Within a couple of months after commencing They Ask, You Answer on the River Pools and Spas website, I could see that what we were doing was already making a difference.

By publishing four to five pieces of content each week on our site, it seemed like searchers (those people looking for swimming pools) and search engines (Google, Yahoo, and others) were clearly taking notice.

We were getting more Web traffic.

Leads started to increase, many of whom were more educated and qualified because of the content they had read and consumed.

Even a few sales were being made.

Although we weren’t breaking the bank, and even though we (and the economy) had a long way to go, there was real progress.

And it was exciting.

After about six months of They Ask, You Answer, I took the time to take a deep dive into our Web analytics in an effort to pick up on any patterns that may have been occurring. Essentially, I wanted to know what was working, what wasn’t working, and also the types of content that were getting the most traction and results.

What I discovered was profound.

Basically, there were five types of content subjects (or types of questions) that seemed to move the needle with readers more than anything else, ultimately rendering the greatest amount of traffic, conversions, leads, and sales. These five subjects were as follows:

1. Pricing and Costs
2. Problems
3. Versus and Comparisons
4. Reviews
5. Best in Class

At the time, what I didn’t realize was that these five subjects weren’t at all specific to the swimming pool industry. Rather, these are the five main subjects consumers and businesses research the most whenever they’re getting ready to make a purchasing decision.

As mentioned multiple times already, what I’m explaining here is not a B2B or B2C issue. It’s all encompassing, as our studies have shown time and time again.

Over time, once I realized how these five subjects transcend all industries, I dubbed them “the Big 5,” and their influence remains as great as it has ever been.

But with the Big 5, there is an interesting phenomenon that occurs between businesses and consumers.

As consumers, we often obsess over these five subjects when considering a purchase.

As businesses, we generally ignore or even hide from these questions, hoping they’ll either magically go away or, worst case, willingly address them only when we are face to face with the prospect or buyer.

In other words, we’re experiencing a literal paradox of business strategy, while essentially not doing unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Although you may be confused about how to understand and implement the Big 5 in your business, the following chapters cover each individually and show you specific ways you can address these five critical subjects, ultimately winning the trust of searchers and search engines alike. . . .