Writing for People Who Are Deciding

Product pages catch people who already know

Someone searching for a specific product name is nearly ready to buy, and your product page serves them. Someone who does not yet know what they need is searching something else entirely, and most stores have nothing for them.

That earlier audience is larger, less competitive and considerably cheaper to reach.

Four content types that work for shops

1. Buying guides — how to choose between the options
2. Comparisons — this versus that, honestly
3. Compatibility and fit — will this work with that
4. Problem content — the symptom, and what solves it

Compatibility content is the most valuable and least written. “Which X fits a Y” is searched constantly in most technical categories, and it converts extremely well.

Take the topics from your inbox

Every question your support team answers repeatedly is a piece of content that would have prevented it and attracted new customers at the same time.

• Log the questions for a month
• Group them, count them, and write the top five as real pages
• Link those pages to the relevant products
• Watch both the search traffic and the contact volume

Link content to products deliberately

A buying guide that does not link clearly to the products it recommends is a missed opportunity. The reader has just decided what they need; make buying it one click away.

Equally, product pages should link to the guide for shoppers who are still uncertain.

Be honest in comparisons

Saying that a cheaper option is right for some customers builds more trust than claiming your most expensive line suits everyone.

Shoppers can tell the difference, and honest comparison content earns links and recommendations that promotional content does not.

Frequently asked questions