More about the SRDS manual created by EQUIFAX.

Here is the Latent Behavioral Indexing article in a PDF format.
I have recently learned a lot more about how the offline world connects to the online world- and how it is possible to make better content decisions based on the knowledge of consumer shopping behaviors.

I don't know if you guys are familiar with the SRDS put out by "Equifax: yes the credit tracking agency). Most people do not own a copy because it is DAMN expensive. EQUIFAX apparently will not create a digital form of this manual because they are afraid people will sell it. I am powering up my scanner as we speak. (Just kidding- don't mess with the big boys).

But I have a copy and this thing is really full of "beyond anecdotal" data about online and offline shopping behaviors. Some of the things in the SRDS are obvious and others are not so obvious.

What I really like about the SRDS is the "cross tab" which we at Theme Zoom have renamed "latent BEHAVIORAL indexing" not to be confused with latent semantic indexing.

An excellent example of unexpected Latent Behavior Indexing is available at Amazon.com when they offer the section called::

"What do customers ultimately buy after viewing items like this?"

When dealing with the future of Latent Semantic Indexing or what Colin McDougall has dubbed "VEO" or "visitor enhanced optimization", you may discover some extremely useful AND ironic or unexpected interests and buying behaviors.

For example when I was drilling into the Theme "skydiving" I discovered that one of the most frequently purchased books after viewing the following book was targeting an apparently unrelated niche:

Skydiving

The book that many people purchased after viewing the book on skydiving was called:

97% buy Codependent No More : How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself

Now what is interesting about this is that I first thought this suggestion was an Amazon mistake. What could co-dependency possibly have to do with skydiving? According to the SRDS-type-categories, co-dependency would probably fall under "SELF HELP". Skydiving does NOT appear as a significant category within the SRDS which implies that it is a Niche or a Microniche.

As I begin to look a little further, I discovered that Amazon's latent behavioral information was correct.

Apparently a therapeutic part of the self-help or "co-dependent relationship/abusive relationship" therapy is often "sky-diving". Skydiving is apparently a method one may use to overcome self doubts, personal fears and inhibitions.

Now what does this have to do with VEO or "visitor enhanced optimization" suggested by Colin McDougall?

Everything.

The key is to know your online market! Where did they come from? Why are they visiting your website? Why are they jumping out of an airplane? Perhaps because their therapist told them to!

Is that useful information?

Certainly, because now you may take into consideration possible Topics and Themes for your SKYDIVING content blog or portal that may relate more to where your audience came from. Having an understanding as to why a significant portion of your market has arrived on your website allows you to cross sell more effectively by providing more emotionally relevant content.

For example, rather than writing an article on the latest and greatest "rip cord" or "parachute" technologies, I may instead have my ghostwriter discuss "The top 3 obstacles to overcoming my fear of jumping out of an airplane" or "How skydiving improved my relationship with life!".

I may also write a "rip cord" article as well- but my point is that the "Latent BEHAVIORAL indexing" section that Amazon is providing, shows how you may systematically understand OFFLINE market-driven keyword research in order to avoid the "keyword tool trap".

Notice I did say "systematically".

Theme Zoom will of course be providing this sort of data to our users directly. We will call this keyword topic advice "VEO suggestions". The name of the book will be listed along with Amazon's Statistically Improbable Phrases which we will call "expert verbiage". You will be able to pull out expert verbiage for multiple Themes at the same time, taking only seconds.

- Russell Wright