Are you making a lot of SEO efforts but only seeing a slight increase in website traffic? To turn your website visitors into loyal customers and guide them down the marketing funnel, you need to focus on the right kinds of keywords, like Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) keywords. These are search terms that people use when they are looking for ways to solve a specific problem or achieve a goal that your product or service can help them with.
Let’s understand how you can find and use JTBD keywords to improve your SEO strategy.
What Are JTBD Keywords?
Jobs-to-Be-Done (JTBD) keywords are phrases that show how users are trying to achieve something, even if they are not directly searching for your specific product. These keywords are different from high-buying-intent keywords as they primarily focus on the problem or job the user is trying to solve.
For example, your company’s product is a food delivery app from which individuals can order food directly to their homes. A high-buying-intent keyword would be “best food delivery app,” but a JTBD keyword would be something like “how to order food without calling a restaurant.” Thus, JTBD searches are different in the sense that they don’t always directly imply that a user is “ready to buy,” although they still show this intent.
Types of JTBD Keywords
JTBD keywords typically fall under these few categories:
- “How to” Searches – These are phrases in which users ask how to solve a specific problem. For example, “How to sell handmade craft online?” or “How to file taxes yourself without an accountant?”
- “Ways to” Searches – These phrases focus on finding better methods and alternatives. For example, “Best way to clean your floor” or “Easy ways to decorate your home.”
- “Can you/I” or “Should you/I” Searches – These kinds of queries usually show that someone is weighing their options. For example, “Can you manage your own commercial property?” or “Should I hire an interior designer?”
By targeting these kinds of keywords you can address user questions at the top and middle of the funnel, where they are looking for advice. This way you get the chance to showcase the value of your product and how it can help solve the problem.
How to Find JTBD Keywords
To find JTBD keywords you need to first gain a better understanding of your customer’s pain points and goals. You can do this by talking to your customers, reviewing feedback surveys and looking at customer complaints. Research is also a great way to gain valuable insights about your customer’s goals.
By analyzing discussions related to your industry on forums, social media platforms and industry-specific groups you can see what kind of language people use when they are looking for solutions. Using SEO tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush you can find related topics and questions that people are asking online. You can also think about all the problems that your product solves and then brainstorm how a potential customer might search for help.
How to Use JTBD Keywords in Content
After identifying your JTBD keywords you should start creating content that solves the problem while showing how your product is the best solution for it. Begin by directly answering the user’s query, like if the keyword is “how to track productivity,” you can explain this step-by-step in detail. Show the drawbacks of following a specific approach or of various methods. For example, you can explain how tracking your employees’ productivity in spreadsheets is time-consuming and prone to errors. The last step is to position your product as the best solution. You should clearly explain how your product solves the problem more effectively than any other alternatives.
Combining JTBD Keywords with Competitors
You can combine JTBD keywords with competitor-related terms and in the content offer your product as a better alternative to existing solutions. For example, the JTBD Keyword is “how to learn French with Memrise.” Here the problem could be a user struggling with Memrise’s algorithm and finding it complicated. Your content could show how your app (here, Duolingo) is easier to use and has better conversation tools that help users learn new languages faster. This is a smart approach that helps you capture users who are struggling with your competitors’ tools, giving you the opportunity to position yourself as the superior option.
Why JTBD Keywords Work
JTBD keywords help you attract potential customers even before they have decided which product they would choose. By providing solutions to their immediate problems, you can build trust and establish your product as the go-to option.
If you are struggling to incorporate JTBD keywords into your SEO strategy, reach out to TechnoRadiant. By thinking beyond traditional keywords and focusing on what your customers are trying to achieve, we can help you create content that converts at every stage of the funnel. Contact us today to improve your SEO strategy and take your business to greater heights.
