Gordon Murray

We all have Google Analytics or something similar on our websites and blogs recording info about visitors.

A part of the information that’s available is the search terms that are directing visitors to your site from Google.

I have a script running on the ewritecork.com site and blog that sends me an email every time someone searches for something on Google that leads them to the ewrite site.

After watching these emails come in for a few weeks seeing people search for terms like google analytics referral problems, igo people, bank took my car and getting directed to some of the blog posts I’ve written it got me thinking a lot about these users and what they were searching for. Did my blog posts answer their questions? did they find what they were looking for?

In my own mind I often compare a website to a small shop on a busy street. If I had a shop front on a street and people came in I’d like to talk with them, see if I can help with anything. On a website people come and go, who knows if they find your site or content useful.

In the case of referrals where you can record what a user searched for on Google its even more thought provoking. If a customer came into your shop with a banner above their head saying Searching for XXX and YYY I’d be even more inclined to talk with them and at the very least direct them to where they’d find the answer if I can.

For example, I keep seeing visitors to this blog searching for blackknight speed test and where can i buy 3v card in cork on Google. I’d like to tell them that the Blacknight speed test is here and that there is a list of shops where you can buy the 3V cards here. In the case of those particular searches, I include this information in the posts.

But what happens if a user is directed to your site, searching for something particular and you can provide the answer? Your site may talk about the topic but not provide their particular answer. I’d like to be able to tell them. I wondered how I could do this, a live chat? A contact form?

Yesterday I added a little something new to my blog to experiment. If a user searches Google for something and if they end up being directed to my blog I capture the information, specifically the search term. A little unobtrusive “Can I help you” footer appears on the blog saying:

Can I help? You’re searching for ‘XXXXXX’? If you leave a message with contact details I’ll email you back.

To try it out, search Google for “ewrite cork blog” and look to the bottom of the screen when you land on this blog.

A user can enter a question, leave an email address or phone number or some method for me to contact them. I’ll receive the question by email and the user can continue browsing the site or get directed back to Google. If I know the answer or where they might like to look, I’ll email them back.

If the user wasn’t directed from Google, or if the search term isn’t picked up the footer isn’t displayed. If the user navigates around the site the footer disappears.

So far today there were 10 referrals to this blog from Google. So far no one has used this how can I help you facility but I know the items they are searching for have answers in the posts they’re seeing. I’m going to leave this up for a week or so and see if anyone uses it.

I’ll also tweak the can I help you message and how it looks, I’m sure there are nicer ways to put it and ways to make it look much better than it currently looks.

Would anyone like to try this out on their own site or have you ever tried anything similar to interact with the visitors to your site?

Filed under:
business, development, eWrite Users by Gordon Murray