A recent study by Bovitz Research Group in conjunction with AOL identified the factors which influence female users in their reading and sharing of online content. Many of the findings may surprise some SEO-centric marketers as in the midst of the social media revolution, the study proves that email remains the undisputed number one sharing method among females of all ages.
The key to catering to this vastly important market is transitioning from the practice of SEO to the mastery of SFO (Search Female Optimization) in your email marketing campaign strategies.
Women from all demographic sectors prefer to share via email
Conventional wisdom would assume that with the widespread advent of social networking, this new paradigm would have become women’s primary means of sharing information with their social circle. The reality is diametrically opposite to the perception, as the Bovitz AOL study proved that women use email to share information with their network of friends and family nearly twice as much as they use social media.
The statistics show that nearly two thirds or 62% of all females prefer to use email to share info with their social group versus just one third or 34% who prefer to use social networking means. This staggering proportion of preference proves that women continue to rely on email as a secure, private, and efficient means of communication.
Information has to be trusted by women in order to be shared
The Bovitz AOL study showed that two out of every five or 40% of all women surveyed only share information that they have gathered from sources which they know to be authentic and trusted. Reputation plays an overwhelming role in women’s determination as to whether to share information with their social clique or not.
Due to this powerful penchant, it becomes critically important for SEO practitioners in their aspiration to become SFO specialists to ensure that the source material is authentic, and that the perception of the source brand is impeccably reputable. Women seem to be considerably more sensitive than men to issues of character and repute, thus it becomes imperative that the attributed wellspring of the information to be shared originates from brands of irreproachable and consummate renown and respect.
Panda / Farmer has placed SERPs in a Moulinex
With Google’s Panda / Farmer algorithm updates placing SERPs in a Moulinex, and future modifications promising just as much upheaval, many SEO tactics are proving to be unpredictable at best. Instead of heading for the direction of more complex and esoteric convoluted strategies, SEO experts would be well advised to move in the opposite direction: back to the basics.
Email trounces social networking as the preferred way for women to share
It can be argued that there is no clearer major preference statistic anywhere in the SEO universe that can compare to the trouncing email gives social networking in the preference of the entire female demographic to share valued and trusted information with their clique. 62% to 34% is not just a mild preference but a nearly two to one stampede.
When such a vast number of females are loudly informing SEO experts as to how they prefer to be approached, it is a serious failing to ignore them and continue with the low percentage play drudgery of stuffing keyword phrases in named anchors or squeezing Roget’s dry for yet another synonym for your keyword stemming.
The message is simple and clear: Nearly two thirds of women representing 2.3 billion people on this planet prefer email to any other online form of sharing information with their friends, relatives, and other acquaintances.
You have to ask yourself whether shaking up your stultified SEO strategies in order to rely on email marketing to this literally immense market will have a greater positive and lucrative effect than continuing to play with secondary keywords in your meta tags. The gargantuan female market is yours for the taking… via SFO email!
