Loading ...The search engine optimisation community has been quite excited recently by the introduction of the phrase ‘hot triggers.’ And why shouldn’t they be? The term seems to have excitement and action all rolled up into one. What’s more, it represents an idea that every site owner has long dreamed of: how to get your site users to do what you want them to.
The term was introduced by industry guru B.J. Fogg, who is best known for his theories on how computers can change human behaviour. Fogg has come up with some groundbreaking concepts over the years, and while his ‘hot triggers’ concept is a little simpler than some of his other work, it’s of major interest to the average site owner.
Hot triggers are, essentially, the things on a website that trigger an action on an internet user’s part. Triggers have been in use by all kinds of businesses, and indeed people, for decades. The concept of a call-to-action is closely associated with these kinds of triggers, but what Fogg was talking about is a little subtler. The use of hot triggers can help a website target specific types of users more effectively, rather than trying to cast a wide net with a broad-scale call to action.
The example Fogg used at a recent industry conference was Facebook, which contains a large number of hot triggers. Fogg had been teaching the examples Facebook sets to his students at Stamford University. The social media site is successful, Fogg argues, because it lays out all kinds of highly-specific triggers all over its pages. Things like ‘Like this’ and ‘Poke’ appear on a user’s profile and many users do just what the instructions tell them to. What’s more, all Facebook applications further these triggers, effectively creating new generations and drawing users even further in.
How does this help the average site owner? Although most websites bear no resemblance to social media sites, the goal is essentially the same. Most site owners engaging in search engine optimisation want to get their users to do something. Tailoring your triggers to different target users, and planting them in the right areas of your site, can help boost your conversions and your SEO. It just takes a bit of planning.
Triggers available on the average website include:
- Hyperlinks. This is one of the most classic triggers, but effective. Using the right words and highlighting them with a link can be a subtle way to drive users to the right pages.
- Buttons. These set the request apart, attracting attention.
- Straightforward requests. Fogg noted that although the social media site Twitter started out with no hot triggers, its users have brought them with them. Twitter is full of calls to action, many of them successful. This shows just how effective a simple ‘Please forward’ or ‘Please link’ can be.
Triggering your users into action is a fairly simple concept, but takes some thought before execution. It’s a good idea to talk to your search engine optimisation company when planning triggers. You can talk to our experts at SEO Consult Australia.
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Tags: Search Engine Optimisation, SEO, SEO Consult, social media
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