There’s a big difference in following proper English and grammar guidelines, and creating a proper experience for your end users.
A professional writer will write a word to follow guidelines created many years ago. That is the issue. There is a set structure which is not updated to meet current usage and regular standards.
Using common spoken versions instead of the “technically correct” versions is one of the ways I help my clients bring in more traffic and increase conversions, but only when it is appropriate.
Google does tend to prefer proper grammar and english, but it isn’t always the best experience for your user base (customers, readers, subscribers, leads, etc…). That is why situationally we break from branding and corporate guidelines and do what is right for the end users. By doing this in these situations we can increase traffic and increase conversions.
Finding the right balance should be your goal as a business owner, marketer and content creator.
Below are a few examples with explanations of these.
You can find these same terms and phrases using Google keyword tools as well as your own site search depending on how much traffic your website has. I have the advantage of having some high volume websites as clients. These are all based on campaigns and niches I have worked on for various clients in the past, but not the actual data or examples.
(please note I’m not comparing specific apples to specific apples in each example. But I am keeping it in the family like a red delicious vs. a golden delicious, or a granny smith to a honeycrisp. They are each to demonstrate a specific technique or SEO and conversion tactic).
Example 1: Mother’s Day vs. Mothers Day
Mother’s Day is only 31 days away so I’ll start with this. Browser’s and many writing tools will autocorrect Mothers Day to have an ” ‘ ” symbol before the “s”. But if you look up the search volumes, the non apostrophe version has more traffic.
If you’re a blogger or content creator who does not have to deal with a branding team, this is an opportunity to capitalize where big brands cannot.
Bonus tip – One thing I’ve also seen in different niches is that the ‘s version can lead to different themes and topics. Instead of a shopping page or review, a listcicle could be the better experience. Checkout the double bonus tip in the next section for an even better one!
Group 1: without the apostrophe
| Keyword | Volume |
| mothers day gifts | 201000 |
| mothers day gift | 74000 |
| mothers day gift ideas | 60500 |
| best mothers day gifts | 12100 |
| good mothers day gifts | 9900 |
You’ll see “best mothers day gifts” above has 12,100 searches but “best mother’s day gifts” has 6,600. That’s a big difference in traffic and sales!
Group 2: with the apostrophe
| Keyword | Volume |
| best mother’s day gifts | 6600 |
| last minute mother’s day gifts | 4400 |
| top 10 mother’s day gift ideas | 4400 |
| mother’s day delivery gifts | 2900 |
Example 2: Microneedling vs. Micro-needling vs. Micro Needling
The spelling here and also capitalization make a difference. If your audience uses two words and capitalizes both, using this on your website could make it more relatable to them. But it might not follow brand standards or trademarks. The added benefit here is that you’re speaking your customers’ language. [Read more…] about SEO Keywords & Conversions – How an ‘ or – Can Make You Seven Figures!
