When you really dig deep into the fundamentals of SEO, it has everything to do with emotion.
Search engines use complex, ever-changing algorithms to make sure they are serving the most relevant and highest-quality results for people’s search queries in the search engine result pages (SERPs).
How search engines work is far more nuanced than what I can capture in a single sentence. But, if we know the purpose of search engine algorithms is to deliver the most relevant results to the questions being asked, we can fairly assume it’s about keeping the searcher happy. They ask something, and the search engine provides the answer.
In turn, SEO is about understanding those search algorithms so you can optimize your websites, web pages, and content to rank higher in search engines.
This means you have to create content that aligns with what the searcher is looking for.
When you break it down into its most basic parts, it’s clear to see that SEO is about people… and what are people, if not emotional beings?
Philosophical musings aside, emotion influences our behavior. We’re far more likely to impulsively buy something if it connects with us on a deeper, more emotional level, as shown by research carried out in 2023.
A somewhat morbid case for the importance of emotion, rather than solely relying on logic, comes from the story of a man, Elliot, whose life was forever changed after a tumor in his frontal lobe led to an inability to feel emotion. He was still sound of mind when it came to intellect and logic, but he simply lacked emotional capacity.
Now, you may think only having logic to guide you would make you a better decision-maker… right?
Wrong! Or, at least, wrong in the case of Elliot, the man detailed in Damásio’s 1994 book, “Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain.”
His lack of emotion didn’t make him better at decision-making. It actually meant he struggled making any kind of decision at all.
In an interview discussing this topic, António Damásio states “…when you are making decisions any day of your life — and of course, the options you make are going to produce an outcome — good or bad, or something in between — you do not only remember what the factual result is, but also what the emotional result is — and that tandem of fact and associated emotion is critical.”
Still not convinced by the power of emotion-driven SEO? Harvard Business Review found that content that triggers an emotional response is far more likely to go viral.
With this in mind, how we think and feel can shape our online search behavior.
In 2022, a Google Search trends report found searches were driven by heightened emotions. For instance, search interest for terms around “meditation” spiked at 6 am as people were preparing for their day, suggesting people were looking to start their day mindfully.
By understanding the emotions of your audience, you can learn how to create content that better satisfies their needs and, in turn, is seen as more relevant, helpful, and of higher quality in the eyes of Google, too.