is key, especially if you're a smaller brand with a smaller budget, and you can't afford to be absolutely everywhere. You need to get your targeting right and understand your audience.

Those classic generational groups are a great starting point, but you should focus more on who your target audience is and how you can tie that audience to generational habits. Dive even deeper to understand how this is split, where this split is for your brand and what you're trying to promote.”

How do you define where each generation resides in terms of platform?

“Your first port of call is your CMS. It's a bit easier if you're an e-commerce brand, because you usually get more information about your customers and you can get it more quickly. If you're B2B, it might be a bit more difficult. You might need to send people an email asking them those questions, and offer them something to download, for example.

Besides your CMS, you obviously have Google Analytics, which has a lot of this information floating about as well. It's just a matter of finding it and using it. There is Microsoft Clarity, which is another great tool.

However, be mindful of third-party tools. I would put emphasis on the CMS, because that will give you the most accurate and direct information about your website and your business. Some of the third-party tools, like Google Analytics, have been under-reporting some things. It might not be best to rely only on that, but it's a useful part of the whole picture.

It's definitely good to use those third-party tools, just don’t rely solely on them.”

Do all of your SEO efforts need to target one specific generation?

“Definitely not. However, depending on your business, there might be some generations that will be more interested and some that will be less interested. There might be businesses that have a wide spectrum of generations who are interested in what you do and could be potential customers.

From there, you have to start asking, Which platforms do they search on? How do they search? What sort of content do they consume best? Maybe Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X are all interested in your brand, but they all search differently on different platforms, and they might respond best to different types of content. That's your next step.

The first thing is to understand which generation you're targeting the most. Which is your biggest customer base – especially for smaller brands with smaller budgets? If you can be everywhere, that's great.

Of course, you’re initially targeting the customers that you already have. However, as marketers, you also want to widen that customer base, and you want more people interested in your brand.

With all of these different generations and platforms online, understanding who and where they are is a very important first step to getting your marketing right.”

From an SEO perspective, do you still need to choose just one generation to target on your website?

“One thing that we have to understand is that SEO is not only on your website anymore, and it’s not only about your keywords anymore. We have to start working together as a wider marketing team.

We have to understand that there is a connection between the website – our core, basic SEO – and your socials, your YouTube, and your other marketing channels in general.

For example, if you have a target generation that responds best to long-form content, you can write really good blogs, white papers, and research papers. If you have a target generation that responds best to longer-form videos, then you can use YouTube. You can use TikTok for shorter-form content, and you can use YouTube Shorts.

There are different platforms that you can optimize on. The idea of YouTube SEO has been floating around for a while. You can optimize for AI now as well.

Don’t just focus on your website. Remember that there are all these other platforms and tools out there as well. You can either target different generations with each one, or you can mix it up if you strategise intelligently. There is a lot more than just the website these days.”

How do different generations use search?

“Obviously, answering this question involves a lot of research, and you have to try to understand it for your own brand.

In general terms, it's common knowledge that older generations tend to stick with traditional search engines and Google. Personally, I'm a Millennial, and I tend to stick with Google, but some of my friends already use AI search. Generation Z, for example, will ask AI straight away. For me, I still have to ask Google before I try different search engines.

The younger generations also like video content a bit more than what we see with the older generations. However, what you find for your own brand and your own specific type of audience might be different. If you’re in more of a techie space, for example, you might find that the older generation is actually more into AI and pioneering new search methods.

It's important to focus on and research your brand and your audience, and then tie it to those generational habits. In a general sense, however, the older we are, the more we tend to stick to the traditional ways, and the younger generations are the ones that get into the new ways of doing search.”

You say that SEOs need to understand the language, tone, and style that their audience uses, so where do you find that data?

“As I said, your first port of call is your CMS. Then, you can A/B test. You can measure things like conversions or engagement, depending on the type of content that you're serving.

Another, more traditional way is to use focus groups. Try talking to your audience. Try polls, or try sending them emails. You can ask questions and offer entry into a competition or something else that’s valuable for them to make it worth their time answering your questions.

Talk to them. Try to understand what resonates with your audience, and then go in that direction.”

How do you find out what matters most to the particular generation that you're focussing on?

“Again, you can ask them these questions. You can ask them anything if you just talk to them, and you offer them something valuable for their time.

People could care about speed, trust, community, clarity, and lots of different things that make them more likely to make a purchase. However, they also care about values more generally. For example, younger generations tend to care more about the environment, sustainability, and being environmentally friendly.

It's quite a big picture, and there's a lot that we need to know and care about now. Five years ago, we were still more into keywords and what was actually on our website, and now we've got this much bigger picture that we have to focus on”

Is it okay to completely ignore certain platforms, if you believe that the majority of your audience isn't interacting there?

“I wouldn’t say you should ignore any platform completely. Even if your audience is not active there right now, it is still worth having some presence. The reason is simple: things change. Search behaviour shifts, new platforms appear, and different age groups move around online all the time. You never know when something new will take off and suddenly attract the people you want to reach. If that happens and you have zero presence, you are starting from scratch.

However, that does not mean you should spread yourself thinly. If you are a smaller brand or you are working with a limited budget, you should focus most of your effort on the platforms where your target audience already is. That is where the results will come from today.

So, the balance is this: Do not ignore the other platforms. Keep a light presence so you can grow into them later, but put your real time and energy into the channels that matter right now for your audience. That approach works for everyone, but it is especially important for small to medium brands that need to be smart with their resources.”

Izabela, what's the key takeaway from the tip you shared today?

“Start getting to know your target generations and their search habits, and your target audience in general.

Start learning about them, talking to them, and using this knowledge in your wider marketing and SEO strategy.”

Izabela Janczak is Head of Search Marketing at Creatos Media. Find out more over at CreatosMedia.co.uk.