SEO is evolving rapidly, with GenAI, product filters, and new features changing how brands drive traffic from search engines. Attention SEO is one of the latest trends in search engine optimization that focuses on capturing and sustaining user attention over rankings and keywords.
User Intent Blends with User Interest
Brands need to start blending user intent with user interest to increase sustained interest from visitors on their site. Instead of creating content based on keywords or click bait, content should focus on curiosity, emotional resonance, and practical uses that can extend dwell time.
Using emotional triggers, brands like Dove’s Real Beauty campaign used empathy and inspiration through stories of self-confidence to trigger a connection with their users. Brands need to focus on emotional triggers like curiosity, joy and humor, surprise, connection, and hope and inspiration to draw their users into content to increase important metrics beyond rankings and clicks. Some examples of successful ways to use emotional triggers include:
- Curiosity – Use teasers in your headlines that promise valuable information. For example, “How To Increase Traffic Using Attention SEO” instead of “Attention SEO for your Website”
- Connection – Share stories that users will care about including universal human experiences which is exactly what Dove did in their Real Beauty campaign
Metrics that Matter
Algorithms are rewarding attention metrics over clicks so what type of metrics can brands use to measure the success of an Attention SEO campaign? Look beyond CTR and Bounce Rate which have been traditional engagement metrics. Focus on critical on page metrics like scroll depth, time on page, GA4’s engagement metrics, heatmaps, and Dwell Engagement Score to see how users interact with your pages.
Tips and Tools
Improving readability and leveraging multimedia can keep users on your site longer, make them scroll further, and optimize your site for mobile attention spans. A few tools to consider include:
- Hotjar, Crazy Egg, and Microsoft Clarity can help see user engagement on your content including heatmaps, scroll depth, and session recordings
- GA4, GTM, and YouTube Analytics can help with monitoring multimedia performance while Wistia can monitor metrics for self-hosted videos
Using Attention SEO is critical to improving performance and rankings in search engines, GenAI, and beyond. Start creating high interest content that keeps your users on your site longer and coming back more frequently. As SEO continues to evolve, staying ahead with strategies like Attention SEO will be key to driving meaningful engagement and long-term growth.