Cracking the Keyword Code

The Problem

Navigating the complex world of online lead generation can be daunting, especially for small business owners bombarded with various conflicting tools and advice. Dtermin emerged as a beacon of clarity, a tool engineered to uncomplicate the laborious task of keyword sorting. This case study explores how we pivoted from traditional paradigms to deliver an intuitive SEO tool that gives businesses actionable insights.

My Role

The Dtermin project was a designer's playground—an opportunity to work with a stellar team and mould a nascent idea into a fully realized product. As the driving force behind the brand identity, I orchestrated stakeholder workshops, created a cohesive identity system, and later steered the UI/UX development with an adept team of designers and strategists.

Embracing User-Centered Design: A Four-Stage Journey

Our first order of business was to get into the minds of our target users: small business owners. Through meticulous user research and interviews, we gathered invaluable data that shaped our design principles and guided our strategic decisions. We framed our user journey in four pivotal stages:

  • Demystifying Lead Generation: A streamlined onboarding experience.

  • List Compilation: Building keyword lists tailored to the business.

  • Precision Targeting: Filtering the keyword list to what truly matters.

  • Actionable Execution: Deploying the list to garner targeted traffic.

Challenging Assumptions

An Evaluation Epiphany

Through testing hypotheses, we discovered unexpected user preferences using a range of evaluation methods, including remote usability testing and UI click tests. Surprisingly, users did not find a wealth of information overwhelming, but rather a sign of a robust and reliable system. As a result, we combined the first three stages into a single, data-rich interface.

Data Viz Adventures

During our exploration, we took a close look at the interface and also tested out some data visualization options. We developed an interactive bubble chart that looked great, but unfortunately, it wasn't very helpful. Even though it seemed like a good idea at first, we ultimately decided to ditch it in order to create a more straightforward and user-friendly experience.

Final Insights

Users Crave Direction

One consistent piece of feedback was the user’s desire for guidance post-list creation. They didn't just want a list of keywords; they wanted to know what steps to take next. This became an essential component of our final design, as we looked to provide actionable recommendations alongside the keyword data.