Currently (and for quite some time) it seems like everyone’s chasing after the next algorithm tweak or obsessing over Google’s every update, hoping to stay favourable in the eyes of the SEO gods. You see it all the time: businesses, content creators, marketers—bending over backwards to make sure every piece of content is perfectly tailored for search engines and current guidelines to improve results. But here’s the thing: while algorithms may change, human psychology is the one thing that remains consistent.
So why are so many ignoring it in favour of trends? The answer isn’t always a simple one, but when we pause and think, it’s clear: focusing too much on the rules of the game means you forget who you’re actually playing for — real people.
The Problem With Following Trends
Trends are like fashion—one day it’s all about keyword density, the next, it’s voice search optimisation or chasing backlinks. These trends are the shiny objects dangled in front of us. They promise the world, but often leave us feeling frustrated when they shift again or just… simply don’t work as expected. The problem is, when we follow trends too closely, we’re not thinking. We’re reacting. And reacting is not the same as strategy. It’s definitely not sustainable.
Think about YouTube, for example. Once upon a time, creators could focus on building communities and creating genuinely engaging content. Now? They’re often just scrambling to fit whatever trend YouTube’s algorithm deems worthy this week, leaving audiences feeling a bit like they’re watching content designed for robots, not people.
Shift Your Focus: Customer Psychology Over Algorithms
The truth is—algorithms don’t buy your products, services, or ideas. People do. This is where customer psychology is essential It’s the art of understanding what makes people do what they do, what drives them to make decisions, and how they emotionally feel about your brand or product.
Instead of trying to overthink it, try something different. Tap into something deeper—emotions, desires, and aspirations. Successful businesses understand full well that humans are driven by more than just a search engine result page. They’re driven by their dreams and how a product makes them feel.
Take the rise of ecommerce as well. When brands started focusing on user behaviour analytics (UBA), they stopped relying solely on trends and started looking at what real customers were doing. Where were users dropping off in the buying process? What pages were they spending the most time on? Rather than playing catch-up with Google updates, they invested in A/B testing and behavioural data to actually understand the person behind the click.
But Why Not Just Do Both?
Here’s where overthinking kicks in, right? “But surely we can optimise for algorithms and care about people?” Sure, but it’s not as simple as trying to do both. Algorithms should never be the starting point. They’re a means to an end. The obsession with figuring out how to please them can make you lose focus on what really matters: solving a customer’s problem or fulfilling a desire.
When you’re constantly catering to the whims of search engines, you risk creating soulless content. The kind that ranks but doesn’t convert. You might be top of the search results, but if you’re not delivering something of real value that connects with your audience emotionally, you’ve already lost them.
How to Focus on People First
- Understand Your Audience’s Desires: Dig into their motivations. What do they really want? Forget about the keyword tools for a minute and focus on customer feedback, social media comments, and reviews. What language are they using? What problems are they vocalising?
- Tell Stories, Not Just Features: A list of product features may help with ranking, but telling a compelling story that connects with your customer’s struggles or dreams is what will stick in their mind long after they’ve closed the tab. Stories make your product human, relatable, and ultimately, memorable.
- Leverage User Data Intelligently: Yes, use analytics—but use them to learn, not to blindly follow patterns. Understand where users get frustrated, where they drop off, and adjust accordingly. This isn’t about ranking, it’s about improving the customer journey and experience.
- Invest in Brand Loyalty: Give your customers a reason to come back beyond your latest blog post or optimised landing page. Real connections are built on trust and value, not algorithms. Emotion sells.
- A/B Testing: This removes the guesswork by showing you what works best for your audience using real data. Algorithms might prefer certain words, but your audience might engage more with something else.
Conclusion: People Are Not Algorithms
In a world where trends and algorithms dominate the conversation, it’s the businesses that focus on customer psychology—those that go deeper than mere keyword stuffing—that will truly thrive. So yes, keep one eye on SEO, but never forget that real people—emotional, unpredictable, wonderfully irrational people—are at the heart of it all. When you cater to them, the algorithms will follow naturally, because people and their behaviour will always drive how search engines evolve.
