Many small businesses, especially those just starting out, struggle with where to focus their strategy, messaging, and marketing efforts.
Recently, I have been working with a SaaS company facing exactly this challenge. They had primarily served the not-for-profit sector, but as they looked to grow, they realized they needed to reach new markets. The problem? Their software solution had broad value across many industries, and they didn’t know where to start or how to position themselves. When everything feels like a possibility, it can be paralyzing. So, instead of guessing, I recommended we let the data drive the direction.
Step 1: Redesigning the Website for Clear Messaging and SEO
Their existing website lacked clear messaging, structure, and SEO optimization, meaning any data we collected would be unreliable. We needed a stronger foundation.
I started by redesigning their website to:
- Clarify and organize their service offerings
- Refine messaging to resonate with a wider audience
- Implement SEO best practices to improve search visibility
This gave us a cleaner platform that could both attract traffic and track meaningful user behavior.
Step 2: Connecting the Google Marketing Suite
With the website in place, I integrated the full Google Marketing Suite, including:
- Google Analytics – to monitor traffic and user behavior
- Google Tag Manager – for more targeted tracking
- Google Search Console – to analyze search performance, and terms
- Google Ads – to test market response and drive conversions
Step 3: Running Google Ads to Discover What Works
Most successful Google Ads campaigns rely on well-defined audiences, keywords, and landing pages. But in this case, we weren’t sure who the ideal audience was yet, that’s what we are trying to find out.
I created this ad campaign around the client’s four main offerings, allowing Google’s machine learning to target users most likely to convert. Our goal wasn’t just conversions, it was insight. By analyzing search terms and behaviors from users who clicked and filled out a contact form, we started to identify real patterns in what prospective clients were looking for.
This is a more budget friendly strategy for smaller businesses and those just starting out. For larger companies with bigger budgets you can gain more insights by running separate ads for each service and monitor performance.
Step 4: Using Behavioral Data to Identify Opportunities
To gain the information we were looking for, I monitored:
- Search terms driving traffic and conversions
- User behavior via Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity to see how they interact with the website
- Most viewed services’ pages and time on page metrics
This helped paint a clear picture of which offerings resonated most and how users were interacting with the content.
Need some help identifying your potential customers?
Read more about Identifying Your Target Audience here.
Step 5: Continuous Optimization
I meet monthly with the client to review findings and discuss new opportunities based on our data. These ongoing conversations help refine our messaging, ad strategy, and even business development efforts.
Let Data Drive Your Strategy
When your business could go in a dozen directions, don’t guess. Use your website, digital tools, and data analytics to guide your growth. With the right foundation and strategic approach, you’ll not only attract more traffic, you’ll discover exactly what they’re looking for.
