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Emotionally Persuasive Search Return
Listings
There are several factors that persuade surfers to take action on the
Internet, whether it be filling out a form, making a purchase or just
executing a click. Sometimes it is the logic of the appeal we make and
sometimes it is the perception of the business' credibility. The most
powerful appeals are ones whose argument is so emotional that we are
driven to an action by its sheer sentiment and passion.
At the core of any search return listings' ability to induce a click is
the connection the title and the description seeks to make with the
searcher. Consider offline ad campaigns that you remember. What was it
about them that appealed to you as the audience?
In most situations, emotions remain the most powerful persuasive factor.
Where logical arguments may fail, emotions often have a magical and
powerful lure to motivate people to respond and act. Not surprisingly,
then, understanding which emotions to tap into is one of the most
important focuses of persuasive advertising.
One way to determine the most effective emotional appeal is to analyze
readers according to their needs. For example, if security needs are
most important to your targeted customer, your message should be phrased
quite differently than if your reader were most concerned with a social
need or belonging to a group. All memorable and successful advertisement
campaigns have readily identifiable "need" tragets: AT&T's "Reach Out
and Touch Someone" theme focuses on the emotional appeal of "belonging,"
while Alka Seltzer's "Will it be there when you need it?" campaign
focuses one's need for dependability. The U.S. Army slogan "Be All You
Can Be" is an appeal to self-actualization needs. GM's "Isn't it time
you owned a Cadillac?" campaign focuses on esteem needs, and Campbell
Soup's "Soup Is Good Food" appeals to physiological needs.
Similarly, you must first identify which needs you would want to appeal
to with your customers and target your headlines and descriptions
accordingly. The headlines and descriptions for your search return
listing will either convince or dissuade a click, so you must use the
limited number of words very wisely. Think about your business and the
audience you're trying to target and write accordingly. For example, a
return listing for commemorative coins celebrating the United Nations
victory in the Persian Gulf is likely to include words and phrases that
trigger patriotic feelings: "Remember the brave men and women of Desert
Storm."
In some cases, emotional appeals are chosen to arouse negative feelings
like fear or anxiety. An exterminating service, for instance, may stress
the extent to which carpenter ants can damage a house or emphasize the
fact that homeowners should invest in prevention rather than repairs. A
life-insurance return listing may appeal to a parent's fear of dying and
leaving young children insufficient funds to satisfy their basic needs.
Many last-resort collection letters include messages intended to draw
attention to the debtor's fears of legal action.
7Search.com encourages you to get creative with your search return
listings and spice them up with some emotional appeals. Log into your
account now and test some less popular keywords with your new creative
titles and descriptions!
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