For years, I've been working using the same funnels that most of us in the SEO and Digital Marketing field know and trust: AIDA - Awareness, Interest, Desire, and Action ToFu/MoFu/BoFu - Top of Funnel, Middle of Funnel, Bottom of Funnel. But coming from a traditional marketing background and after a few years of doing this SEO and Internet thing, I realized that these funnels are a bit incomplete. There is more to an internet search than just a step in a direction because people don't search like the funnels suggest. So for a few years now, I've been working on something that I think represents searchers, and more importantly, their intent, a little more realistically than AIDA and TMB funnels. *Note: There is absolutely nothing wrong with following these funnel models and I still recommend understanding and using them. I've called it a very silly name, but it still fits - The SEO Lifecycle Funnel. The basics - Traditional funnels assume a straight path to conversion. The SEO Lifecycle Funnel reflects how people wander. They zigzag, double back, and follow nonlinear, beautifully human journeys. I break it down like this: - Ignorance/Innocence - Awareness/Discovery - Interest/Desire - Consideration - Action/Purpose - Loyalty - Advocacy I've found that people often jump around with their searches. They don’t know what the word is for that thingamajigger under the whatsis, but like all of us, they go online to try to find it. Even experienced search professionals will do this. I do this, and I’ve been typing words into the Google machine for a few years. Think about it: someone frustrated with their laptop isn’t searching for “Wi-Fi adapter driver update” or “network configuration troubleshooting.” They’re typing, “Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting on my laptop.” Or a homeowner hearing water trickling isn’t looking up “flapper valve replacement”; they’re searching, “Toilet keeps running after flushing.” I created a blog post that goes into much more detail and is pretty exhaustive, and if you're interested, you can read more at https://miamiseo.pro/blog/the-seo-lifecycle-funnel/

Hello, academy peeps! Here is a Google Sheet with a list of all the tools and resources currently available in this group. It might be easier than browsing around the classroom. Just click the links and it will take you to the appropriate page. 50+ Tools Sheet P.S. I got banned from LinkedIn (temporarily) for using this sheet as a lead magnet. It was getting so many comments that my account is now restricted.