Content personalisation. Is it worth including it in an SEO strategy?

Generalised communication leads to poor results. The solution to this problem is content personalisation. It is worth getting more information on this topic.

What is content personalisation?

Content personalisation involves using data to create and share content targeted at specific audience groups or individuals. Demographic, socio-economic and behavioural data can be used in content personalisation.

Here are a few examples:

• age (demographic),
• location (demographic),
• education (demographic),
• gender (demographic),
• employment status (socio-economic),
• income (socio-economic),
• purchase history (behavioural),
• browsing history (behavioural).

You can even personalise content based on which stage of the sales funnel the customer is at.

Regardless of what information you use for personalisation, the aim is to provide current and potential customers with experiences that are right for their needs and requirements. This translates into conversions, sales and loyalty.

For example, Netflix learns what users like in order to suggest films and series based on their interests. So if someone has previously watched a lot of comedies, Netflix will probably suggest comedies to them. It can also suggest to the user how much they may like these suggestions.

1. 01Data collectionDemographics, behaviours, status
2. 02Content adaptationTailored to needs and stage
3. 03Improving resultsConversions, sales, loyalty

Goal: Providing the right experiences to customers for better results.

Benefits of using personalised content

Using personalisation in content has numerous key advantages. Here they are:

Improving user experience

Personalisation means customers receive content aligned with their preferences and needs. As a result, they feel that the brand understands and values them. Think about how encouraging it would be for a user to see products that are tailored to their needs (Amazon store recommendations are an example).

This kind of personalisation has a positive effect on user experience. In turn, that means spending more time on the site or interacting with your content.

1. 01Location-based contentGPS-based information
2. 02Sales notificationsCurrent offers nearby
3. 03Targeted adsApp-based data

Personalisation increases engagement through relevant, local offers and information.

Improving business results

Delivering information tailored to customers should have a greater impact on them. This increases the chances of conversion and making a purchase. A large number of customers are more willing to make purchases if the information is personalised.

Imagine a situation where a visitor browses a site but leaves without making a purchase. Showing such people ads for products they viewed can make them remember your store, return to it and make a purchase.

Increasing customer loyalty

Continuously delivering personalised content to current and potential customers shows that they can trust your brand. This increases the likelihood that they will become loyal customers. Simply put, customers prefer to stick with trusted brands rather than look for other (potentially risky) options.

Loyal customers can also become brand advocates. They will be more willing to recommend your products or services to other customers.

1. 01Strategic data collectionCollect before use
2. 02Post-purchase surveysLearn customer preferences
3. 03Analysis in GA4Discover city, language, interests
4. 04Lead generationObtain contact details

The key to unique experiences is the strategic and continuous gathering of data about current and future customers.

5 types of personalised content

There are many examples of content personalisation. Here are the most popular ones:

1. GPS-enabled apps

Apps that use GPS can take the user’s location into account, delivering information relevant to where they are. For example, if a user types the query “cafes near me” in Google Maps, the app will show them suggestions based on their current location.

It is also possible to use personalised data to notify customers about a sale based on their current location. For example, let’s say your sales chain includes a shop in Poznań. If the brand has a widely used app, it is possible to use location-based ads to inform customers from Poznań about the sale. This will encourage nearby customers to visit the shop.

This level of personalisation is more technical and is mainly used by large companies. After all, this solution requires large marketing budgets and experienced teams of employees.

2. Interactive content

Interactive content can help gather information about people that can be used to create tailored experiences. For example, a brand can create quizzes to learn about customer preferences. This data is then used to deliver personalised product recommendations.

Other types of interactive content that use personalisation include surveys or calculators, which similarly gather information about users. The data is then used to deliver personalised content.

3. Landing pages and other important websites

Landing pages, homepages and other high-value pages are some of the main places where potential customers interact with your website. These are therefore places that can provide personalised experiences.

For example, there are companies that personalise their rewards centre for logged-in users. Users get information about products they can receive in exchange for accumulated loyalty points, etc.

4. Email messages

Personalised email messages make it possible to communicate directly with recipients through their inboxes. Sending tailored emails to many potential and current customers may seem daunting. However, there are many automation features available on most email marketing platforms.

Email messages can be sent based on user behaviour, such as previous purchases, browsing history or abandoning a basket without completing the purchase.

5. Retargeting ads

Retargeting ads are designed to re-engage customers who have previously shown interest in your brand. They can be based on what the user viewed or interacted with.

For example, if a user searches for a vehicle model on a website, they may later see ads about similar models on social media. Reminding users about the products they were looking for can bring them closer to making a purchase.

What content personalisation methods are there?

In general, there are three basic content personalisation methods. They are:

1. Demographic content personalisation

Demographic personalisation means dividing the target audience based on demographic and behavioural factors and creating content personalised for both of these groups. A company can therefore divide its audience by age, geographical location or gender. It is also possible to create groups (segments) based on other factors, such as:

• known languages,
• job roles,
• types of devices used,
• previous interactions with the brand.

Segmentation and demographic personalisation can increase the relevance of target content reaching specific user groups. However, such content is personalised only at group level, so this method does not provide a high degree of personalisation at individual level.

2. Content personalisation based on customer profiles

This method involves creating comprehensive customer profiles based on specific behaviours and attributes. Such profiles inform the company about who their target customers are, how they behave and why they make a purchase.

In contrast to demographic personalisation, personalisation based on customer profiles is broader than simple group-level demographics. It also includes identifying and understanding the factors that steer a user towards a purchase, the challenges involved, and their role in purchasing decisions. Such understanding allows brands to connect with audiences on a more personal level and meet their needs more effectively. This can affect conversions, sales and profits.

3. Personalisation based on the customer journey

In this personalisation method, organisations create maps that visually show where their users are in the sales funnel. Such maps make it possible to create and deliver personalised, relevant content based on the stage of the customer journey.

For example, a user landing on a company website for the first time may be in the awareness stage. At this time, they are looking for information that influences the purchasing decision. At this point, the company should present content in the form of blog posts or video guides related to products that will help the user understand the company and its offer and move from the awareness stage to the purchase stage.

How do you achieve content personalisation?

You need a strategic approach to create personalised content that offers unique experiences for each potential customer. Here are the next guidelines:

1. Collect and analyse audience data

You need to collect data before it can be used to personalise content. This applies both to data related to your current and future customers.

To learn more about current customers, you can send post-purchase surveys with questions about their preferences.

You can also use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to uncover insights about current website visitors. These may concern the city, language, age, interests, etc.

For potential customers, try to collect information (including names, job titles, etc.) using in-content forms. You can also ask people to sign up to a mailing list.

Pay attention to the social platforms most frequently visited by your customers. This can help you uncover promising opportunities for formats and channels to focus on.

For example, let’s assume your audience strongly prefers Facebook. Retargeting ads on this platform may be a great choice.

2. Identify highly specific audiences to target

Use the data collected in the previous step to identify audience groups relevant to the goal. One way is to develop multiple customer profiles that significantly take into account the unique characteristics of each group. These may include information about age, gender, location, interests, purchase history, etc.

You can also provide excellent personalised user experiences based on individual data. This includes the user’s location, name or specific products that were purchased or viewed by that person.

Once you have identified promising groups (segments), choose one that aligns with your goals and has the potential to exert such an impact that you can focus on the next step.

3. Define your format

Next, choose a format and/or channel that will enable you to reach specific audiences effectively based on the data you are focusing on.

For example, let’s assume you have realised that a large group of your audience is in Warsaw and often uses Instagram. You can therefore create ads with information relevant to potential customers living in Warsaw, to be published on Instagram. In addition, tailor the content to local interests.

Also remember that different content formats may require different data for effective personalisation. Here are a few ideas:

• consider using data related to age, location and interests if you are creating organic social media posts aimed at different audiences,
• personalise email content using past purchase history, browsing behaviour and demographic data,
• use data such as location, interests and previous interactions with your brand for paid advertising campaigns.

4. Create content

It is time to create personalised content that is directed straight at your audience group or groups.

The type of content you create will depend on your audience group, your format and your channel. Let’s assume you run a clothing brand and want to target fashion-conscious people in Warsaw who are interested in eco-friendly clothing.

You can use eye-catching posts and Instagram stories to show that there are eco-friendly products suited to the weather in Warsaw. In the photos, you can also include landmarks across the city.

Make sure the messages present your commitment to sustainability and expertise in the area. You can do this by talking about environmentally safe materials to use that perform well in the given weather.

5. Evaluate and improve

Continuous monitoring of the performance of your personalised content will allow you to learn what works and what does not. You can adapt everything to your needs.

The tools that will be used to check effectiveness depend on the content format you have chosen. For example, let’s assume that you have created a personalised website that contains a different hero image depending on the user’s location.

Apply a personalised approach

Content personalisation is the key to connecting with specific audience groups. Now you already know what steps need to be taken to create personalised content that speaks directly to each audience group.